Homemade Jib Furlers

[Greene]

I started on a homemade roller furler this week.  My goal was to create a design that anybody with a hacksaw and drill could make without spending a bunch of cash.  I searched this site as well as several web sites for ideas.  Surprisingly, I found very few examples with any details available.  There were some good ideas to work from, but none would satisfy my goal of simplicity of construction.

I sketched out a couple sheets for reference and started building a prototype.  The images below show some of the basics.  Sorry for the poor sketches. (No CAD drawings - just Etch-A-Sketches here)  I did a big box lumber store (Menards and Home Depot) parts run and found everything I needed for about $20.  I did make the design a little big for my CP-16 because I would like to use it on the 19 footer when I find one.

The one item I am still looking to upgrade is the Lazy Susan bearing.  It does work perfectly for this prototype, but I'd like something stainless or similar so it could be used around salt water.  A little grease and I am sure this one would survive for 3-4 years in my freshwater lakes, but why not look for something that would work for more people.  



Mike

Any ideas, suggestions or details of one you have already built?  

[nies]

Looks great, but can not read the detail of the construction.........................Phil

[kickingbug1]

    mike, wonderful engineering. i made my furler drum out of aluminum with a 1 inch pvc foil. i can send pics if you want. i imagine a 19 may need bearings but on the 16 it isnt necessary. john j and i have the same furler and we have had no problems. cant wait to see the finished product

[Greene]

Nies - Sorry about the poor quality of the pic's.  The scanner is down and I thought using the camera would be good enough.  How can I be wrong so many times in one lifetime?  I'll remove the pic's later and replace them with decent ones when the scanner comes back to life.  Unfortunately you'll still be stuck with my amateur drawings and unbelievably bad handwriting.  Throughout high school and college my teachers routinely suggested I take up typing.

Kickingbug - We'd love to see pic's of your homemade furler.  Anybody else who has made one could/should add a description and pic's to this topic so others (me) can steal their ideas.

There are a few more pics on the photobucket site below.

Mike

[nies]

Mike, no reason to be sorry, I can't even get a picture on yet, probably because I don't have a camera, waiting for my youngest son to show up to help the old man...................Phil

[kahpho]

Hey Mike, thanks for doing this. I hope to learn from your experience and copy the final design. Copying IS supposed to be the highest form of flattery right? So, there ya go.

I've seen pictures of a couple homemade furlers and thought it a good way to save some money and ease the working of the jib (single handed). I just wasn't satisfied with the, shall I say, somewhat rough looks of the final product. I'm sure they served well in the function they were meant for. I don't mean to demean them at all. I just would like something with a better appearance for my sweet little boat, if you know what I mean. Your version looks to have a better overall look and finish then most and I'll be following progress with great interest. I would love to see it mounted on your boat when completed.

I hope I haven't offended anyone else who've built their own furlers by any of this. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen all the previous builds and no doubt there are some good ones I haven't seen. I'm just liking this one so far.

mel

[curtisv]

A PVC furler.  Who would have thought that would work.  Makes me wonder why the better furler bases are made of titanium alloy instead of just plain aluminum.  Then again they do cost more than $20.

Let us know how is works next season.  It might be fine, and if not the risk is losing $20.

Curtis

[rwdsr]

I've got a pvc furler on my MFG Sidewinder 16, and it works fine.  Beginning to wish I had one on this compac.

[curtisv]

It depends on the boat and what conditions you are sailing in.

I've been on larger boats where you have to winch the furler.

On my CP23 you do need to put a little muscle into the furler line as the wind picks up.  In my first season with a ProFurl I had a few jambs due to my install not being quite right.  One memerable jamb happenned at 25 knots in 5 foot waves 15 miles or so off shore.  I was a bit hesitant to go on the foredeck but I had to clear it.  Sailing in a front that brought NW winds saved me from a 60 mile leg to windward (SW) by making it a beam reach so it was worth it.

Since the first season I moved the block closest to the furler and haven't had jamb problems since.  I've sailed in up to 35 knots and at that wind speed I wouldn't want to be furling with a PVC drum.

Your CP16 headsail is a lot smaller than a CP23 headsail and in a CP16 you probably don't plan to go out in 25-35 knots.  You'd be crazy to spend $1,000 on a high end furler, and I might a little wreckless if I went out in the Atlantic with a homemade PVC furler.

Like I said, it depends on the boat and what conditions you sail in.  I'm a little more concerned about people with CP23 that try this, but if its used in inland water even if it broke the risk may not be all that high.

Curtis

[rwdsr]

Since the Compac is my first "real sailboat" I think I'm gonna sail her the way she came for a couple of seasons and learn to use the the equipment the way it's rigged, and then decide what modifications I want to do.

[Greene]

It depends on the boat and what conditions you are sailing in.

I've been on larger boats where you have to winch the furler.

On my CP23 you do need to put a little muscle into the furler line as the wind picks up.  In my first season with a ProFurl I had a few jambs due to my install not being quite right.  One memerable jamb happenned at 25 knots in 5 foot waves 15 miles or so off shore.  I was a bit hesitant to go on the foredeck but I had to clear it.  Sailing in a front that brought NW winds saved me from a 60 mile leg to windward (SW) by making it a beam reach so it was worth it.

Since the first season I moved the block closest to the furler and haven't had jamb problems since.  I've sailed in up to 35 knots and at that wind speed I wouldn't want to be furling with a PVC drum.

Your CP16 headsail is a lot smaller than a CP23 headsail and in a CP16 you probably don't plan to go out in 25-35 knots.  You'd be crazy to spend $1,000 on a high end furler, and I might a little wreckless if I went out in the Atlantic with a homemade PVC furler.

Like I said, it depends on the boat and what conditions you sail in.  I'm a little more concerned about people with CP23 that try this, but if its used in inland water even if it broke the risk may not be all that high.

Curtis

I agree completely.  I am doing this as a fun project intended for a boat under 20' that sails recreationally on inland lakes.  Racers, bigger boats, and bluewater cruisers would be crazy to try and save money on essential equipment.  I am in no way guaranteeing the safe construction or use of this furler.  

That said, I don't see any reason a homemade device such as this can't be considered as a cost effective alternative for the right boat.  I enjoy tinkering, designing and building things and usually they end up being somewhat functional and reasonably cost effective.   Hopefully this project will end up with the same results.

Mike  

[kickingbug1]

   mike i will e mail the step by step pics   hope they help. i have made three so far and they all work perfectly, dont slow rigging time and still look good.

[Greene]

Kickingbug,

Thanks Buddy!   I am having second thoughts about posting this project.  I posted it because I thought other like minded people would find it interesting.  If by posting it I am misleading someone into doing something unsafe then I should remove it and just build it privately.

Mike

[Salty19]

What can I say?  First a sweet rudder and now this amazing homemade furler.  Very, very nice!

Personal opinion? It will be more than fine on your 16 and should work well, for as mentioned lake sailing.

You asked for some descriptions of furlers.  You've got the base looking better than any other homemade unit I've seen so no comments there 'cept nice work.

The furler "spar" itself is now the challenge.  You have several options.  What most people did was mount the drum just above the turnbuckle, then cut/fit PVC sections that are spaced for the hanks with connectors in between.  From here people have deviated. Some cut notches for the hanks to slip in and catch on the forestay, using a long piece of PVC (and perhaps a connector).  Some removed the hanks , cut/sliced PVC into sections from grommet to grommet (whre hanks were) with the connector as the strenght point for tie-wraps.  I did this but drilled a small hole in the connector just before gluing each sectio, put a knot in 1/8 Amsteel line (2400lb strenght!), ran it from the inside of the connector out and used that to tie the sail off and hold it's alignment (and used tie wraps for good measure).    And you have to tie off the ends of the sail to properly stretch it.

Another option is to use a single aluminum spar cut to size and bolted to the drum. Perhaps notch it for the hanks.  That's the direction I'm leaning anyway.

If you do use PVC, be careful not to over induldge on the glue.  Too much weakens the PVC.   

Good luck!!

[mrb]

Greene

Keep the post and follow up. That is what this site is about, sharing ideas.  Don't worry about misleading any one as we all need to be responsible for our own actions, i.e. read, evaluate and then decide for ourselves if we want to make use of information provided by others.  For myself I see no need for furlers on boats but I do enjoy seeing ideas like yours.  And yes I have worked the foredeck with water coming aboard.

Melvin