Emergency forestay.

F

fredrussell

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 Mar 2015
Messages
4,174
Visit site
My new boat has an emergency forestay. It runs from just below head of foresail on mast to halfway between mast and stem head on foredeck. It lives clipped to shrouds and has a highfield lever to tension it. I can’t work out what it’s for really. The way I see it It’s too far aft to put a storm jib on it (wrong?), and if the actual forestay went, it’s not like you would have time to stroll forward to put the emergency one in place. Boat has fractional rig with swept back spreaders, so I’m pretty sure if the forestay snaps, down comes the mast.

Am I missing something? Are storm jibs small enough to fit the seemingly very small fore-triangle this stay creates?
 
Last edited:
Just possibly big enough for a storm jib: they really can be quite small. Or it could be to stop mast "panting" in certain circumstances, particularly beating when reefed. "Panting" is the term for the mast rythmically flexing usually fore and aft part way up.

More likely however is that a fixed baby stay was fitted originally, but a previous owner got annoyed with it getting in the way (eg when stowing or inflating a dinghy) so made it removable.
 
I have a forestay similar to that described. It is for the storm jib, and so far unused. I have tried the sail in place, and yes, it's very small, but the clue is in the name. :D
 
I haven't ever come across an emergency stay rigged ready for use as implied in OP ... as others suggest - I would assume it to be a second stay for a stormsail ...

I've had a forestay part on a Snapdragon ... with a full genny !! Believe me Nelsons Brown Trousers have nothing on that !!

But we saved the mast and gear by using the spinnaker halyard to the mooring samson post. If you don't have a spare halyard ... then use the main halyard part that you've made fast at mast base .. just make sure other end is secure ...
 
Almost certainly for the storm jib. By moving the centre of effort aft it makes the boat more controllable by stopping it blowing off the top of waves. Also allows hoisting of storm jib without removing main headsail (if you have a furler). If you have any doubts just look up the price of Highfield levers!
 
Ours clips on to a wire strop attached just behind the genoa furling drum. Only problem in anything but flat calm is trying to control 47ft of wire with one hand and clip it on with the other. Virtually impossible to do single handed in conditions when storm jib would be needed.
 
We have an inner forestay on a Highfield lever. The storm jib was made for the stay - so it fits perfectly. The storm jib is a self tacker., hanked on Initially we put the inner forestay away, sort of tied to the mast. Now we leave it permenantly rigged. On long passages tacking is a major event - so having the stay 'up' all the time is not a problem. Normally we try to be reaching anyway. if we were tackling up a channel or river this would not work so well and then we would remove and reattach later.

We have used the storm jib in anger, 55 knots - The reputation for Bass Strait is remarkably accurate.

If we worried about rig integrity using the storm jib we would use the screacher/Code Zero halyard, dyneema, and/or the spinnaker halyard.

Jonathan
 
Regarding loss of the mast if forestay parts. Have a look at the attachment of the bottom of the jib. In my case jib attaches to the deck fitting so when the forestay did disconnect at the base the jib luff held the mast up.
In fact the clevis pin fell out (must have lost it's split pin) when the forestay was unloaded by the jib luff. I have hifield lever in the base of the forestay for easy disconnect so a matter of moments to fit a screw driver in place of the clevis pin held in place by gaffer tape. All on a tiny boat but may be the same ol'will
 
The temporary forestay is most definitely, IMHO, intended for a storm jib. The size of such a sail will be in balance with the area of your deep-reefed main (or trysail), the whole arrangement centralising the reduced sail area in relation to the designed centre of effort.
I assume this is a "new to you" boat and would suggest looking in its deepest recesses to see if you can unearth a storm jib.
 
Graham376 said:
Ours clips on to a wire strop attached just behind the genoa furling drum. Only problem in anything but flat calm is trying to control 47ft of wire with one hand and clip it on with the other. Virtually impossible to do single handed in conditions when storm jib would be needed.
Click to expand...

Best to rig it before conditions deteriorate too much.
On idea to control it would be to tie a light line to it and take through a block at the bow and back to the cockpit. The person going forward could un-stow it and allow the person in the cockpit to take up the slack as he goes forward. Once the Highfield lever is in place , this "third hand" could be untied and pulled back aft.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top