On Thu, Aug 10, 2017 at 10:47 AM, bushmark4--- via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote:
> Dennis is the "rinse/flush" sue to the salt buildup? Would you recommend > the same for freshwater furlers? Thanks Always an interesting question. Yes and no. I suspect a furler drum in salt water service gets some salt. However, if a swivel gets salt you've got serious issues and I suggest reducing sail plan earlier. :) Hahaha. Actually, in truth, the swivel can get salt. Many of us who live or visit the coasts can remember seeing a salty haze when the wind pipes up. We see salt on our vehicles windshields even when parked overnight well away from the coast. "Things aloft" are subject to spiders, bug nests, pollen, wind blown dust, etc. Definitely not unheard of to find spider webs, etc. in wind instruments. Swivels are exposed to the same perils. All I know is, when my furler starts to get "wanky", I drop the sail and flush everything. Seems to work. On the surface, furlers seem pretty simple. In actually, they are highly engineered pieces of equipment which require competent installation, correct alignment, halyard and forestay tensions within a fairly forgiving range and routine maintenance. Had a guy call me this week about an in mast furler system problem. Said the sail was stuck in the mast. He tried to extract it with a come along with no luck. A come along??????? Holy crap!!! Lucky he didn't break something. Couple other comments on furlers. Don't leave a wrap or two on your sheet winches when furling in breeze. The sheets will flog and the back and forth action can break a winch. Yup, I know. I broke some teeth off the skirt on my primaries until I figured that one out. Oops. Had alloy winches. Now have chrome bronze and stainless winches. Never ever put the furling line on a winch. Ease the sheets, turn upwind, whatever but don't winch the furling line. Helps to have a switchable ratching block on the furling line. Also make sure you have enough wraps on the drum to fully furl in breeze. The easiest way to add more wraps is to carry the jibsheets forward and wrap them around the furled sail a couple more times. Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA > >
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