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OWNER'S MANUAL

How the Ronstan Series 280 continuous line furler is set up for straight-luff and top-down sails, loading the 12mm furling line, the fast pin, guide arm alignment, the 3:1 fairlead, top-down adapter and full load ratings.

DocumentRonstan Series 280 Furler Product Manual & Spec Sheet
FormatPDF · 6 pages · 3.7 MB
LanguageEnglish
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Ronstan Series 280 Furler — Product Manual & Spec Sheet

Furler System

Straight-luff sails

Designed for sails with a "straight" luff (code zero, screecher, staysail), generally sailed at true wind angles below 90°. The tack attaches to the furler and the head to the top swivel, so the sail furls along the entire length of the luff.

  • Torsion rope
  • Continuous furling line
  • Top swivel
  • Thimble
  • Furler
  • Shackle or 3:1 fairlead

Soft-luff sails (with Top Down Adapter)

Top-down furling of soft-luff, full mid-section sails (coded asymmetrics, reachers, gennakers), generally sailed at true wind angles above 90°. The tack is lashed to the "floating" swivel collar, the head to the top swivel; the torsion rope turns the top swivel and the sail furls from the head down to the tack.

  • Torsion rope
  • Continuous furling line
  • Top swivel
  • Thimble
  • Furler
  • Top Down Adapter (tack attachment)
  • Shackle or 3:1 fairlead
  • The sail must be either completely unfurled or completely furled: the furler cannot be used with a partially furled sail.
  • You need a synthetic luff cable (torsion line) with a thimble at each end, connected between the fork of the furler at the bottom and the swivel at the top. Ronstan recommends agreeing torsion line type, diameter and length with your sailmaker.
  • Furling line alignment matters: the line must lead fair into the guide. Use blocks or fairleads to guide it where required; the furling line can be cleated to keep the sail from unfurling.

Series 280 Specifications

Part no. Item MWL Breaking load Weight Notes
RS228000 Furler 8000KG (17630lb) 16000KG (35270lb) 3250g (114.6oz) Furler line 12mm (1/2") View part →
RS228010 Top swivel 8000KG (17630lb) 16000KG (35270lb) 1750g (61.7oz) View part →
RS228060 Top down adapter Rotating collar 5000KG (11020lb); clevis pins 8000KG (17630lb) 16000KG (35270lb) 2000g (71oz) View part →
RS228030 3:1 fairlead 8000KG (17630lb) 16000KG (35270lb) 800g (28.2oz) View part →
RS228040 Thimble 164g (5.8oz) Aluminium 6061 View part →
RS020050R HR shackle 19000KG (41800lb) 470g (16.6oz) Ask us to source it →

Ronstan Series 280 spec sheet: furler RS228000, top swivel, top down adapter, 3:1 fairlead, thimble and HR shackle

All dimensions on the spec sheet are in mm; do not scale from the drawing.

Furling Line Installation & Removal

Optimised for 12mm (1/2") rope. The line loads and unloads without un-reeving it, for installations where it is permanently led aft through blocks or fairleads.

  1. Rotate the drum to align the slot in the bottom plate of the drum with the guide opening.
  2. Push the rope through the guide opening and deep into the slot until the rope is in the hole.
  3. Rotate the drum all the way around until the slot lines up with the guide opening on the other side of the guide.
  4. Pull the rope out through the guide opening.

Fast Pin & Guide Arm

Fast pin: pull the release cord from the base of the hole to disengage the locking pin, then pull the clevis pin back; the locking pin re-engages so the clevis pin cannot be lost. To secure, pull the release cord and push the clevis pin in until it locks. Use the supplied R-clip for semi-permanent connections.

Guide arm: in-line or at 90 degrees to suit the deck or bowsprit attachment.

  1. Remove the screws located in the guide arm underneath the drum.
  2. Rotate the guide arm and PTFE strip 90° until the holes in the guide arm line up with the alternate holes in the shaft.
  3. Re-connect the guide arm to the shaft using the same screws.

Accessories & Tack Attachment

  • RS228010 Top Swivel – matched to the furler load rating; fork/fork configuration for direct halyard soft-eye attachment, fork designed for the dedicated torsion line thimble, retained pins and a fast pin for easy changeover of sails sharing one furler set.
  • RS228030 3:1 Fairlead – replaces the shackle on the furler. 3:1: tack line dead-ended on the fairlead becket, down to a sheave at the bowsprit, up and over the fairlead, down to a second sheave and aft to a clutch. 2:1: tack line dead-ended at the bowsprit, up and over the fairlead, back down to the bowsprit end and aft to a clutch; the becket can then take a pullback line to help peeling between furled sails.
  • RS228040 Thimble – terminates the torsion rope at both ends (stitched or spliced); the extra hole is for lashing the tack or head. Lashing the sail to the thimble, not the furler, lets torsion line and sail come off the furler and top swivel easily.
  • RS020050R HR Shackle – replacement shackle for the furler.
  • RS228060 Top Down Adapter (TDA) – remove the fast pin from the furler, insert the TDA between the forks and push the fast pin back. The sail can stay permanently attached to the TDA, so the TDA and sail come off together and the furler can be used with other sails.

Tack attachment: lash the tack to the floating collar through all three holes for even load distribution and free swivelling; the offset lugs keep the tack clear of the rotating torsion rope.

Maintenance

  • Rinse regularly with fresh water to remove salt.
  • Apply Ronstan RF3000 Sailfast™ (or a similar silicon based lubricant) over the body and components to enhance performance and prolong service life. Do not use petro-chemical lubricants.
  • Periodically remove fasteners and re-apply Tef-Gel® (TG-10) to prevent corrosion.
  • Factory sealed bearings are maintenance free. Bearing and seal replacement can be arranged through your local Ronstan re-seller.
  • Furlers carry a three year warranty (terms and conditions from Ronstan).

Need a part that isn't listed? Ask us to source it and quote the part number from the PDF.

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