I'm having a bad day...CDI furler snapped...

[Rich Smith]

Don't ask me how I did it but I managed to snap the long, grey plastic extrusion that slips over the forestay and that the sail slides into on my CDI furler today! I was lowering the mast to take her out for the end of the season (sniff!) and, when I was done manhandling the mast into it's proper position I looked down and saw the furler snapped...

So here's my question...do you think it could be glued back together? It's a very clean break...if so, what glue do you suggest? Otherwise it's $260 CDN for a new part

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks folks!

[baldbaby2000]

I wonder if you could use glue with a couple of battons as splints?

[piratecliff]

Wow... That's gotta be dissapointing. I've seen mine bend off heavily to either side of the bow when raising or lowering. Never considered that it could break. I've since started securing it to the mast when raising or lowering, but only to avoid the manhandling aspect. Doesn't CDI offer a lifetime warranty?

[Mark Chamberlain]

Time to buy a new one. glue will not hold.
keep it tied loose to the mast with a sail tie when raising and lowering,
you are not the first to break one.

Bad deal, sorry you had that happen.
Mark

[Heath]

I snapped one too, just as we were getting ready to leave for a week of sailing. Luckily a dealer about two hours away had one in stock and my wife was willing to drive there to get it while I kept working on the boat.

Heath

[Night Sailor]

Call CDI and tell your story. They will refer you to the distributor. Tell them your story. I did and even though my furler was six months beyond the warranty period, they offered to replace it FREE, if I agreed to pay the shipping cost. Of course I did, and it arrived in about a week. They said they prefer happy cusotmers... and boy am I happy to tell you my story!

With careful measurement it's easy to replace even with the mast up, but easiest of all with the forestay on the ground.

[Moe]

When raising the mast, I always took about a 2' loop of the furling line, wrapped it around the drum and tied two half hitches in it, then led the furling line around a pin in the mast pulpit support, then back through the fairleads to the port winch, where we'd tighten it until it pulled the drum up off the deck and the foil up off the mast, taking the weight off it. As the mast went up, we'd gradually pull in the furling line to keep the drum elevated. Once the mast was up and the mast raising kit tight, it was a simple matter to pull the pin and take the knot out of the furling line around the drum to lower it for forestay pinning.

Going home, we pulled some of the slack in the furling line forward and pinned it in the bow pulpit, wrapped a loop of the line around the drum and tied it again, then once the mast raising kit was on and had full tension, unpinned the forestay, tightened the furling line to help keep the drum off the deck and the foil off the mast. As the mast would come down, we'd let out the furling line.

Doing this really took some load off the mast raising kit and kept the foil straight during the process.

--
Moe

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

The CDI RF extrusion should be 25' 8" for the 26M;
26' for the 26X.

[R Rae]

Rotten luck Rich.

BTW my present technique is based using a 10 ft. length of regular bungee cord. I use a similar approach described by Moe, except I now have two loops a set distance apart from each other. One is secured around the drum, the other around the bow pulpit where the mast is bolted. Whether we are raising or lowering, the furler behaves itself quite nicely.

Ron

[Moe]

Ron,
I like your bungee idea even better, especially since our C-18 has an FF-2 but no mast-holding pin on the pulpit (uses a separate attachment when trailering). Thanks for the great idea!

--
Moe

[Catigale]

I hooked a 4 foot bungy on the bottom of the FF2 and attach to the pulpit - it perfectly dresses the extrusion while raising or lowering the mast. It is a bit tight when stepping the mast, so sometimes I bring the forward end towards the stern before stepping, maybe hooking it onto the lifeline shackle.

[rick retiree]

Don't want to give you false hopes but when I was researching the CDI roller furling system in their instruction manual which is available on the web I remember reading where that hard plastic extrusion was guaranteed for the life of the furler. I think all U have to do is mail in the remnants of the old one. Check with CDI. Good luck. Sorry youv'e got sniffulace.

[Paul S]

from CDI's website
http://www.sailcdi.com/

CDI Flexible Furler
Limited 6 Year Warranty

The Flexible Furler is warranted to remain functional for 6 years from date of purchase. You must be the original purchaser of the unit. If, during this period, any part becomes non-functional, CDI will repair or replace it, free of charge, except for freight.

The Flexible Furler warranty covers:

At Sea: All hazards at sea, including winching against obstructions, unseamanlike use, and dismastings. This warranty remains in force for charter and other commercial operations. No maintenance is required to keep the warranty in force.

The Flexible Furler warranty does not cover:

At Sea: Shipwreck, collision and acts of God. The warranty is void if the mast is not fixed in place vertically at all times while the boat is in the water. Tipping the mast forward to pass under bridges, power lines or other low clearance obstructions voids the warranty.

On Trailers: Collision; being dragged on the ground; improper stowage resulting in kinks, bends and twists; and damage due to the luff not being supported over its entire length. (See trailering instructions.)

Storage: Any damage caused by improper storage or handling when not at sea. Luffs must be stored flat and straight, or warranty is void. Kinks, twists, bends and breakage due to the luff not being stored flat and straight are not covered. Coiling or twisting the luff either to remove kinks and bends, or for transport and storage in other than a flat and straight condition voids the warranty.

[Catigale]

At Sea: All hazards at sea, including winching against obstructions, unseamanlike use, and dismastings.

IF they stand by this, which I have never heard them not to do, thats a heck of a warranty...I really like the 'unseamanlike use' clause..my specialty