The fittings (including a replacement headstay) boxed with a Furlex system from Seldén Mast give an idea of what's involved in an installation. Measurements and pre-planning are critical.

Headsail furlers, once a novelty scorned by "real" sailors, are everywhere nowadays. The reasons for their widespread use boil down to two advantages: the convenience of "raising and lowering" sails easily from the cockpit, and changing the headsail size by rolling or unrolling the sail.

In the bad old days when headsail furler technology was new, it was common to see someone up on the foredeck trying to wrestle in a jib that refused to properly furl, especially in a blow. If the sail was fully unrolled when the mechanism jammed, then the jib could be dropped on deck like a hanked-on sail, though with the lowered sail not held captive…