Selden Furling Mast Electric — Owner's Manual

System Description

Discontinued model — documents and spare parts as printed.

An electric motor-driven main furling and reefing system for Selden furling masts F228 – F324, and as a retro-fit replacing the manual gear on those and on older R232, R260, R290 and R324 masts. Two main parts: the motor unit inside the mast (on the luff extrusion) and the control box below deck. A permanently loaded brake holds the reefed sail and releases only while OUT or IN is pressed and the motor runs. An emergency worm gear sits on top of the motor (normally disengaged); the emergency handle socket takes a standard 1/2" socket wrench. Luff extrusion, top and halyard swivels are shared with the manual systems (manuals 595-059-E for RA, 595-063-E for RB Mk II / RC Mk II). All cables are tin-coated.

24V gives lower current and allows longer runs or smaller cables; the choice usually follows the engine alternator.

• Motor: brushless permanent-magnet (neodymium) DC, 12 or 24 V winding, three Hall sensors; planetary gearbox 51:1. RC has a permanent-magnet brake, RA and RB a spring-loaded brake. RB / RC have a connection box at the rear of the motor; on RA the cables leave from the side.
• Control box: limits torque and speed; output shaft and luff extrusion turn at approximately 40 rpm. At max torque the current is cut and the brake set, resetting after about two seconds. Normal furl in less that one minute (as printed); after approximately 5 minutes at max load it reaches 85°C and cuts out until it cools. Factory DIP-switch settings must not be changed.
• Release lever (black handle facing aft on the mast) frees the luff extrusion from the gearbox output shaft. Light output (max.50W) for a sail-entry lamp, on while a button is pressed and for 7 seconds after. A two-function remote (normally open) can be wired in parallel with MAIN OUT / MAIN IN.

Checklist & Optional Equipment

Manuals in the pack: 595-193-E (this one), 595-059-E / 595-063-E (RA / RB-RC furling mast) and spare parts list RA/RB/RC 595-110-E. Cable lengths are ordered on inquiry form 595-194.

Battery, Fuses & Cables

• Don't use the starting battery. Light-wind furling current depends mostly on outhaul tension. Run the two battery cables (and the three power cables) close together; if possible twist the power cables 1 turn per metre.
• Manoeuvre circuit: 6 Amp fuse and a supply switch in the cabin panel (off = motor can't run); a separate switch for the button lights.
• The motor comes with 4 x 5 m cables (three 16mm2 power cables brown, white, blue and a grey 7 x 0.75 mm2 signal cable), emerging 3.5 m below a deck-stepped mast (via a swan-neck, protected by the hose) or 1.5 m below a keel-stepped mast (through the watertight internal seal).
• Junction box below deck, above bilge level, easy for riggers to find; Ø8.4 ring crimp terminals (M8) with heat-shrink on the power cables; bullet crimp terminals (with a little Vaseline) on the seven signal cores. If cable colours differ between motor and control-box sides, make a scheme first – mixed-up cables can seriously damage the motor.
• Control box vertical, in a dry place, cables entering from below on the front side of the circuit card. Buttons: 5 x 0.75 mm2 cable with 2.8 x 0,5 mm flat terminals (three cores for control, two for the light). Cabin panel: 2 x 0.75 mm2 cable.

Test, Operation & Emergency Gear

High torque and high sail loads: the system must be run by an experienced skipper and the whole crew must know its dangers. Supply switch OFF before using the emergency gear.

• Rotation test (mast stepped, sail not hoisted, extrusion free): MAIN IN must turn the luff extrusion anti-clockwise and MAIN OUT clockwise (as drawn). If reversed, swap the spade terminals (position 3) on the buttons or the same cores in the control box.
• Unfurling: pull the outhaul while pressing MAIN OUT; if the motor feeds faster than you can pull, pause. Never run the motor without taking in the outhaul – the sail jams if it unrolls inside the mast. Stop at the red mark on the sail (Sailmaker's guide 595-542); holding OUT longer furls the sail back the wrong way. Foot tension with the outhaul, never the motor.
• Furling / reefing: keep the aft face of the mast clear of lines; leech and foot fairly tight (topping lift / kicker for leech, outhaul for foot). Ease the outhaul, press MAIN IN, one turn of outhaul on the winch paid out as the sail goes in – too much outhaul tension overloads the motor. Stop with only the clew exposed. The brake holds any reef while the motor is stopped.
• Self-tailing winch and rope stopper for the outhaul; topping lift (spare main halyard) and kicker from the cockpit, topping lift with a stopper knot at the lowest safe level (not needed with a Rodkicker).

LED Troubleshooting (Motor Units 532-501, 532-502, 532-503)

For motor units 532-501 (RB P81 12V), 532-502 (RC SPG105 12V) and 532-503 (RC SPG105 24V). Check all wiring before powering up – mixing battery cables with the three motor power cables can destroy the drive unit (it is protected against reversed battery polarity). Use a digital voltmeter. Wait 1 minute after switching off before connecting or disconnecting power wires.

Retro-Fitting to a Manual Furling Mast (Summary)

Requires experience: a hole or cut-out in the wrong place can weaken the mast enough to need a new extrusion. Un-step the mast and work on trestles. The template is specific to mast section and system.

Also: motor unit with cables, cover assy and tack assy (incl. locking tube) specific to the mast section, template, Loctite 3ml (312-305). Tools: Allen and Torx keys up to T50; hole saws Ø20, Ø22, Ø24, Ø30, Ø39 mm; Ø50 mm with extenders for a keel-stepped mast. If the handle fouls a winch or cleat, move the fitting or use the long handle 533-923.

• Cut-out: tape the template, mark, hole-saw the corners (Ø24 or 30 mm), jig-saw square to the surface, file flat without rounding; the cover takes compression when the mast bends back – gap max 0.5 mm.
• Torsion pin: Ø22 mm hole in the centre wall, 90 mm below the cut, elongated about 2 mm up and down (not wider). Greasing hole Ø12 mm port side (F228-F246 and R232-R290 use the old Ø39 grease hole); Ø39 mm clevis-pin access hole starboard (cover 319-609).
• Keel-stepped: either cut through the internal seal with the Ø50 mm saw (Sikaflex in F-masts must be over 6 months old) and fit the hose and cable seal, or – simpler – bring the cables out above deck through a Ø25 mm hole and a swan-neck.
• Tightening order: B1, B2, C1, C2, E1, E2 to about half torque, then to full torque; A moderately; then the D screws. Grease A, B and C; Loctite E and D (corrosion-preventive paste on R-mast threaded holes). On F265 use the upper E-hole pair for RB, the lower for RC. Then tension the luff extrusion per manual 595-059 / 595-063.

Earlier Electric Furlin & Relay Box

• 595-055-E (extra PDF): manual for the earlier Electric Furlin RB, RC and RD (supplement to the Furlin RB/RC Mk2 manual): electronic contactor and auto-reset unit, main-power MCB, final drive through a self-locking worm gear and a standard winch-handle star socket for manual operation. Spare parts are no longer available.
• 595-709-E (1994) relay box and switch set for the earlier electric in-mast furling: watertight switches, interchangeable higher-current relays and logic that lets only one switch work at a time (no battery short circuit). Follow the circuit diagram (or use a qualified electrician); the grey switch cables (GY-NC) are redundant; check the relays match the coil voltage (12V or 24V); mount the relay box near the contactor box with cable exits underneath.