Home made pvc roller furling, one year later

[mandolinut]

This is a follow up to one of my projects . I am happy to say, that after a year of use,  the pvc roller furling system has worked well in all wind conditions.
The furler has also added a degree of safety. When the winds get a bit frisky, I can reduce the 130 genoa to standard jib size or even storm jib size from the comfort of the cockpit. 
I used stainless steel  rings that slide over the pvc to hank on the jib sail. This allows me to lower the sail and remove it if I wish without lowering the mast.
I would highly recommend this low cost project.
The pulley that raises the jib sail is attached to the top of the pvc furler system to allow the entire unit to spin (see pictures).
Living in Florida, I am blessed to be able to sail throughout the year :0)
Happy sailing.
http://s1167.beta.photobucket.com/user/mandolinut/media/roller%20furling/100_2371.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

[Greene]

Very nice!  Several new ideas in your design that I'm sure will be "borrowed" by others.  Nice work and thanks for sharing.

Mike

[Salty19]

Looks like it would do the trick nicely! So you can put on any hank on you want..very versatile.

Just an observation on your quick release forestay pin.  I personally don't trust 'em to hold up a mast..they work great for biminis and anchors, but if that $.001 ball fails, you're toast.  I know, I know..they are sooo easy to use and makes life easier with the furler, but an awful lot depends on that little pin! Another issue is the little ball will eventually wear down the chainplate holes from chafe-albeit that could take years.  Eventually this will elongate the hole and the ball might slight right through.    If nothing else, inspect it.

[JazzCat]

Looks real nice. I would like to make one for my cp16. Do you happen to have a parts list?

[mandolinut]

Here is a list of the parts I used, all from Home Depot.

I used two 4" to 2" PVC reducers (increasers) to form the drum. Most of the 4" portion was cut away. The lip inside the 2" part of the coupling was ground away using my Dremel so that a 2" piece of pipe would slide all the way through the two 4x2 reducers. This allowed me to join the two 4x2 reducers with an approximate  7" long piece of 2" PVC pipe to form the drum.  To one end of the 2" pipe, a 2" cap was glued and to the other end, a 2" to 1" reducer that fit into the 2" pipe. This allows an approximate 15'   piece of 1" PVC to be glued that will go over the forestay.  The 1" PVC is capped at the top.  Hardware you will need will be a 1/4" eyebolt for the top of the assembly to hold a small pulley. This is where you will raise your sail.  You will need a deck mounted pulley to guide your 1/4" line back to the cockpit and some sort of jam cleat  near the cockpit(mine is on the cabin top). You will also need, I believe, 7 stainless steel rings to attach your jib or genoa. These rings slide up and down the 1" PVC. Once your turnbuckle is properly adjusted to length, you slide the entire assembly down the forestay. A square hole was cut at the bottom of the 2" cap to allow the turnbuckle to slide through. A small slot was cut into the 1" cap on top to allow the forestay to slide through. A wide stainless steel washer was used at the base of the turnbuckle and acts as a bearing against the 2" cap.
Hope this helps.
Patrick

[mandolinut]

I forgot to mention that there is another eye bolt at the top of the drum assembly . This is where you attach the bottom of the jib sail (tac).
If you look at the pictures while reading this, it makes a bit more sense.
Lastly, there is no room for error in the length of the entire roller furling  unit. If it is too long, it will  extend past the top of the forestay. If it is too short, the leading edge of the jib sail (luft) will not become taut when fully raised. 
It is a good idea to "dry fit" your parts, and test for length before gluing.
On the drum assembly, I had only enough 2" pipe sticking out to apply the cap and little or no 2" pipe sticking out at the top of the drum. If the drum assembly is too long, your 1" section of pipe will not be long enough ;0)

[Smier]

I have been contemplating building my own homemade roller furler for my CP16 also.  Great job, I like the ability to remove and install the sail without dropping the mast.  My CP16 will be moving to my families lake cottage in Canada for the summer, and it will be spending some extensive time docked and unused.  I didn't like the idea of leaving the sail rolled onto the furler for extended periods of time, even with sunbrella fabric added to the leading edge.  So I had given up on the idea.  Some of the "home engineered" solutions people come up with amaze me. Great job, and thanks for sharing!

[Cevin c Taylor]

mandolinut - looks great.  Building one of these is on my preseason build list.  One question I have concerns the SS rings, and the system overall.  If the sail is attached to the SS rings, and they slide over the PVC "spool," what keep the spool from just spinning inside them, without spinning the sail?  I must be missing something.  Is it just that the base (not correct term, I know) of the jib is secured to the drum, and by the fact that that part is connected, that's what rolls it up? 

Also, does the PVC "spool" stay on the forestay, or do you detach it every time you rig the boat up?

Thanks!

[kickingbug1]

    i built mine with a one piece aluminum (welded) spool attached to 1" pvc. i cut a groove in the pvc starting three inches from the bottom and ending 2 inches from the top. i used seldon 7"16 mast slides and 3/8 screw on shackles in place of the hanks. the slides enable sails to be changed on the furler while rigged. at the top of the furler i attached the original jib halyard block. on the spool neck i attached a cleat. this way the sail can be hoisted and lowered on the rigged furler. now i can change to the 135 on light wind days and back to the 110 if it pipes up too much. i havent tried it on the water (too cold) but have stepped the mast in the driveway and raised lowered and changed sails with no trouble. each sail has its own slides attached. cant wait to try it on the water

[mandolinut]

To Wolverine...the jib sail is attached top and bottom, so when the unit spins, the sail spins with it. The sail easily comes off when not in use, but the pvc assembly stays on the forestay whether trailered or left in a marina .
To kickingbug1, sounds like another interesting plan. Post some pictures if you get a chance.

[Cevin c Taylor]

Thanks for the clarification.  This is one project I definitely plan on doing.

[kickingbug1]

   when i figure out how i will

[mandolinut]

Thought I would add this video. That is my sceptic wife doing the "yahoos"  :0)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1800762394103&set=vb.1691119539&type=2&theater

[MacGyver]

It says it is unavailable

It might be set to private

Mac

[mandolinut]

Thanks Mac. I just changed the settings to "public" so you should be able to view the video.
Patrick