Colligo Marine 'Cheeky Tangs' for solent stay

[steve1963]

I'm in the process of fitting a solent stay to a She33. I'm considering using the Colligo Marine Cheeky Tangs as the mast fitting. Anyone got any thought on this? Anyone have a similar set up? It's probably going to have to be fitted with the mast up, and so I am wondering how crucial is the compression tube that should be placed between the 2 fittings, but on the mast interior? Can the fittings be used with a ss stay (7mm)?

 

[knuterikt]

Compression tube must be installed, mast walls are not designed for compression load

 

[knuterikt]

I used the Wichard tang, only a slot in the front of the mast no need for access to the inside.
https://www.bluemarinestore.com/wichard-baby-stay-tang-mast-fitting/

 

[Motor_Sailor]

I used the Wichard tang, only a slot in the front of the mast no need for access to the inside.

+1

 

[zoidberg]

I've gone down that 'development path', and I guess you're looking to fit something derived from Colligo's website pics, like this one...

There are others showing e.g Colligo nose-fittings, all of which seemed cumbersome to me. My mast already has several Selden mast-plate fittings for upper and lower shroud T-Terminals, which seem perfectly sound in operation, and I fitted another one 'less than 6% of mast height' below the upper stay, on which to hang the Inner ( Solent ) stay's upper toggle using a Selden T-toggle. I'm advised by more than one prominent rigger that that should not require runners.

Both of these forestays will have furling headsails, and I wrangled over the various not-quite-satisfactory options for hoisting/setting a functioning small storm jib..... which I could both 'set' and 'hand' without a lengthy, problematic struggle on the foredeck. Ideally, that should hoist rolled-up like a furling asymmetric, and roll away again similarly. Such a setup requires the sail to be hoisted on its own removable wire ( SK78 ? ) stay, for the inner forestay just ahead will be fully populated with rolled Solent jib.

That requires a mast fitting just above the spreaders on which to hang a halyard block. I fitted a pair of Selden mast-plate fittings, one each side, with a view to using Selden's T-eye terminals to provide a Dyneema/SK78 loop at the front, like that avove, but even that seemed more complex and expensive than needed. I reasoned that if the pair of mast-wall fittings - and the mast wall, could cope with such a load using T-eye fittings, I could instead use a short loop of 14mm single-braid passed right through the mast. I'll have a sleeve of anti-chafe over this.

I'll bring the two 'looped ends' together in front of the mast using a Wichard saddle shackle, and hang the storm sail's halyard block on that. A thin s/s plate ( No Wear Chafe Guard or DIY ) will be glued on the mast wall to take the inevitable knocks.

All that is inspectable and replaceable, and should permit hoisting, setting, furling and lowering of a storm jib, with minimal excursions onto the foredeck. With existing twin lowers, there should be adequate support. Whether the sail's luff will be taut enough remains to be seen.

 

[steve1963]

How did you work out where to drill the holes for the tang flanges? The curvature of the mast, and the angle of the flanges, means that (as far as I can see) it is impossible to accurately drill the required holes in the mast.

 

[steve1963]

The problem is, is that I have to do this job with the mast up!

 

[Poey50]

I think a Selden O fitting would be easier to do than either the Wichard or Colligo. I did mine with the mast down but could imagine doing it with the mast up.



http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1426855963/595-158-E.pdf

 

[steve1963]

I think a Selden O fitting would be easier to do than either the Wichard or Colligo. I did mine with the mast down but could imagine doing it with the mast up.

View attachment 77003

http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1426855963/595-158-E.pdf

I would worry that the Selden fitting would not be nearly strong enough to take the large forces generated on the Solent stay in strong winds. Its only held on by 4 rivits/screws

 

[Poey50]

I would worry that the Selden fitting would not be nearly strong enough to take the large forces generated on the Solent stay in strong winds. Its only held on by 4 rivits/screws

It's not obvious from the photo but the ends of the curved part of the fitting go inside the mast so it is not solely relying on the four 6mm rivets. This is why Selden are able to recommend its use as a forestay fitting. You can see it better from the diagram on the fitting instructions.

Why I say it is possible to fit up the mast is that you can drill overlapping holes and then file the rest flat.

Good luck however you tackle it.

 

[r_h]

It's not obvious from the photo but the ends of the curved part of the fitting go inside the mast so it is not solely relying on the four 6mm rivets. This is why Selden are able to recommend its use as an inner forestay fitting. You can see it better from the diagram on the fitting instructions.

Why I say it is possible to fit up the mast is that you can drill overlapping holes and then file the rest flat.

Good luck however you tackle it.

I've fitted one of these with the mast up - it wasn't the easiest of jobs (and I wasn't able to stay up long enough to do it in one go) but it's certainly feasible. I'd do the same again in preference to using the Cheeky Tangs for that purpose - they are really designed for lower shrouds in Dyneema.

 

[zoidberg]

How did you work out where to drill the holes for the tang flanges? The curvature of the mast, and the angle of the flanges, means that (as far as I can see) it is impossible to accurately drill the required holes in the mast.

If you're referring, young stev1963, to my input above, then I first drilled opposing holes of the right diameter for the 'turret' protrusion on Selden's mastwall fittings. A holesaw bit fractionally under 'nominal' produced satisfactory results, while a small file and two minutes' effort dealt with any lips of swarf. That done, offering the Selden fitting inverted into its hole allowed accurate marking/positioning of the holes for rivets.

It was a bit fiddly organising the feeding of the Selden wall-fitting into place INSIDE, but some fishing with 3mm twine, then 'pulling up' permitted the rivets to be clenched up sequentially..... as my pic shows.

The rivets I got from AllSpars proved a bit 'variable' in quality. Gripping the shanks adequately proved unreliable. I had to supplement them by buying others from Force4 - which proved excellent and worth the extra cost.

I looked at all the other options for mounting a 'nose' attachment, and had reservations due to the small areas of mast-wall into which the shock loads would be transmitted. One might well say that Selden know what they're doing, and I agree, but their 'lesser' items are fitted by professionals with all the tools and all the experience. I reasoned I wanted a bigger margin for my smaller skill-set.....

 

[Poey50]

- they are really designed for lower shrouds in Dyneema.

I'm using mine with a Dyneema inner forestay but Selden show them used as main forestay fittings on fractional rigs. See page 22.

http://www.seldenmast.com/en/products/masts/forestay_fittings_-_halyard_routings.html