Freeing a seized furling swivel car

Chris Mardon fixes his jammed foresail furling gear

- Chris Mardon

The swivel car on my 40ft yacht seized last year when half my genoa was wrapped around the forestay, making it impossible to pull down. I was able to roll the loose flap of sail back on itself until I was able to pull it down. The outcome could have been very different in bad weather.

Removing the swivel car was too big a job for me, so I paid for the services of a professional rigger. Although this article is specific to my 2004 Facnor model C38 swivel car, much of the work described here could be applied to other makes.

‘Open’ cars like mine don't have any seals, and their bearings are normally stainless steel or Delrin, so they don't rust. The downside is that they collect dirt. Annual washing out with hot water and vinegar helped to keep mine running, but after 20 years it eventually seized. I had an easy decision to make: pay £800 to buy the latest replacement or strip the old one down and rejuvenate it. I had nothing to lose.