Ok first do you have a wire luff or zippered jib? You would not replace the jib with a bigger genoa type sail but just make the jib furling.
I just used a Hobie 18 furler on my P18. The only thing I had to modify was the upper forestay. I am using the same bridles and lower forestay I was using previously. I picked my furler up used for around $100 but I had to do a little refurbishing on it which was not to hard. You can get a rebuild kit for under $50 but depending on what you have you might can do it for less with just some of the parts.
I bought a harken micro cam cleat and flairlead and I mounted an tang behind it to run the line through. On mine if I did not do this the angle from the furler to the cleat was such that it would not cleat easily. With it, it cleats very easily.
I made my own Upper forestay at the swaging bench at my local West Marine but if I had to do it again I think I would just figure my dimension and have someone else make it. It is a real pain to set thimbles in 5/32 SS cable. I have the scars to prove it.
I used 1/4 in shackles to connect my standard Prindle Bridles to the Hobie furler which usually has forked bridles connecting to it on a Hobie. You could get bridles made with the fork on one end and a thimble on the other.
I removed the battens from my sail so it would furl. I have not replaced them with any battens that would work with the furler. I may look into this in the future but for now this is good enough for me.
For a Genoa type sail that you mention I think what you are looking for is a hooter.
http://www.catsailor.com/Hooter.html
http://store.catsailor.co…egory=261&idproduct=8049
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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member:
Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
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Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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