Forestay replacement

[MIKE_MCKIE]

I have a standard 6mm forestay, complete with Plastimo 608s roller reefing of uncertain vintage.
The standing rigging is over 10 years old & I am therefore in course of replacing it all, but since I'm tight I'm doing it with the boat afloat & the mast up. I've got the lower backstays & forestay renewed & hoped to strip the upper gear this weekend. However having got the installation details of the current model 608s R/R gear from the Plastimo website, I am uncertain if replacing the forestay is possible without totally dismantling the r/r gear. If so it will be a major problem as being old(ish) the sections of spar appear to be rivetted together, as opposed to current practice of using set screws. Will the upper/lower forestay terminals feed through the top & bottom bearings on the r/r gear?
Anyone have any ideas or experience of doing this please??
All contributions most welcome!
Cheers
Mike

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[Johnjo]

Mike I have a 608 on my boat, I replaced my forestay 3/4 rs ago.
With the furling gear flat on the ground !

You are right the fittings will not pass through the furler, But the wire on its own will,

I threaded the wire through mine from the bottom up, I started from the top first, but could not get it to go through the furler at the base without stripping it down,
Be sure to tape the ends of the wire first !

Then used Stylok terminal fittings to finish the job, very easy to fit and come with full instructions on the pack.

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[MIKE_MCKIE]

Thanks Mike,
Makes sense, I will get my friendly rigger to supply new stay with top swaged terminal & square cut, taped bottom end, plus the fitting for me to attach.

Seateach who are Plastimo technical advisors, said that I would have to drill the rivets of sail feeder, and top bearing, remove them, pull all the liners out, along with the old stay, then refit all the liners to the new stay & feed it all back up the foil, before refitting bearings etc!

Many thanks, you have saved me many hours of unneccesary work, plus having to beg a rivet gun from somewhere!
Brgds
Mike

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[Johnjo]

Mine must be a later model, All the foils are screwed together,
I had a swaged terminal put on one end of the stay, thinking it would go at the top of the mast,
with the Stylok at the bottom where I could check it !

But as fate would have it, could not thread the wire from the top, so ended up with the Stylok at the top, "No need to have worried" have had the mast down since and its perfect.

So impressed with the Stylok that I am using them on the rest of the rigging as I replace it !..
All the best with it.

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[MIKE_MCKIE]

Just re-read yr original post & discussed with my rigger/supplier who agrees that the stylok is the biz & I should do it from the bottom up, as per yours.
As we say in my trade, WWP, AGW should get it done this w/e (translation:-Wind & Weather Permitting, All Going Well) so will advise hopefully next week.
brgds
Mike

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