I have finally setup my CDI furler on my and I have a few questions for the "brains trust"
Raising the Mast with the furler. I generally rig by myself (using mast raising kit) and it seams to add some complexity to the process. In particular how does one best rest the foil when raising and how best to ensure that the drum doesn't scratch.
Also I am finding raising the stock genoa on the foil impossible. It is really tight fitting and I can only get it about 7 foot up the foil before it get tooo tight to raise further. I have noticed a few mud wasp nests which i have cleaned out but still no good. Is there a magic spray (or similar) that can help me raise the sail?
Thanks on advance
David
Raising the mast with the furler in place is a little awkward but you get used to it. I either get one of the little people to guide it or hold it myself in one hand whilst cranking the winch with the other. See the photo: http://www.sailblogs.com/member/morwenn ... &pid=87503
There will be a reason for the sticking genoa so look again. I wouldn't want to risk any chemical spray but a strongish solution of washing-up liquid may help and shouldn't cause any damage to the cloth.
Regards
Nevil
Doing the same here, furler under one arm and winching with the other hand. Not easy if you are left handed and the furler is always on the right hand side. It takes me less then 5 minutes to raise the mast and attach the furler to the bow, now with the new Hifield lever.
I rig my by myself as well, and have faced the same challenges. With the furler tied to the mast, I attach a suitable length bungy cord between the furler drum and its mount on the bow, then untie the furler. The bungy tension keeps it straight from wandering while raising. I don't worry about the drum scratching the deck, but have thought of wrapping it with a towel to prevent the possibility.
Are you trying to raise the genny on the foil after the mast is up??...because the genny should already be installed on the furler foil even before the furler is installed on the boat. When I removed my jib to install a new genoa, I did so with my furler off the boat and on the lawn. It took one person to pull the sail up the foil track and another to guide the sail into the track. If I recall correctly, the track may be in sections and these sections need to be properly aligned with each other.
Note: Morwenna & Mistral are :macm:s with different mast raising procedure than :macx:s
This is my best tip i give my Aussie customers. It works like a charm and is so simple.
Once you have the mast raising kit ready to go:
1. Attach one end of a bungy cord to the furler drum- make sure you have the furler on the starboard side so it does not interfere with the winch.
2. Take the bungy cord around the rope of the mast raising kit- the one that is from the mast raising pole to the bow cleat.
3. Attach the other end of the bungy cord to the furler drum.
This controls the heavy, awkward furler. As the mast raises the bungy slides down the cleated rope. This works for the CDI (attach the bungy just beneath the drum). It is even easier with the open Mac furler.
I hope it works as easy for you as it does for me.
John Christian wrote:I cut the end off an old fender and slip it over the furler drum while raising the mast. Keeps the drum from causing all kinds of scratches.
Same idea here, except all I use is an old wool sock. Anytime I do laundry I always manage to loose one from a pair, so they are easy to find
Blue Reef wrote:This is my best tip i give my Aussie customers. It works like a charm and is so simple.
Once you have the mast raising kit ready to go:
1. Attach one end of a bungy cord to the furler drum- make sure you have the furler on the starboard side so it does not interfere with the winch.
2. Take the bungy cord around the rope of the mast raising kit- the one that is from the mast raising pole to the bow cleat.
3. Attach the other end of the bungy cord to the furler drum.
This controls the heavy, awkward furler. As the mast raises the bungy slides down the cleated rope. This works for the CDI (attach the bungy just beneath the drum). It is even easier with the open Mac furler.
I hope it works as easy for you as it does for me.
Cam
This is similar to what I do on my M, I use a short lenght of line and a couple carabiners, one carabiner on the drum and one clipped over the line of the mast raising kit, the line between the gin pole and bow cleat. The drum just slides down to the bow as I raise the mast, no need to hold it, works like Jim Dandy.
The X system is different in that they use the jib halyard connected to the gin pole and a 4:1 pulley block system between the bow cleat and gin pole that runs back to the winch. I suppose you could run a line in a similar fashion from the drum and over all four lines then back onto the drum and the loop would slide down the pulley lines. This saves having to hold the drum in one hand while cranking with the other. I am not sure the readers out there understand this but if you saw it done once you would wonder why you didn't think of it, real simple and as Homer puts it.... Dohh!
My solution to preventing the drum scraping the deck when the mast is being raised is to lash the furler drum to the port side pulpit rail with a few inches clearance [ not tight] I leave a short length of strong cordage always attached to the underside of the drum. As the mast raises, the loose knot travels long the rail keeping the drum off the deck. When the drum reaches the connection between the rail and the safety line, transfer the cordage to the line and continue to raise the mast. The cordage will then slide along the line, keeping the drum always withing a few inches of the line. this also helps to prevent too much slack in the length of the furler, and prevents it slipping behind the spreader. Another good trick it to loosely lash the furler length to the mast, also preventing it from getting behind ther spreader. The looseness can be judged as the mast goes up or down.
A little bit of rope goes a long long way...being on the wrong side of 65 I can do my mast solo...puggsy.
My solution is to ball bungie the furler to the top of the mast raising pole. There is a slight sag in the furler that I manage by wrapping a dock line over one spreader, around the furler and the mast, and then down the over the other spreader. This keep the center of the furler aligned and when the mast raising pole gets near the deck, I unhook the ball bungie, pull the dock line free and connect the drum pin. It sounds more complicated than it really is and only takes a minute or two.
and I have a few questions for the "brains trust"
are you loney tonight 
