Extend Forestay

[Pumpkin]

I had a new forestay made for my Leisure 17 last winter. Because the old one was a little tight I asked for the new one to be 2.5cm longer. Now the mast is up I find it (the mast) is now leaning ever so slightly forward and I suspect the rigger made the forestay 2.5cm shorter instead of longer. I don't really want to take the mast down so does anyone know of a simple way of lenghening the forestay by a couple of inches or so? There's Plastimo reefing gear fitted so things are a little congested at the base of the forestay. Would it be feasible to fit some kind of long shackle in between the chainplate and the forestay? In the Purple Marine catalogue there are things called "Strip Shackles - Rigging Links" that look suitable and are up to 51mm long. Are these what I need. Many thanks.

 

[neil_s]

I had the same problem. I made a pair of plates of the length required in some scrap stainless steel. A hole drilled in each end and a couple of clevis pins completed the job. For your Leisure 17, the rigging plates with lots of holes which dinghy sailors use instead of bottle screws sound like just the thing - is that what you had in mind?

Cheers! Neil

 

[VicS]

Ordinary shackles are not considered suitable but for a 17 footer I doubt that one would be any problem The things you really need are called toggles. The one I have in my forestay must be about an inch long.

 

[William_H]

I have a 1/4 inch X 2 inch long dee shackle in my forestay no worries so far.
(20 years) 21 fter.
However you say the mast looks like it leans forward. Did you look at it on the water with the usual crew in the cockpit. Little boats go down a lot at the stern you may find when sailing that it is actually leaning back. If it is slightly forward it will give you more head room under the boom. olewill

 

[ex-Gladys]

Rigging link/toggle... example here:

http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/chandlery_pr...teel_toggle.htm

 

[Gin]

The ideas from neil_s and VicS are, in my opinion, the way to go.

The multi-hole double chainplate is just what Plastimo use- it is safe and easy to fabricate.

The toggles on the other hand can be doubled up for greater reach and they are beefy and require no further fabrication.

Both, safe effective solutions, just make your choice

 

[cjepearson]

I shortened my back-stay this winter to increase mast rake, which meant adding a toggle to the forestay. I also have a Plastimo r/r. The good news is that the boat points far better, as expected, for a slight increase in weather helm, also expected. The toggle also lifts the r/r clear, allowing more space for the anchor rode. The bad news is that the toggle rotates the r/r through 90 degrees, so I could not get a good lead for the reefing line, so had to move the line to the other side of the boat. Something to watch out for.

 

[Pumpkin]

Thanks for all your suggestions. It occurred to me today that I could lengthen the forestay by simply raising it and bolting it through a pair of holes in the stainless steel strips fixed to the underneath of the Plastimo roller reefing drum. These are themselves bolted to the forestay chainplate. I'm assuming these would be strong enough to take the forestay.

 

[hmm]

Personally, I'm a belt and braces chap, especially where sailing is concerned and I wouldn't rely on the roller gear.

Toggle probably not long enough, maybe a second one at top? But I've heard of toggles breaking at the welds (if you have the welded type - there are a few sorts)

Can't you take the rigging back? I took my mast down once just to re-measure after it came back from the company as I wasn't sure they'd done it quite exactly enough?

You might get caught out in a F6 or above and forestay is all important?