CDI Flexible Furler

[mike baker]

Has anyone installed a CDI Flexible Furler, such as the FF7.0 model, on a C34?  I installed a CDI unit on our previous boat, an O'Day 25, and it worked great.  However, I am concerned about how the CDI would perform on a larger boat with its higher loads.


Mike Baker #815 "Gray Hawk"

[jentine]

Some years ago, I had a Flexible Furler on my boat and couldn't be more satisfied with the product.  It was trouble free.  It worked every time for 4 years; not something that could be said for the furlers on Catalinas.  The CDI specifications page indicates that the largest headstay wire is 1/4".  I don't think that is large enough.  Call CDI and ask them.  They are great people to work with.
Jim Kane

[Stu Jackson]

Mike

CDI has a great reputation, but I believe it is too small for our boats.  

We did have an older 1986 CDI furler on our boat when we bought it in 1998.  

It was one of those arrangements that "allowed" the jib halyard to be disconnected and "reused" by "keeping" the "uphaul" of the CDI in place at the top with some "magic" insert slot thingy.

Darn, I'd describe it better, but I sure hope no one has one of these anymore.

It had stuck in the UP position: it was one of those "nah! you donna needa a jib halyard to keepa da jib up 'dere, yust hank it up and letta da thingy dropa downa an it'll keepa dat dere ting uppa dere forever."

[Apologies for accents to EVERYONE......but it -the furler -  didn't work and got stuck "uppa dere ALLA WAYYA DERE" for too longa!]

Partly because we couldn't get the jib down, and because we had to restring everything (15 years), we ended up taking the whole rig down, since we were due to redo the standing rigging.

We have been very happy with our ProFurl LCI32, many C34 owners have happily lived with Hoods, and Harkens and Shaefers and others.

Check the CDI specs to see if, as Jim said, they will fit on your forestay size.  I don't think they make the old one that we had a problem with, but they seem to be better suited to boats up to 27 feet.

I don't have it in front of me on paper, but the website has the entire Catalina 34 Manual on line for easy access, which includes the sizes of all the standing rigging.

Stu

[mike baker]

Jim & Stu,

Thank you for your responses.  I hadn't thought about the size of the forstay.  I want to get rid of the continuous line furling system that came on the boat -- I hate it.  Hood will sell a conversion kit for about the same price as a complete CDI unit would cost ($750).  Maybe the conversion would be my best bet.  What do you think of converting the Hood to single line?


Mike Baker #815 "Gray Hawk"

[Stu Jackson]

Furling

Mike

Ron's ben talking about this issue for years.

For the best "hits" on the subject, why not try a "FIND" on Ron's posts (may be way too long) or an advanced FIND on furlers & Ron Hill.

Try a FIND on HOOD, too.

I am SURE this has been covered before, but I do not have that particular hardware and have not been into in detail.

Happy researching and reading!

Stu

[mike baker]

Stu,

Thanks for the tip about previous posts concerning the Hood furler.  I did a little checking per your suggestion and found the info I was looking for.  Seems converting the continuous line to single line is worthwhile doing.

Thanks again.


Mike Baker #815 "Gray Hawk"

[Larry]

Mike:
Could you please tell me where you found the
info on the hood single line conversion. I guess I don't know what I'm doing with the
"find" function here because I couldn't find
what Stu was referring to. Thanks

[Larry]

Mike:  Forget my last post, I was finally able
to find what I was looking for on the other
"search", didn't know they would bring up different lists.  Sorry for the false alarm
Thanks anyway, Larry