Roller furling headsails

[windrose]

What brand are you guys using, pros and cons of different brands, features to look for.... thanks.

[Tim]

Schaefer 1100. I really like this one. It has a round extrusion (double groove) that makes for very smooth operation.

I have zero complaints after five seasons. Installation was straightforward, with good instructions.

I plan to use Schaefer furlers when I have a future need. I'm very pleased with mine.

[dasein668]

I have a Furlex, about 6 years old. Sorry, don't know the model number. Works fine. I would look at the Schaeffer if I was buying, but this one came with the boat. One thing I don't like is that the drum is enclosed. It hasn't been a problem, and the drum can be removed while the furler is in place, but it seems like I could at least envision some possibilities where this might be an issue...

In general the Furlex has worked great. Smooth and easy to operate. No complaints.

[Invitation]

windrose,

I have a friend who is a rigger in Rhode Island. He has installed furlers for many boats over the years. When I asked him what brand he suggested he said Shaeffer. He has been installing them for years and has yet to repair one of them. Says a lot.

All the other brands he has done some kind of repair on. Nothing major but still needed a repair.

[windrose]

Checked on the Schaffer.... it's about $1800. Saw a "cruiser's" brand called CDI for about $800. Anybody have any experience with CDI, is it junk or what? BTW my head stay is 42', what is the standard Triton length? Thanks again.

Still have lots to do to make my boat more user friendly so I had rather be as cost effective as possible. However, I don't want to buy junk, but I don't have to have all top end stuff either.... so I value all input.

Have a great day.:-)

[Tim]

The CDI is a decent unit, but don't expect it to perform as well as the higher-end units.

I put a CDI on the daysailor, and it performed perfectly well. I also had one on a previous (smaller) boat. The plastic extrusion is one-piece, and retains some lumps and bumps from its shipping roll throughout its life; the almost rectangular extrusion makes for extremely "unsmooth" furling and unfurling, especially when compared to the excellent round Schaefer extrusion. I chose CDI for the daysailor because, as the builder/investor, I was simply tapped out, costwise. It was far from my first choice, but it was something. I didn't want hank-on for sure.



I truly despise the halyard arrangement on the CDI. It comes with its own internal halyard, which you have to use since there's no swivel arrangement at the top (as with the other furlers). Adjusting the halyard is a true pain, and it's difficult to get enough tension. Also, you need to install a messenger line when lowering the sail, as the end of the halyard goes up the extrusion. I hate this part of the CDI, but if you get it up once and don't fuss with it again, it's OK in the end.

For me, on a cruising boat that was going to get some use, I think the extra cost for one of the "real" furlers is well worth it. But the CDI does work, and work quite well, though it is simply not truly a worthy comparison with the higher-end units. As a means to an end, it's worth considering.

I think the CDI is better suited to daysailing boats where you're unlikely to need to raise or lower a sail, and unlikely to need the ultimate capacities of a headsail reefing (as well as furling) system. While you can partially roll the CDI, it's definitely a more lightweight unit, and I doubt it's up to the task of heavier sailing. As a "get home" measure, it would be absolutely fine. So I consider the CDI to be suitable for inshore, fair-weather sailing only.

For the price, and as long as your expectations are held in check, the CDI is a decent choice.

[Ric in Richmond]

Hood furl on Andiamo.

Uses your own halyard, easy to adjust luff tension.

Furls smoothly.

Raises and lowers as smooth as any standard headfoil.

Uses your forestay so load doesn't go through furler.

On the boat when I got it. No idea how hard to install or how much $$$$.

Ric

[windrose]

Middle ground.... sounds like Schaffer is the top, CDI is the bottom.... something in between with a round extrusion? Thanks. Ang

[Tim]

There's no real middle ground. The "big three" (Schaefer, Harken, and ProFurl) are all similarly priced, and all work well. Choosing between the three comes down to personal preference regarding the various differences in design.

Then, you have the dinghy/trailer sailer setups, like the CDI, Schaefer Snap-Furl, and the like. But in between, there's little or nothing indeed.

So you're either at the $800 mark or the $2000 mark, roughly. If you do go with the upper end systems, you will never regret the expenditure.

[Peter]

How does "Furlex" stack up against these others? I've been looking at the 100S model for my San Juan 24.

[Tim]

They're in the same price range as the others (higher end), but to my way of thinking Harken and Schaefer are nicer units overall. The Furlex has a good reputation, but the extrusions seem very lightweight compared to the others, and the enclosed drum reminds me of the early Hood Seafurls from around 1980. I have seen more damaged Furlex extrusions (from mast stowage and the like) than any other type in my travels.

Nathan's Furlex seems to be very reliable and trouble-free, so take my other observations for what they are: overall observations, rather than criticisms.

[dasein668]

I think Tim's assessment is accurate. The unit has performed flawlessly, but the extrusion is definitely lighter and flimsier than others, and I mentioned that enclosed drum in the earlier post. It hasn't been a problem, but it could potentially be a source of jamming.

I've been pretty happy with the unit, but I would probably go with a Schaefer if I was putting my own on.

[wstokes]

I would suggest the "ALADO Furling System out of Brazil. There is a Canadian and American Distributors in place. I spent about a 6 months reviewing furling systems and weighing the pros and cons. I finally settled on the ALADO system for Secret Arrival. Great system, robust and well made. Like the CDI systems it provides for it's own halyards. The best part is that it works, and it is very inexpensive. You should check out their web site at Alado.com By the way, You don't have to remove the forestay to install the aluminum foils and there are no links to contend with.