replacing the forestay in a Harken Roller Furler

[sv.grainne]

I am looking for help in replacing the forestay rigging wire on my sailboat which has Harken RF units. I want to replace the wire without taking the foils apart and wonder if you can point me in the right direction. I'm thinking that once the forestay is down that I can cut the lower swagged fitting off (or upper if appropriate), remove the rigging wire then have a new forestay made with just the top or bottom fitting swagged on. I could then feed the wire back through the foils and attach a new Harken fitting using either a Norseman or Stalock fitting.

Does anyone have any suggestions on this method?

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
You've got it. The only thing to add is about a foot of wire length on the new wire. Mark the cut-at point with a felt tip pen. Now you can use a belt sander to form a long, tapered tip on the wire end. Just bring it down to a dull point over several inches. Then douse the tip with super glue, to help keep the strands together. If the wire has a bend in it from the reel, gently flex it straight, at least for the first few feet. Slide the wire in, and when you hit a bearing inside the foil, jiggle and twist, while keeping gentle pressure ahead on the wire, and that end will pop through. Once the end is out, cut it to your premeasured length, and put that termimal on. Hayn or Sta-Lok would be best.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Jim Fulton]

Wouldn't it also help to use the old wire to pull a messenger line through the foil? Then you could use the messenger to pull the new wire through. I have generally found that it is easier to pull wires than to push them.

Jim Fulton

[Brion Toss]

Hi again,
Messengers can work fine, as can butting the ends of the old and new wires. There are several workable options; I have found that the tapered-end trick is the fastest, simplest, and most reliable. No need to attach a messenger, no need to do so in a way that won't hang up at the junctions, no need to detach it and reattach it to the new piece. But, different ships...

Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[sv.grainne]

Thanks for the advise - will give it a try. Plan to have the new wire and headstay terminal crimped on and will go with the extra wire.

Bobby

St Anne, Martinique