1972 E27-Fixing Everything

[toddster]

Well I for one am jealous, and so is my boat! (First winter out in six years...)

Furling line probably depends on the exact type and size of furler that you have. My Furlex uses 5/16 yacht braid. (Well, probably 8 mm.) On decommissioning, I noticed some chafe in the portion of line that usually stays on the drum... I'll have to think about that. Since failure of that particular line can be particularly catastrophic, it may be a good idea to replace it at regular intervals. Or maybe whenever one replaces the jib sheets? My spinnaker pole topping lift parted on the last cruise of the year - guess I'm replacing all running rigging in the spring. $Cha-$Ching!

[CajunSpike]

Did some searching and also came up with 5/16th line being used for that purpose.

Thanks for confirmation.
Think I'll go to the local West Marine for some good line that size.
It parted as I was pulling in to go home. Had to wind the furler in by hand.

There are only 2 lines I haven't changed since I got that boat...and that was one of them.

[sastanley]

As Toddster noted, if your jib is on a furler, that is one line you do NOT want to fail, because you'll need it in a blow to roll up.
I'd make that sucker a high tech (like double braid spectra) low stretch line as big a diameter as I could get it all into the drum, the larger diameter being for handling purposes back where I am grabbing it in the cockpit. Maybe even strip the cover in the drum area to accommodate the above.

[Administrator]

Were you a rigger in a prior life?

Bill

[CajunSpike]

Enlarged pic of the furler hub. Seems like I have lots of space for rope.
Is it just me or is the angle of the rope a little high to get a good rope roll on the spool?

[sastanley]

Were you a rigger in a prior life?

Bill

No, but I did work in a sail loft, and the rigging shop was downstairs. However, higher tech fibers like Spectra did not exist back in the day when I worked there...They were just putting kevlar in sails then and still learning how much that kevlar, while a wonderful synthetic fabric, did NOT like being exposed to UV one bit.

[ndutton]

Old saying about jib furlers when they first came out and were notoriously unreliable:
Sails go up and down, toilet paper goes round and round

[toddster]

Besides the line, it might also be worth contemplating the cleat. I’ve been clearing the furler line off in a clam cleat. (Which really belongs to the spinnaker sheet...) When the wind starts playing around over 20 knots, that line should be securely cleated off on a nearby horn cleat. But sometimes I forget. Having the 135% self-deploy in 25 knots is... sphincter tightening. Funny how it always does that in a narrow channel or a crossing situation. What a comedian. I do NOT want to find out what that’s like in 40 knots. Got a new dedicated rope clutch to install...

[toddster]

Is it just me or is the angle of the rope a little high to get a good rope roll on the spool?

Hard to tell from one pic. Looks like you could swap positions between that fairlead and the lifeline terminal. A couple of years ago, I moved my lifeline all the way to the top (didn’t previously have adjustable terminals.) Unless you have deck-sweeper sails, it seems like a good idea.

[GregH]

While the fairlead on the pulpit maybe could be a little lower, from the angle of the pictures it looks to be a straight line running from the furler built-in fairlead.

That being said, adjusting the pulpit fairlead will do nothing for the position of the line on the furling drum if the furler fairlead is positioned too high (maybe bent?). Have a look at where that is in relation to the middle of the drum first is my suggestion.

[CajunSpike]

Cracked rear rail

What do you suggest to do about this? The rear rail is cracked 3/4th of the way thru, on both sides, same spot. Was enjoying the day when I noticed I could see daylight thru the railing.




Got the furler and the rear mast tensioner rope changed this weekend.

[ndutton]

In order of preference I would think

1. Find a stainless welder with a portable TIG, have it welded, ground, acid washed and polished. Your local full service boat yard may be a source of referral.
2. Buy a replacement stern rail and install. Perhaps research sailboat salvors and dismantlers in the recent hurricane areas, you might get lucky.
3. Call Minney's in Newport Beach, CA, they have tons of rails. Inquire about shipping.
4. Have a local railing manufacturer - - if one exists in your area - - make you one.
5. Call Railmakers in Costa Mesa, CA. Big shipping again.

[sastanley]

It is a small job, but a super important one. I second Neil's suggestions in the same order. Someone that can roll the equipment down the dock from their truck may be the cheapest in the long run..Do NOT rely on those rails to withhold any impacts or loads in the meantime..it will only worsen, or catastrophically fail.

Probably the absolute cheapest is, if you do not mind the labor, you could yank it off and drive it to a qualified welder and re-install it.

[CajunSpike]

Have a friend with a machine shop.

Probably will end up removing it and bringing to him.
Hope its not held down by nuts/bolts cause pretty safe bet they will all be corroded thus making the removal a bi-atch.

[toddster]

Seems like a no brainer - if you haven’t already taken it off and rebedded it, it needs rebedding anyway. The only hard part with mine was gaining access to the bolts. (Apparently Ericson had a trained monkey contortionist, or they bolted all the deck hardware on before joining the hull and deck.) I had to cut a couple of access holes and installed deck plates in them. Behind which are now where the fore and aft extra anchor rodes live. Maybe the E27 doesn’t have quite as long a reach into the ends as the E29? If you’re lucky.
Other uses for an extra hole might be a place to store a wash-down hose or a cockpit shower. A bad use (which I’ve seen) I think would be stereo speakers - speaker cones make poor water barriers. Unless they’re in some kind of solid cabinet.