I forgot to mention that I did use a larger size line for the 1:2. I also put knots in the end to get something to grab on to. You're right, the initial tug is hard, but it really furles after that.

The embarrassing thing is that I was screaming downwind onto the beach and tried to furl the Hooter. I had the older style furler that did not have the leader going into it, so the furling line had wrapped around the underside of the bail. When I tugged on it, nothing happened, so I braced my foot on the front beam and put my weight into it. Well, the furling line snapped and I went heels-over-head to the back of the boat. The only thing that saved me from rolling competely off the boat and watching it sail away was that my head hit the tiller crossbar and I somhow managed to grab something. My feet were probably past the rudders!

Needless to say, I bought another furler..

I found that the leader made a difference, but the pulley that makes the 1:2 also got twisted up in the line and wouldn't feed easily. The next time I rigged the boat, I sat on the beach and furled it a few times to make sure everything was working smoothly.