Steve,

One of the riggers I have used highly recommends the Harken unit. (For my
Catalina 30 he suggests a Harken Unit 1, Mk-III.) So I've got that one on my
short list. Which model do you have? What do you know about the Schaeffer
units? They look like they might be built a bit better, but my rigger favors
the Harken because of being lighter (less weight aloft).

--Alan

"Steve" wrote in message
...

"Alan Gomes" wrote in message
news:ksDKb.76717$xX.543454@attbi_s02...
I have this furler on a 1987 Catalina 30 that I purchased last August.
It
can indeed furl in both directions.

It's not a very good unit and I would not recommend buying one. Many
owners
complain of problems with it, especially with partially furling the
sail.
Specifically, the continuous line does not always hold the drum solidly
in
position and the drum can slip, causing the sail to unfurl. This can be
minimized (though not always eliminated) by being careful to maintain
tension on both sides of the furling line when cleating it off. Hood, by
the
way, acknowledges the inadequacy of this unit for reefing the sail and
sells
an "upgrade kit" for people wanting to use that feature reliably. (See
below.)


Alan is correct in this regard.. I didn't mention it because, from my
experience with this unit, the sail never sets properly when partially
furled.. There-in is the problem.. Because of the type of swivels used,
this
furler is only good for a furler and only works for reefing for a very
brief
period (through a squal line).

It is best to consider this unit as a furler, not as roller reefing
system..
If you want a roller reefing system as well, talk to your sail maker and
purchase a Harken or others that have a double swivel in the halyard
swivel,
so your foil swivels independent of the halyard swivel. This give a
tighter
furl/roll. (hard to explan here.)

I presently have a Harken MKII 2.5 and I'm very happy with it.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions