Demaged forestay?

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carrousel29

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Hello,please advice...after wrapping halyard over forestay on roll jib...have possible damage.on first picture is how it was when i climbate and second pics after turn forestay wire in left direction half turn...any advice,what to do and how much is it dangerous...thanks.
 

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I wouldn't worry about it. I know it's a swaged fitting, but you have to dismantle wires that much to use Sta-Lok fittings. As long as it has all gone smoothly back together , relax.
 
The rigger I use took one look at something similar on my boat and quoted me for a new one. No hesitation, and he isn't the type to spot a sale and go for it

As for how dangerous, I'm no expert, but reckon It's unlikely to let go pottering around, though I wouldn't trust it on a hard beat to windward, in bad weather
 
As long as the lay has gone back evenly .... then it should be OK. Luckily for you - the twist was only a half turn and with stay tensioned - it remained even.
But it will be more easily unlaid again - so I would suggest you take measures to stop it happening again.
 
Personally, I'd get it replaced. But the decision is yours given the advice above and the type of sailing you do. If your parameters are a turn round the bay in a F3 or 200 nm trips in a F7/8 like Eric the Viking does on his channel.
 
I'm with Sandy on this one, though I doubt he needs my support. That forestay holds your mast up; the mast having the dual role of powering your boat and not killing you by falling on your head. If you survive, masts are expensive and talking to insurance companies is a hassle and not recommended when you want money out of them.

Looking at it on a more technical level, if the outer strands are in any way more unwrapped they will not take up the tension like the core, leading the core to possibly fatigue whilst hidden.
 
It's called birdcaging - any more unwinding and you'll see why it's called that. 100% replace it. Apart from anything else you have now publicly shown a damaged forestay, and if your mast comes down and breaks you may have trouble convincing your insurance company that you have maintained it properly.
 
Thank you for advices...can i replace the eye terminal with cuting wire and instal sta lok long eye swagless terminal,is it reliable enough because is roll system?
 
Stemar said:
The rigger I use took one look at something similar on my boat and quoted me for a new one. No hesitation, and he isn't the type to spot a sale and go for it

As for how dangerous, I'm no expert, but reckon It's unlikely to let go pottering around, though I wouldn't trust it on a hard beat to windward, in bad weather
Click to expand...

+1
I had a new furling drum and top swivel fitted last week. The rigger found that the top of my forestay had unwound, same as in OP picture. I had the forestay replaced without a moments hesitation. I'm surprised that anyone would be relaxed by this find, until it has been replaced, that is.
 
HissyFit said:
I'm with Sandy on this one, though I doubt he needs my support. That forestay holds your mast up; the mast having the dual role of powering your boat and not killing you by falling on your head. If you survive, masts are expensive and talking to insurance companies is a hassle and not recommended when you want money out of them.

Looking at it on a more technical level, if the outer strands are in any way more unwrapped they will not take up the tension like the core, leading the core to possibly fatigue whilst hidden.
Click to expand...

The core of wire rope is actually a filler and maintains the form of the laid strands around it. The tension and work of wire rope is carried by the laid strands.
 
Refueler said:
The core of wire rope is actually a filler and maintains the form of the laid strands around it. The tension and work of wire rope is carried by the laid strands.
Click to expand...

But in this instance, have the laid strands not lost their connection to the swage, thus enabling them to unwrap and distort, and to be pushed back into form manually? As I see it, the swage no longer has the ability to apply the tension to the stay that it once had.
 
For those of you who advocate replacement: based on the first photograph, where and in what way do you think the strands have been damaged? Bearing in mind that, as I wrote, the same degree of disassembly is required to fit a Sta-Lok fitting.
 
For me, the key is knowing when I'm out of my depth. I was a chartered engineer for more than 40 years but have no working knowledge or expertise regarding yacht rigging. In my case, exactly 7 days ago, I took advice from the rigger, without a moments hesitation. I've also risk averse.

I'd post a picture of mine for comparison but I'm also out of my depth in knowing how to get a picture taken on an android phone, sent to my apple phone, into Windows :mad:

(did you receive my text last week, JD?)
 
HissyFit said:
But in this instance, have the laid strands not lost their connection to the swage, thus enabling them to unwrap and distort, and to be pushed back into form manually? As I see it, the swage no longer has the ability to apply the tension to the stay that it once had.
Click to expand...

No they have not ... look at the photo again ... the birdcage starts as the wire strands exit ... not before. This is normal in a wire that gets twisted. If the strands had lost connection - do you think the stay would still be tensioned and mast standing ?
 
again...
 

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The simple answer is :

To satisfy any worries, to avoid any problems imagined or possible ...... get a rigger to look. Take a Riggers advice - not a forums where we can only see your photos and nothing else.
 
Refueler said:
Take a Riggers advice
Click to expand...
Yep. You'll sleep better at night and be more comfortable bashing into F6 over tide if you've got someone who actually knows what he's talking about and has examined it in detail. Even if you do have to change it, it'll be a lot cheaper than losing your mast, even with insurance. Incidentally, my policy excludes losses incurred through failure to maintain the vessel, so if they came across this thread...
 
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