This *should* give enough space at the top to be able to see the wire exiting from the top stay fitting when you are aloft. At this point the foil should slide down the stay a little further into the drum.

Undo the clamp fasteners at the top of the torque tube.Mark with a pen or pencil on the foil where it exits from the top of the Torque Tube.Unfortunately correct Harken installs cover the stay just where you want to see it, but all is not necessarily lost. If you are comfortable and competent with going aloft you can inspect it yourself but you need to prepare the furler first. Also the design means that the foil covers the wire exit from the top stay fitting, just where you need to be able to see it. Generally failure will not be in the span of the wire, the problems happen at the ends, where the wire enters the terminal end fittings.Īs the joints of Harken furlers (other than ESP's) are glued together, often the stay doesn't get replaced or checked as often as it should. If it's had the same stay inside it all that time, then the wire would be the most important thing to check. Any visual sign, or sound, or feel of metal to metal contact (wear / scraping / anodising worn off) or grumbly movement (not smooth) should be investigated carefully until the reason is found and solved. Generally, if it's relatively easily rotated back and forth by hand, the bearings will be serviceable. If it's the stay inside that fails, then it happens suddenly (and usually expensively ie dismasting and a trashed headsail is usually the minimum)Ī furler should last 20 years.

If its bearing failure, it usually happens gradually unless the boat has not been used for an extended period.

Hood Seafurl 5 Manual