Hammock on my 25' sloop?

[kwaltersmi]

Here's a silly question: Can I hang a hammock from the forestay and mast of my 25 foot sloop? Will the forestay and mast support my 200lbs? I'm assuming they will and that the forces of the wind when sailing far exceed my mass, but I thought I'd ask before I have to post a thread titled "Help! I snapped my mast by installing a hammock!"

And yes, I'm prepared for the "Why would you want to put a hammock on your boat" posts.

[timebandit]

I have a really great hammock in my back yard. I thought I would put it on my 25 foot boat. I took it off the stand and out to the boat I went.

First I tied it to the mast above the boom and then to the top of the pulpit. It looked great but when I got in it "bam" my ass hit the deck. I looked at tieing it higher but the angles said that would not work.

I tried it back over the cockpit. I tied one end on the mast at the same hight as before and the other to the pushpit. It hung about 6 feet above the cockpit, untill, I got in. It then sagged and put the middle of my back on the edge of the house roof.

No Joy.

I am 200# and I did try to run it up the forstay shortening the hammock to the first set of its spreaders.
The stay held the weight ok and that is on a supposed under sized mac stay.

I am still looking for a shorter hammock.

Rick

[Plumper]

I hang mine there on a 33' boat all the time.

[heinzir]

I use a cheap camper's hammock between the mast and forestay on my 23' boat. Not good for sleeping but great for reading or watching the sunset.

Henry
Chiquita

[h16Sailor]

first;
your mast should support a lot more than 200lbs of sail force so your safe weight wise.

second: i found a web site selling hammocks 'sailor's hammock' crusing hammock ? can't find it now but the point is
they use a three point tie in to make the hammock stable: mast, side stay, and fore stay. they claim you won't get dumped out accidentially using a three point attachment.

last : What kind of knot do you use to tie your hammock to the forestay?
i plan on trying a double clove hitch, will it work?? What knot will?

[knothead]

Originally Posted by h16Sailor

first;
your mast should support a lot more than 200lbs of sail force so your safe weight wise.

second: i found a web site selling hammocks 'sailor's hammock' crusing hammock ? can't find it now but the point is
they use a three point tie in to make the hammock stable: mast, side stay, and fore stay. they claim you won't get dumped out accidentially using a three point attachment.

last : What kind of knot do you use to tie your hammock to the forestay?
i plan on trying a double clove hitch, will it work?? What knot will?

A 25 foot boat is probably going to have 3/16", or thereabouts, wire for the standing rigging.
A 200" guy pullling on that headstay horizontally is going to induce a lot more stress on the rig than I think you understand.
I don't doubt that it will handle it but I'm not sure it's a good idea.

[Plumper]

The dreaded vector pull. Just don't string the mick up tight and use the jib halyard to hold that end up.

[uspirate]

I thought about putting one up but am too scared on 25' rigging

[knothead]

Originally Posted by Plumper

The dreaded vector pull. Just don't string the mick up tight and use the jib halyard to hold that end up.

Vector pull?
Please elaborate.

[JSL3]

Originally Posted by h16Sailor

first;
last : What kind of knot do you use to tie your hammock to the forestay?
i plan on trying a double clove hitch, will it work?? What knot will?

A prussic knot works great on a stay that would support it. The beauty of the prussic is that it slides up easily but won't slide down. On a 25' sloop however, I echo plumper and say use a halyard at one end (near the forestay) and use the mast for the other end.