CDI furling

[DaveE]

Sitting here in the frozen northlands, Hussie II  (CP16) in the garage, naturely my thoughts turn to upgrades.  I would very much like like to install an old CDI 2 furler (it too is in the garage).
As of last launching it took  X number of minutes (20 I think) to raise the mast, hank the jib or genny and be ready to launch.  I am thinking (hoping) that attaching the CDI  with the help of one or two quick release shroud levers (pp 950 west marine catologue) would be  as quick and easy.   
THE FANTASY GOES:  Raise mast with the help of the furling line that will pull the spool into place near the fore  attachment point and temporarily hold the mast in place then set the line in a cam cleat, with the mast held steady then secure the clevis pin,  snap shroud levers into place.  All done in less than 20 minutes.   
I would appreciate your wisdom and experience, what have I overlooked?  Surely it couldn't be that easy.  THANX IN ADVANCE

[Salty19]

I'm having a hard envisioning what you're talking about.  Raising the mast with the furler line?  Doesn't sound right to me.  Maybe is strong enough to do the job, but I would think it would damage it (perhaps not, I'm not sure).

Guess I always just lifted the mast by hand (it's real easy on the 16's).

Just lift up the mast to straight up, have a helper guide the furler forward so it doesn't scratch up the boat, then attach with the quick release. If no helper, lift the mast, grab the furler, keep tension on it while you walk forward and attach the quick release. Or lift it and use the halyard to secure it temporarily, tie it to the mast base cleat, run the line forward on a block at the bow, then back to the cleats on the cabintop. then you can leisurely secure the forestay/furler.

[DaveE]

  I guess my description was kinda muddy.  I've been using the downhaul  to secure the forestay while lifting the mast. I just pull it tight while lifting the mast by hand. Makes it easy to control both up and down.  If I install the furler I was thinking that I could use the furling line in the same way.  You see I'm kind of old and dancing around the mast after I raise it or especially when I lower it is not quite so easy anymore.
That's question one.  Question two is:  do quick release shroud levers make it easier to adjust the forestay tension so that I don't have to mess with the turnbuckle inside the furler.  A set it and forget it kinda thing.

Don't know if I've cleared things up or made them worse. 

[Salty19]

Guess I'm not crazy about the idea of lifting the mast with a plastic furler. Seems like undue stress would occur. 
But don't take my word for it..never done it or have even seen a small CDI furler, installed or not,  to get a feel for how rigid it is.

On my 19 I lift it with a line tied to the masthead.  One person pulls the line from the ground with it wrapped around the trailer beam in front of the boat.  One person guides the mast until it's up. Then hold the line and attach the forestay.

Keep asking and searching, the answer will come up. Or just use the main halyard as I described.

[GlennB724]

First of all, you don't need the CDI number 2 on the 16... the number one fits fine.  (Just put a new one on Dog Watch last season.)  I had an old continuous line version that was on there when I bought it, but it was inoperable.  I tried fixing / fashioning the missing parts, but it never worked well. 

I routinely raise and lower the mast by myself.  The biggest problem is during the raising process, things tend to get snagged... so proper planning as to how and were various lines and the plastic furler will go is worth the few minutes of planning.  (I have way too many lines attached.  LOL)

I use a halyard to help with the raising/lowering process.  Attach bitter end to cleat on mast base  -  halyard runs up mast to block (main or jib work fine) - take it to roller on bow sprit  -  from there back to me in the cockpit.  I just lift the mast up, forward till the shrouds pull tight and hold it laterally, pull the halyard back from the bow roller, pull it tight and cleat it off (it's acting like a temporary forestay), then I can go forward and attach the quick pin in the toggle on the forestay... presto... done.  Uncleat the halyard and pull it back down the mast, (don't loose the end!!!) 

[JBC]

Hi All,

Back to the forum after I purchased my second ComPac 16, this one an '86 II version.  Put my '80 up for sale early fall and it sold quickly, so have been looking ever since for a C-16 II; found one and looking forward to trying out the boat mid-spring.

Dave, noticed your question about the furler and turnbuckle, and attaching that without adjusting the turnbuckle every time the mast is raised.  I had a CDI I furler on my '80 (and agree that a CDI II is not necessary for the 16), and did manage to find a turnbuckle setting that allowed me to pin the forestay drum to the bowplate without adjusting all the time when raising the mast.  But I will say that the forestay was not perfectly taut.  Still, I've noticed how the mast on the CP 16 stands up (almost snaps into place) with a bit of a forward rake, making it easy (in all but high wind) to walk forward while holding the forestay drum assembly and attach, after getting the mast upright.  At least that was my experience.

One thing to note, however, about a furler on the CP16 I: at least on my boat, the genoa (probably 130% or so) was not shaped well when hoisted, with the clew riding pretty high off the deck when completely unfurled.  I've come to realize that the genoa was probably made for the CP16 II which, because of an extra foot or so created by the bow sprit, would change the forward angle of the drum attachment and probably improve the angle of the foot of the sail to the deck.  But that's just a guess on my part.  I had to install rails and blocks toward the stern on my '80 to improve the angle of the genoa sheets for control purposes.

Actually, I'm not sure a furler is a great improvement on a CP16, and think I'll likely just install a downhaul on my new rig, as it didn't come with the furler and I figure I can get that headsail down fairly quickly in case of a real blow.  That said, I do realize the C16 is not a great sailer on main alone when heading into the wind, so on that point, a furler will still provide a headsail, even though the sail area is reduced.

JBC

[Salty19]

Dave, well I said I wouldn't raise the rig with the furler.  But thinking about it more, I guess I don't why not if you're sure it won't get damaged from the line squeezing on it. The furler rig itself at the lower pin should be handle thousands of pounds. But you can't really attach it there because you need the pin to attach the furler to the chainplate. So I guess it comes down to how rigid the area is where you connect the line.

[DaveE]

Salty
I have raised my mast with the help of the downhaul for so long that I think everyone does it that way.  What I do is snap the downhaul to the forstay then route the line thru the bimini chocks at the rear of the gunwale (combing) and then loop the bitter end around my wrist.  I then lift the mast by hand until it is upright while pulling on the downhaul line.  The mast is immediately and automatically locked   in place.  Then I leisurely pin the forstay in place.  this works well because I always have control of the mast.  Doing this in reverse order while taking the mast down works even better because you don"t have to dance from the foredeck, then around the  mast then take the giant step down into the cockpit while keeping the mast from falling on your head and hopeing that you don't trip in the process.

I think the same can be done with a furling setup using the furling line routed the same way,,,,,maybe.

Getting the forestay tight enough by turning the turnbuckle that is inside the furling unit  is another problem for another time.