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Removable Forestay

3K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  tdw 
#1 ·
We have a removable forestay (at the deck, not aloft) for our staysail. When we are sailing with the Yankee up it drags around the forestay, chaffing the staysail and the Yankee when tacking. Coming east out of St. Thomas we were beating in 20 to 30 knots, short tacking up the Sir Francis Drake Channel (the beat to St Martin was pretty gruesome as well) and we had to spend a couple of hundred bucks on repairs in St Martin.
Obviously, it would be a lot easier on all the gear if I released the forestay and stowed the staysail, stay and furler some how at the mast. When I bought the boat there were three small holes in the deck where the PO had it lashed to the shrouds and the end had chaffed the deck.
Has anyone any suggestions as to how I can stow this clear of the Yankee and keep it from chaffing the deck or the spreaders, for that matter. It is 3/8" 7X19, somewhat flexible, but certainly not enough to tie it in knots. It's about 3' of excess when it is released and brought aft to the shrouds.
About 90% of our sailing is in 20 to 30 knots of wind (33k sustained for an hour yesterday between The Saints and Dominica) beating, so this is an ongoing problem.
Thanks.
 
#3 ·
We really do not want to take the sail off the stay, but thanks for the heads up. Perhaps the inner forestay storage bracket will get that little light bulb above my head to go on.
 
#4 ·
We take our inner stay off, but with the hanked on sail off. We have the earlier version of the curved thing on p. 35 of the catalog above the stay goes around on pipe structure that protects a Dorade vent. The tack is attached to a large U-bolt that is positioned so that when the Highfield lever is closed it is all snug. On the deck I have along, thin pad of Starboard that protects the deck from chafe. You should be able to do something similar with the sail on.just be careful not to kink the foil on the furler.
 
#5 ·
Obviously, it would be a lot easier on all the gear if I released the forestay and stowed the staysail, stay and furler some how at the mast. When I bought the boat there were three small holes in the deck where the PO had it lashed to the shrouds and the end had chaffed the deck.
I don't see how it's possible to stow a furler at the mast...

Here's my solution, taking it out to the rail... Lots of sheer and crown to the deck helps, on most boats with a flatter sheer, the geometry just doesn't work, unless the furling drum is elevated above the deck, and a pendant makes up the difference...

 
#7 ·
We unashamedly stole JE's idea for the Womboat. Unfortunately she does not have an aluminium toerail but we strung it up twixt the lowers, at deck level of course. Works pretty well I must say.

Andrew B
 
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