Installing Roller Furling

[rcassano]

Brian,

Thanks for the reply. I went back to the Schaefer Instruction manual for the System 2100 and found the instructions on page 30, titled "New Headstay Cutting Instructions" to be a reprint of the instructions on page 5 titled, "Existing Headstay Installation". The page 30 instructions do not mention anything about a new headstay. I called Schaefer and spoke to a tech person who admitted there are no printed instructions telling an installer how to do this job using a new headstay with a stud connected at the bottom and a bare top longer than the measured pin to pin length. I suggested Schaefer correct this so a boat owner has some guidance when starting with a new headstay.

I guess for a professional rigger the instructions are promptly thrown away and the installation done from experience and common sense. Unfortunately, for someone like me, who is a ridged rule follower, trust in instructions is taken way too seriously. In the end, I went back and made the new headstay exactly as long as the old with the turnbuckle set to halfway. I recut the top foil to spec's and installed the system. All worked out perfectly.

Rich Cassano

[Don Ferrell]

I thought this was to allow for adjustment if needed
don

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
Darn, I've always told people that Schaefer's instructions were the clearest ones for furlers. Maybe it's just how I read. But I think that if you look at them again you'll see that they tell you to cut the stay to a certain length (which may or may not be the same as the old one, by the way), and then close the turnbuckle before measuring to cut the foil. That way, no matter how closed you make the turnbuckle when using the boat, you will never risk driving the top of the foil into the top terminal. Once the foil is cut, you open the turnbuckle before installing the unit.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss