Hood Sea furl

[dchurch]

we have a hood furler on our C-34, my partner got a halyard wound in the top of it while unfurling the headsail.  he didn't realize it was fouled, but couldn't unfurl completely, and sailed it as is.  The force of the sail did a job on the furler and it would not furl or unfurl at that point.  When I arrived to check it out, I unfurled by hand and saw the halyard, freed it and aluminum rained down.  I have never seen the top of the furler, but the pieces that came out where pieces of aluminum tubing.  So the question: What does it take to drop the furler?  What are the compenents in the top, and can they be replaced?
Thanks
Darren
1989 C-34, Mercy

[Jim Price]

Sounds like you are just begining to have fun!.  The tubing is some of the "extrusion tube" components.  You may also have parts of the halyard swivel broken also.  I do not know where you live but I have had converstion with the guys at Pompanette in Florida.  The are the Hood reps in the Southeast.  Web site is pompanette.com and phone # is 813 885-2182.  The parts are not cheap but at least they were knowledgeble in the area I questioned concerning Hood furlers.  A place to start.

[Mike Granger]

Misery loves company. I have exactly the same situation going on. There is a two piece bearing at the top of the furling extrusion that is riveted in place. Half of mine is gone and the aluminum chips are pieces of the extrusion that have been worn away by the forestay. Mine did enough damage that I have to replace the forestay as well as the furling parts. If your fore stay is ok, you will have to remove the complete forestay from the boat drill out 2 drive rivets and replace the top section of the extrusion and the top bearing. The system is made to assemble over the existing stay fittings. I went to Boat US special order department and saved about 20% over what Hood has on their website. They actually stock an extrusion extension kit, listed in the new furling section of the catalog, that comes with the splice plates, rivets and 2 luff bearings . Hood is out of stock on the top bearing until the 21st. The Hood web site gives a good parts breakdown of the whole system. I hope to have everything but the top bearing this week and I will be changing out the stay this coming weekend. I will let you know how things go.

Mike