sharpo
regular
Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 20
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I currently have Wykeham Martin furling gear on my jib. In strong winds it sometimes refuse to furl, which can be problematic! Can anyone recommend a good alternative?
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Mariposa
regular
Reged: 27/04/2003
Posts: 1674
Loc: Clyde & Tunisia
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Could you be a bit more specific regarding the nature of your problem?
eg. Is the system just too stiff for you to roll it in? Does it only roll away the bottom half of the sail leaving the upper half baggy and flapping about?
Check this: Wykeham martin
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The cure for most of life's ills is salt water.
Sweat, tears and the sea.
http://myfamilyandotherthings.blogspot.com/
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srp
regular
Reged: 10/05/2006
Posts: 1320
Loc: IoW
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I struggled with WM furling on my gaffer for about 4 years - worked ok in a Force 0 but anything above that it was useless. In the end I bought a secondhand Rotostay, cut it down to size and overhauled it - perfect furling every time, with the advantage of being able to reef as well.
Some people reckon that if you turn off the wind so the main blankets the jib the WM gear works ok, but it didn't for me. Other things you could try are overhauling the top bearing, ensuring the gear turns the correct way ie to 'tighten' the lay of the forestay when furling, and making sure the forestay is as tight as possible (again, things that didn't work for me).
Don;t just throw the WM gear away though - polish it up and sell it at a boat jumble - some poor misguided soul will buy it!
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www.corribee.org
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dylan
regular
Reged: 29/02/2004
Posts: 1405
Loc: Voliba et Aquae Sulis.
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A lot of problems with furling gear are due to friction and poor alignment of the furling line, the swivels themselves may not be the problem.
Try to get a really good exit angle from the drum and have as few points of contact from there to the line in your hand.
It does help not to have lots of wind in the sail when you furl.
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Peterduck
regular
Reged: 10/04/2002
Posts: 1030
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
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I found when I had roller-furling that it helped a lot to have a lot of line stored on the drum. This then brings the point at which the line leaves the drum further from the centre, which improves your leverage. I would concur with Dylan that you should look to the lubrication of both the drum and the swivel, after making sure that there is no salt in the works of the drum. The stemhead of a boat is a pretty vulnerable position, and it would be easy to get a build-up of salt inside the drum.
Peter.
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bluemoongaffer
regular
Reged: 10/08/2006
Posts: 26
Loc: Guildford, UK
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I use 2 x WM and they work fine - even in strong winds (f6). They are new though. I did fit a bigger diameter rope (probably 8mm) and had to re-drill the drum to take it. The sails are about 50 - 60 sq ft - so not very big. I found I need to have a tight luff and good easy run for the rope. Regards Paul
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