I have the Z-Spars furling gear and it is giving me a bit of a problem. The forestay wire has a PVC sleeving that push fits onto it. This is all inside the foil tube. The problem is that the sleeving keeps sliding down the forestay and catching the mechanism when I roll the drum in and out. As a result, bit of plastic keep dropping out each time I use the furling gear.
Has anyone had this problem or does anyone know of a way to keep the pvc sleeving in place, ie, stop it sliding down the forestay ?

Regards
Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz

Graham,

I too have the Z-Spars furling gear and I had it apart recently. It uses a plastic stopper that clamps to the forestay wire to stop the PVC sleeve from dropping down onto the lower terminal. Perhaps yours is loose or missing?

Also, there is a cap-head screw that passes through the top of the furling drum and into the internal alloy sleave. As well as securing the drum, from memory, I think that might also help to clamp the PVC sleeve. Mine had the wrong length screw fitted, which meant it wouldn't tighten properly. The manual specifies 12mm (M6).

My mast was down when I disassembled my furler but it doesn't have to be - assuming your forestay set-up is the same. After the cap-head screw and the bolt below the drum are removed, the drum has to be rotated because it can only be raised in one position, when it's aligned with the plastic stopper inside (assuming you have a stopper!).

Hope that helps. If you don't have the manual, I can scan it and e-mail it for you.

Anthony Russell
235/02 Sea Wyche

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Anthony,

Thanks for the information. I think the plastic stopper will have been lost by now and Z-Spars don't keep spares for this assembly any more, so I think I will try to cut the broken end of the sleeving and make some kind of restraint. Would I be right in assuming the sleeving is supposed to rotate with the foil around the forestay as you mentioned it is retained by a screw in the drum ?

I have a copy of the sectional drawing of the forestay that was included in the Parker manual, but it does not explain any thing. If you have any more details I would be grateful to receive them.
my email is grahamATcharterdesign.plus.com (Use the @ in place of the AT).

Many thanks

Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz

Graham,

I've e-mailed a PDF of the manual to you, so I hope that sheds some light on things. It says that the PVC sleeve is clipped onto the forestay and then 'forced' into the foil, implying that it does indeed rotate with the foil around the forestay. Whether or not the drum retaining screw helps to keep the sleeve in position, its main restraint is the plastic stopper at its bottom end. It's just a simple clamp so it could be replicated fairly easily if it's missing.

Anthony Russell
235/02 Sea Wyche

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I have been in contact with Z-Spars and they say I have a plastic clamp missing that is causing the sleeving to slide down the forestay. I have ordered a replacement and a replacement length of sleeving. This should sort out the problem. Not sure if the original clamp has fallen off or was never fitted.

Anthony, thanks for the information, it made things much more clear.

Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz