For instance... We had dozens of dead macerator pumps (for parts) and it did not take a rocket scientist to figure out when watching one of our customers bring in the third macerator pump of that season that just maybe this was not the way to do the marine MSD thing!
We'd also get lots of furling systems... Either ones that had broke or that could no longer be maintained simply because the companies that built them no longer supported their older products (there IS a special place in hell for companies that do not support their products!) and expected their clients to simply buy all new every few years. Plus we had no shortage of gears that "worked" just fine except that they just never worked very well.
Which brings us to the recently departed roller furling system we had on "So It Goes". When we decided to go with roller furling my first decision was simply not to buy any of the systems we had in the shop because if they were any good (spelled trouble free) we would not have them in the shop on consignment...
The CDI was also cheap in comparison to those other systems and me being Mr Cheapseats decided this is our kind of furling system!
Years later with the rig and mast now gone, I've had the chance to reflect some on how the various parts worked out and the CDI furler was easily the most trouble free part of the rig! It worked perfectly... In all the years we had it we never had a single problem and its furling was as friction free as the day we bought it.
The new rig will not have any head-sails so we won't be in the market for a new furling system but for those who are I'd give the CDI a serious look!
