just about broke one of my mainstays

[smallboatlover]

so on my sailboat the starboard mainsatay fraid so much while i was sailin i have only four small pieces of stianess steel holding the starboard side of the mast and i was about 4 miles from home in a stong breeze so i let the sail out all the way and got back to the mooring verry slowly then beached the boat later took the mast off and put the boat back at the mooriung with out the mast. so now i need a new rigging piece for that lucky me atleast it cost under $100 i hope. am i lucky that i got in or was it the right thing to go aim right at the mooring form 4 miles away and let the saill out and still catch the wind? or was the luck or skill i think i was doign the right thing by doing that was i? what else could i have done instead of just letting the sail out and aiming for the mooring?

[captainrizzo]

If you were able to keep the damaged shroud to leeward it would not be as much of a problem as the leeward shrouds have far less tension than the windward shrouds. An accidental jibe however will bring down your mast. Always inspect your standing rigging before you set sail and you should not have this problem. The shroud was probably damaged prior to you setting sail.

[nolatom]

You got in and you kept most of the pressure off that bad stay, so you did okay. But you have to inspect these stays, especially at the bottom end fitting, where they get the most salt water, and where gravity keeps the water from draining out of the fitting if there are any gaps.

One other thing comes to mind. Take an extra halyard, or maybe even the end of your main halyard, to windward tie it off to the chain plate or something else strong, and cinch it as tight as you can (best done while this is the leeward shroud after you've tacked over temporarily). Then at least you've got a backup that might save the mast if you lose the stay.

[smallboatlover]

The break was right in the middle of the wire half way up the wire. not near the top not near the bottom. i would have seen this before i left this happened when i tacked. also thanks for you idea nolatom if this ever happens again i will use the jib halyard and cip it off to the eye were the stay is and and that will support it if it was to fall thanks for that next time i will know.

[Boasun]

A good rule of thumb when it comes to stays & shrouds is: When you replace one, Replace them all.
That is if you can afford it... Many of us replace one and pray that the others hold together for years to come.

[smallboatlover]

ya sadly right now i can't afford to replace them all just one. i just need the other two to last another year and thats it.

[n0w0rries]

Originally Posted by smallboatlover

ya sadly right now i can't afford to replace them all just one. i just need the other two to last another year and thats it.

How much is a new mast? I would think rigging would be a lot cheaper.

I hope you just sail solo and don't put other people's lives in danger because you can't afford to maintain your boat.

[smallboatlover]

i'm not saying that i will not ever replace the rest i will replace the one i need right now and the other ones i will get done in a few weeks. i might just get the two side ones done right now and the bow one done in a few weeks.

[Sublime]

Originally Posted by smallboatlover

ya sadly right now i can't afford to replace them all just one. i just need the other two to last another year and thats it.

Have you priced them?
Your sig says it's a 16' boat. I assume that's the boat you're using. So is that about an 1/8" stay?
APS - Wire and Dyform

50-60 cents a foot?

Order wire. Take to a place with swag tool you can use (I know West Marine usually does).

Hell, eat bologna sammiches for a month and not worry about your rigging for years. I ate PB&J for months to get my Drascombe up and going.

If one frayed, I bet the others are right behind with problems lurking where you can't see them. They might not go a year. It'd suck to lose the mast. Costs much more than the stay.