Sailors looking to add or replace a headsail furling system on a daysailer or small cruising boat in the 16-foot to 28-foot range will discover two cost-competitive options in the Schaefer Marine SnapFurl CF-500 (for 16 ft. to 24 ft. boats with 1/8 in. to 3/16 in. forestays) and CF-700 (for 24 ft. to 28 ft. boats with 5/32 in. to 7/32 in. forestays). A key to the low cost of both models is the two-piece polyvinyl chloride (PVC) extruded plastic luff foil. The two-piece plastic foil is cut to the required length and snapped together over the forestay, inspiring the product’s name.
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We are very satisfied owners of the Schaefer Snapfurl 700 system, experiencing none of the problems noted in this article.
We installed the system 2 years ago, on our hunter 26.5 utilizing a 150% Genoa. We have experienced none of the so-called twisting problems the author mentions….. Even in high winds of 20 knots, our big sale furls and unfurls smoothly every time.
We chose the Schaefer system because our prior system used the separate metal pieces rather than the extruded PVC. Over time in our experience the connections between the metal tubing…. Whether it be screws or rivets…. Tend to loosen over time and in our case was preventing the smooth raising of our jib… Little bits of the connecting screws started to come out blocking the drum from rising. That’s why we knew the Snapfurl was a better solution.
We are year-round sailors, typically out on the boat in both race and cruise conditions, and I have to say the Schaefer reliability has been one less thing to have to think about.
Again….no twisting, no cracks, smooth furling of larger sails, in heavy wind, year round use. My only guess is that perhaps the author may have installed it incorrectly we had ours professionally installed.
Hats off to Schaefer for a reliable and reasonably priced product.
I have an upgraded 1967 Morgan 24/25 which came equipped w a Cf 500. During the first year I had some furling problems and decided to study the system and found that the P.O. had ignored nearly all the manufacturer’s advice on a proper installation such as the angle of Halyard to mast and the angle of the furling line feeding into the spool. When I installed a furling line guide above and the optional furling line feeder guide below, and replaced the slightly fatter furling line with a higher strength lover diameter furling line on the spool, the system worked great. I think when the angle of the halyard from mast sheave to top is too flat, the tendency to exert twist into the foil is sufficient to cause the problems and when in warm climates or seasons might perform as mentioned in the article above. But mine has now been performing quite smoothly for over 12 years on windy Great South Bay (NY). I do not doubt a metal foil effectively eliminates any twist as mentioned, but since tweaking my installation, the polymer foil shows no twist or wrapping problems at all.
As a happy PS subscriber, I have relied on their reviews and recommendations for many years like most sailors. This review gives me significant pause. While the author experienced problems, he tangentially mentions a complaint he found online to support his opinion. Unfortunately he also conveniently ignored the many positive reviews out there. It took me all of 5 minutes to find dozens of them.
I have never had occasion to criticize a PS review in the past…and have no connection to Schaefer… But my observation is that the author may have been seeking reviews that tended to support his opinion. And of course the title of the article is highly inflammatory.
So far, you have two subscribers questioning whether or not your installation was done correctly and per manufacturers spec as a reason for the problems you experienced. How about a deep dive on that by way of follow-up, a revision to the title of the article, and a bit more digging and conversations with actual owners.