Installing an ESP Furler

The ESP Furler Assembles as Easily as it Rolls

Fewer components make this affordable furler quick to assemble, while providing the same styling, durability, and low maintenance bearing system of our performance line. Top foils come in 5 sizes to fit headstay length requirements. The bottom foil adjusts to fine-tune headstay length—no hacksaw required.

	The ESP furler was installed on a Bavaria 31, with a 7mm forestay and 7/16th inch clevis pin, for which the correctly specified furler is the ESP Unit 1.
	We arrived at the boat on an icy morning but with bright sunshine. The first job was to remove the old furler.
	This meant putting down halyards to take the forestay tension, releasing the bottom pin of the furler and then sending someone up the mast to release the top.
	We then lowered the old furler to the dock and laid it out to check the pin to pin measurement. This is a critical measurement as the top foil length depends on this - fortunately we found that we had specified the correct foil!
	We then laid out the components of the new furler alongside the old one and removed the forestay from the old furler - since the Stalok on the old furler had seized we needed to cut the end off in order to extract the wire. The forestay was examined and after some discussion it was deemed sound and long enough to have the new furler built on it.
	The forestay was terminated with a swaged on turnbuckle and we then assembled the foil on to the forestay.
	We inserted the top cap and assembled the connectors at each foil joint - this was very quick and easy and we were soon ready to install the hub and the rest of the bottom end, but not before installing the halyard swivel onto the foil!
	Once the drum and legs were installed and the toggle assembled, we set the length of the foil with the telescopic bottom section, loosened the turnbuckle and were ready to put the new furler up. We sent the furler back up the mast and installed the top pin.
	When we came to install the bottom pin we found we were some way short - about 150mm! This caused some consternation but we then noticed that the backstay was very slack - the mast had fallen back slightly on the halyards. We wound it forward again and with a little jiggery pokery managed to get the pin in!
	We added the furling line and hoisted the sail - Dutch was immediately impressed with how easily the furler turned as he rolled the sail up and was ready to go sailing immediately! We found the ESP furler very straightforward to install - in most cases a new forestay will be required and that will make life even easier. Just follow the manual and don't rush!