In Mast Roller Furling Foil banging inside mast

[Dave DeAre]

I have a 2002  Catalina 34 with an in mast roller furling system on the main. When the sail is removed for storage the foil inside the mast bangs noisily with every movement of the boat or wind gust. Annoying and possibly damaging to the foil or mast.

I fixed this by tying a line (old halyard or whatever) to the swivel block, then tying a series of bowlines around the foil 3'-5' apart. I tied each bowline around the foil then raised the swivel block and line attached with the bowlines by pulling the main halyard up. When finished, I had about 8 fairly evenly spaced bowlines wrapped around the foil and inside the mast. This has stopped the noise.

[Ted Pounds]

Very clever!   

[Jim Hardesty]

Dave,
I also have the roller furling main.  The noise with the sail removed is unbelievably loud.  The previous owner used foam pipe insulation.  I didn't care for that, so when I made a T shaped block to prevent crushing the slot when lifting the mast, I made extra with more clearance and a couple of holes for line to hold the furler.  Works well, due to my wife's health, didn't bend on the sails this year, still quiet after a full year.
I've seen guys leave the sail on all winter to stop the noise.
This is one place where Hunter and their bent mast works better.  I wonder if the C355 bangs.  Rolling furling mains are a work in progress.  I think  the best design is still in the future.
Jim

[Momentum M]

I tough that I could bring my way of preventing this banging....I guess it's on the same basic..probably better since one doesn't have to store the insulation tube..mind you the weight and storage they take is minimal.
As a bonus you get to practice your knots!!

I just wanted to show the pictures that I had posted back then...and offer to everyone that needs it...a few options to silence the mast.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4552.0.html