Building a homemade roller furler

[SENCMac26x]

So looking at some mods here , and reading posts in other forums and looking at furlers on other I think I'm going to try it by using PVC and converting my hank on genoa. I do have a question, my buddy's Renken has a fore stay, then another line just for the roller furler. Should I just put the roller furler on the forestay or run a new cable to the inner hole of the bracket at the bow and put my contraption there.

Pros:
1) Back up for the forestay?
2) Furler won't be as much in the way raising the mast

Possible Cons:
1) Will this adversely affect the sail shape?
2) Could it get tangled in the forestay?

[Whipsyjac]

CDI FF1 sells for $365 brand new at North Sails website. I love MacGuyvering things but sometimes you've gotta ask yourself if its truly worth it. When I'm older and my kids are moved out and I've got nothing to do but watch Wheel of Fortune and Matlock re-runs, I'll probably build and fix everything myself but right now I could buy a furling system by working a couple Saturdays next month. I doubt I'd build anything reasonable in 2 Saturdays and there's still the cost of materials.

I plan to do some mods this spring, like my galley face and shelves, but standing rigging is critical and furling a headsail in heavy airs might not be the best DIY test.

Now I don't know you and there are some amazingly skilled guys on here, you might be one. But I've learned the hard way that sometimes the most obvious solution is the best.

Loved your post about your first sail BTW.

Full sails and good tides,

Willy

[roril]

I have built several of these PVC Furlers. They work great. Put it on the main forestay.
Use one inch PVC and start at the top by adding a 1 inch to 3/4 coupler. This will give you a good place to secure the top grommet. Streach it down the PVC, adding couplers and PVC as needed and zip tie's to hold the grommets to the PVC. I used big hose clamps at the top and bottom. Build the spooler, attach it and drop the forestay down the PVC. It should pop out at the bottom and you can make the adjustments. Biggest expense is the line for furling (57 cent a foot). Add a couple of guides ($14 ea.)on the stations and you are ready to rock.

MacGuyver is my favorite guy!

Call me if you have any questions: 661-917-1478 Bob

[BOAT]

It should work. I noticed that the factory furler on my boat does not spin the forstay or do anything fancy like they did back in the old days with furlers. It's just a plastic foil that rotates around the forestay.

That seems a lot safer to me than trying to spin the forestay. If you can get your pvc to smoothly spin on the forestay it should work.

[SENCMac26x]

I've been looking at various setups and have decided to kinda mimic the one on my buddy's Renkin. I"ll build the contraption so I can attach to the innermost hole on the bow attachment bracket and hoist the top end with the jib halyard.

A wire will connect those two points (for additional rigidity since my test PVC was so flimsy), and my PVC pipe furler and spooler will spin on on hardware.

I like this setup because if doesn't work, jams, etc I can dowse the headsail by dropping the halyard letting the whole land on the deck.

I'll keep you posted.

[Judy B]

CDI FF1 sells for $365 brand new at North Sails website... (snipped)

The Macgregor 25's, and all three 26's require a CDI FF2, not the FF1. You can find them at around $490 including shipping inside the USA.

Fair winds,
Judy B
Sailmaker

[BOAT]

I prefer the factory furler the factory provides with the 2013 boats over those CDI "cup" furlers . The MacGregor one is open and less prone to fouls and less expensive too. But mostly I like the 2013 factory furler because it takes up the least amount of space on the forestay and it goes all the way up to the end of the forestay at the mast hound.