Foresail halyard on Westerly Konsort

[Guest]

At the end of my first season with the Westerly,I undid two shackles at the roller drum,
pulled down on the sail and one of the shackles whizzed past my head and disappeared 20 odd feet up the mast.

In effect the halyard is the length of the foresay - if you have had the foresight (and knowledge)
to tie a piece of light line to the second shackle, then you pull on this to raise the sail and attach both shackles to the roller drum.

Is this a usual arrangement? I have never seen anything like it on any of my other boats, which have always had the halyard leading back to the mast or the cockpit

 

[philip_stevens]

It's an older model Rotastay, like I have on my Konsort. On this model, it is the usual arrangement.

A modification from the makers, uses the genoa halyard with a rotating headpiece and a lead into the mast sheave.

A friend has changed his, but I have seen no reason to change mine. As you say, attach a light line to go up the mast/forestay when lowering the genoa, and use it to haul the genny back up when required.

As you probably have now, there is a light tensioning line - or should be - at the hauling end of the halyard to tension the genoa luff.

regards,
Philip

 

[Guest]

Philip,

Thanks for your response. It's good to know that it is not a complete oddity. I think I shall take your pragmatic approach and leave well alone.