Neat tricks to unstick a stuck Furler?

[Chotu]

My main furler on one of my boats is stuck pretty bad. I have to use a winch or my hands on the drum to spin it. There is nothing wrong aloft, you can't see any type of binding or issues there. The furler acts the same with or without a sail on it.

It was like this when I bought it.

Are there any usual tricks?

The boat is at a mooring so I am hoping for something fairly simple.

[Fiveslide]

Time to replace bearings?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

Time to replace bearings?

It's on the mooring so I hope not.

The weird thing is, there is no grinding or scratching or uneven motion like you would get if bearings are bad. It is just locked tight. Then when you get it moving it kind of releases and starts moving. Then it sticks again when you stop rotating it. It's almost as if it uses a bushing and something is making the bushing stick together with the shaft.

[sagablu]

Slack the halyard just a bit to take off some of the tension.

[Chotu]

I should probably post the make and model. I will see if I can get that today.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by sagablu

Slack the halyard just a bit to take off some of the tension.

I'll give that a shot. Thanks

[sepharad]

Please let us know if slacking the halyard fixes the issue. If so, it's a good thing to have in my mental file.

[CCR2580]

Release tension on boomvang and slightly raise the topping lift on the boom.

[desodave]

When was the last time anything was lubricated?

[Matsubob]

I was having big issues with mine like that. I was having to wrap the reefing line around the jibsheet winch to get it to furl, and finally the bail on the final fairlead block exploded. I had tried the lube made for furlers and other blocks in the running rigging that I got from West Marine, but to no avail. Then I spotted a small hole on TOP of the swivel, poked the nozel of the lube tube in there, and WOW! Worked like a charm! Evidently the dorlon balls in there were dry and bunching up on each other. I had been oiling it in the wrong place. My furler is an Asahi, so no instructions....

[singlespeed]

My Profurl used to stick if I didn't unfurl it a few inches, once a week. I finally bought a small (2.5 gallon) inexpensive plastic garden insecticide/fertilizer sprayer, filled it with tap water and pumped it up to pressure. Adjust the nozzle to a narrow spray and spray the lower bearing surfaces that are visible. Once dry, use McLube on those same surfaces. Doing this after each time the fuller is used will greatly enhance the ease of operation.

The sprayer is handy for a number of things on the boat. Most are somewhat opaque, but can be used as a shower by guests (and you can easily monitor how much water your guests are using to shower). Spraying fresh water onto your deck hardware (line stoppers, blocks, winch exteriors, etc.) after a sail becomes easy when on mooring or at anchor. It is really handy in earning out the various nooks and crannies of an anchor locker.

[LeeV]

Our issue was always salt & grime. Our rigger stressed not to lube anything, but hose it down while working the drum back and forth. Took us an hour and freed it up.
Check the manufacturer before you lube.

[Matt Johnson]

If it's a Harken and stuck like you describe, it's probably the foil dropping into the torque tube... they have a habit of doing this. Loosen the four bolts at the top of the torque tube, pull the foil up a bit, and then tighten and torque the bolts again.

edit: reread the OP and see it is the mainsails furler and not headsail. Ignore me

Matt

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by sagablu

Slack the halyard just a bit to take off some of the tension.

This. For main and headsail furlers.

[Dave_S]

Mine played up not so long ago, one of the nylon bearings had come out. It sounds like one of yours may be partially dislodged and is binding. They are cheap parts and you can DIY.