Baby Stay or not?

Magaz97

Magaz97

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My Invicta 26, mast head sloop has a baby stay, fitted with a quick release lever at the deck. I normally run with the baby stay detached from its anchor point for'ard of the mast; having it attached to the starboard side toe rail, level with the mast instead. When in situ there is very little tension on the stay, and none at all when it is detached (as above). When attached, it interferes with the foresail, especially when tacking.
My question to the forum is this-
Am I risking damage to the rig / mast by not using the baby stay, or is it there just for hoisting the storm jib?
Are there any other Invicta owners, with this configuration? How is yours rigged?
I have sailed for the past two seasons without the stay attached. Have I just been lucky, or is there really no need to have it rigged?

Many thanks.

Tony
 
Do you have forward lower shrouds?

If you don't then you have been lucky, probably very lucky depending on the conditions you have sailed in over the last two years.

If you do then the baby stay is either a belt and braces job or for flying, frinstance, a storm jib.

IMO. :)
 
You must keep the Babystay in it's designed position or else you are at risk of loosing your mast!
To stop your genoa sheets fouling the babystay use a double length jib sheet tied to the clew with a bowline. This works perfectly on my boat and it NEVER snags. To make it easier to undo the bowline at the seasons end just insert short lengths of 10mm 3strand rope so they tighten in the knot when under tension. Easy to remove the short lengths of rope with mole grips and then the bowline undoes easily.
 
Magaz97 said:
My Invicta 26, mast head sloop has a baby stay, fitted with a quick release lever at the deck. I normally run with the baby stay detached from its anchor point for'ard of the mast; having it attached to the starboard side toe rail, level with the mast instead. When in situ there is very little tension on the stay, and none at all when it is detached (as above). When attached, it interferes with the foresail, especially when tacking.
My question to the forum is this-
Am I risking damage to the rig / mast by not using the baby stay, or is it there just for hoisting the storm jib?
Are there any other Invicta owners, with this configuration? How is yours rigged?
I have sailed for the past two seasons without the stay attached. Have I just been lucky, or is there really no need to have it rigged?

Many thanks.

Tony
Click to expand...
Either the forward lowers or the baby stay, if forward lowers are not fitted, should be tensioned to give a forward curve to the mast except in the case of rigs with aft swept spreaders where it is achieved with the cap shrouds (or very heavy section masts )

May well be worth having a reea of the Selden Hints and advice pdf http://www.seldenmast.se/_download.cfm?id=6740&download=2956550&filename=595-540-E.pdf
 
I had a look at a few pics of Invictas and they seem to have straight spreders and fore and aft lowers - even the one with a babystay. If as you say the stay is not under tension when fitted it isn't going to serve any purpose at all - too slack to induce mast bend or prevent inversion and far too slack to fly a storm jib!

Most demountable stays for storm jibs are mounted quite high on the mast for support from the backstay without the need for runners and they are usually closer to the bow than a babystay. Do you have a storm jib and, if so, does it fit?

If its function is as a babystay to stop the mast pumping, it may be redundant if the cut of your sails and the rigging is set up with some mast pre-bend. On the other hand, on a design of this age most masthead rigs were fitted with a very stiff section mast.

Bit of a mystery!

Rob.

P.S. there is an Invicta 26 site "under construction", maybe an embrionic owners' association? could be a source of info.
 
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If you have forward lowers then it can be removed, as it is fitted with a quick release fitting on the lower end it would indicate that this was always meant to be removed. It would be interesting to know of other Invicta boats and if they were fitted with forward lowers and a babystay. Most boats have aft lowers and a babystay or forward and aft lowers and no babystay.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

I do have a storm jib, but it has never been used in anger. The baby stay has no tension in it, although it can be adjusted.

The Invicta owners site seems pretty static. I have posted a request for information, but nothing forthcoming. I have not seen any other pictures of the Invicta 26 where the baby stay is obvious.

Thanks for the info.
 
Still not sure if you have double lowers? I have phoned a friend who tells me that to the best of his knowledge all Invicta's were built with double lowers and in line spreaders, if your rig is like that then the Babystay is for extra strength but not the normal rig. I guess others on this forum may say different!
 
Yes, it has double lowers. As stupid as this sounds, I actually had to check! I couldnt remember the configuration.
In line spreaders and a double set of lowers. So, I feel safer leaving the baby stay off.

Many thanks
 
I have a 27 foot masthead rig boat with a removable baby stay, i have the same problem as there is no tension on the baby stay when rigged, this thread has answered a few nagging questions that have been in my head for the last few years concerning my rig.
thanks guys.
 
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