Problem 001: Jib Furler

Noticed on launch day -- but not until after the haulers had departed -- that there are some issues with the jib furler.

First, when we tried to rig the sails at the launch-site dock, the jib kept jamming about two-thirds of the way up.  'Piao' has a CDI furler for the foresail, which allows you to furl and unfurl (rather than lower and raise) the jib by pulling on a line that runs back to the cockpit near the stern.  The sail is threaded into a track on one side and then hauled up; the jib halyard runs in a track on the opposite side of the grey plastic housing.  Now, the jib halyard runs freely up and down the entire carriage, but the sail itself gets stuck in the sail-side track.

Have yet to solve this problem, which means no jib.  My friend, the PO, who assisted me at the launch, hauled on that halyard with a good deal of strength (and he is a really strong guy), but it would not go up any further.  He was reluctant to pull harder, for fear of tearing the sail.  Mayhaps someone will have to climb up there for a closer look.

Then I noticed that the jib furler seems to have been mounted improperly.  The circular housing at the base contains a blue line, which runs aft to the cockpit.  You pull on this line furl or unfurl the jib.  The opening for the furler housing is supposed to face due aft, to allow the furler line to run freely.  

Something is wrong with this picture

Instead, it opens 90-degrees to port.  Consequently, the furler line rubs against the rigid metal edge of the housing, which scratches enough to fray.

When I crawled down to examine how the furler was attached to the deck, I discovered these three holes in a mounting fixture.  Mr. Three-Stripes thought, 'Hmmmm, if I could somehow move that furler connection from its present position to the forward hole on the lower plate, this would twist the furler housing 90-degrees and reorient the opening due aft.'

If I could just reconnect this to that hole beneath it..... 

But this posed a new problem.  The jib furler is also the forestay, an important piece of fixed or standing rigging that helps keep the mast from falling down.  The forestay runs from the masthead to the bow, contributing tension to keep the mast upright, along with the backstay (in the stern), and the shrouds (to port and starboard).  I was cautioned that it was inadvisable simply to release the forestay: the sudden loss of all forward counter-tension on the mast might bring it crashing down.  Even Mr. Three-Stripes understood that would be bad.  Hmmmmmm.

One friend suggested that I tie the jib halyard to a deck cleat on the bow, and let the halyard take the load.  This would maintain forward tension of the forestay for a few minutes while I uncoupled and rotated the furler housing to a new point of attachment.  Best to have someone leaning against the mast while you work, I was warned, just to be safe.  Hmmmmm.

I kept thinking that the O'Day 23 is a "trailerable" boat.  People haul them on trailers all the time, launching them at boat ramps on both inland and coastal waters, stepping their own mast each time.  What do they do to keep the mast from crashing down when they release the forestay at the time haul-out for the trailer trip home?  So I went to an online forum for owners of O'Day sailboats to seek advice and suggestions: http://oday.sailboatowners.com

Someone responded that re-orienting the furler opening can be accomplished without disengaging tension on the forestay.  The bottom of the furler housing has a series of holes designed for just this purpose.

What will happen when I remove those screws?  Hmmmmmm........

I will try to get to this in the next few days.  I'd really like to sail with the jib, too!