Furling Gear Break Down

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Endless-line furlers

All of the latest endless-line furlers that we’ve seen have greatly improved on older designs’ latch-and-catch systems.

1. & 2. The Profurl NEX 2.5’s clevis-like tack pin firmly connects to a stainless-steel spring. Its tack-pin release system includes a push tab that operates similar to a safety trigger. It’s set in an indentation that keeps lines from snagging the tack pin loose.

3. Releasing the tack pin on the Seldén CX15 is easily accomplished with one hand: Just pull the little string. Another string tethers the pin to the furler, so it can’t be dropped overboard.

4. The Facnor FX2500’s tack pin is the easiest to release of the test furlers: Push down on a small tab, and out slides the pin. This method also leaves the pin the most exposed, but Facnor has headed off any accidental releases by using a captured tack pin.

5. & 6. The Seldén CX15’s slick double-cam furling-line control’s elegantly simple setup made the furling line much easier to tame, especially when users needed to secure the furled sail.

7. All furling manufacturers make an array of parts and castings that expedite installation: thimbles for splicing line to fit the spool, delta plates to set up a two-part downhaul, leads for the furling line, spool downhaul blocks for tack tensioners, and a double deadeye for leads.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.