When laying up Tarakihi, we found, hidden away, what is described as "a fitting for a bow furler to enable you to use the forestay forward hole". The fitting consists of 2, 5-holed s/s plates that I assume are used to extend the roller reefing attachment. Has anyone been using something like this and perhaps might know what issue it solves?! Our boat has a falcnor furling system. I can only think that it should be used to allow the roller reefing drum to clear something on the deck but the "instruction" also says "it will be necessary to use the middle hole to keep the current length" ?!

Chris Cobb

235/48 Tarakihi

Hi Chris. Mine is a Facnor too and is fastened using two plates as per this photo:

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Are these what you are describing? They seem to be two 5 holed plates utilising the middle hole.....?

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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Stephen,

Thanks for your response. Yes, the plates would appear to be like those in your photo. However, from a photo taken earlier in the year, it would appear that the drum on Tarakihi has probably been fitted with a "turnbuckle" kit as it has plates external to the drum that are shaped and tapered to a single hole fixing. As I haven't been able to get to the boat recently, I can't say if there is a bottle-screw within the jaws of the plates but I don't think so. Our forestay was a bit slack this season (used the backstay tensioner to keep it tight as possible)so perhaps the wrong fixings were originally supplied and my 5-holed plates were a replacement!

Regards

Chris Cobb

235/48 "Tarakihi"

Chris - I've just looked in the Facnor Installation Manual and on page 26 it says: "Thereare two kinds of assembly for the lower fitting of the drum".

It goes on to show both the two plate option like mine and the split yoke like yours. It doesn't suggest one option better or worse than the other, although the diagram of the turnbuckle option (yours) DOES show an adjustable bottle screw on the bottom of the forestay, which would seem to make sense for tensioning.

Have you got a manual, if not I could photo the page for you, or contact them directly?

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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Stephen,

I've got an installation manual, thanks. I think I was puzzled that we had found, what appears to be, cut down holed plates but didn't have holed plates to start with. Am still not sure why they were supplied unless the original installation was with a turnbuckle kit but didn't in fact use a bottlescrew! I know the original owner of the boat bought a lot of stuff himself to try to reduce costs and then got Parker's to fit it. The holed plate arrangement looks less hefty than what's already fitted and may give a bit more room and perhaps lessen fouling of ropes etc to say nothing of being adjustable? A bit of further experimentation is needed, I think. Roll on the Spring!

Chris Cobb

235/48 "Tarakihi"