Forestay support

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tarik

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Evening all,


I am thinking of adding a forestay in case the genoa furler packs up. I want to install a couple of additional mast supports,just under the new forestay tang, my query is how far back on the gunwhale should the stays be fixed?

As always many thanks for all replies.


David
 
I think you need to make your question clearer. I don't undertsand 'mast supports under the new forestay tang' - I know what all the words mean but they don't make very much sense in that order. Likewise how far back on the gunwale etc; which stays are you referring to, how far back from where?
 
I fitted an inner forestay for a storm jib which in my case was reasonably easy. I fitted Wichard Pad eyes on the deck, one for the stay and one for the storm jib tack. Under the deck I fitted an identical Wichard Pad eye under the stay which I through bolted with a sizeable plywood pad inside. From this inner pad eye I fitted a rigging screw to a U bolt on the anchor compartment bulkhead. This bulkhead I also stiffened up with extra plywood pads to spread any loads over a larger area. I fitted a Highfield Lever to tension the new fore stay. Seems to work well when tried out but never used in ernest yet!
 
Assume you are talking about checkstays or running backstays to counteract the inner forestay. It may not be necessary, but you really need to talk to a rigger for advice. Usual reason for fitting an inner forestay is to fly a storm jib, not as a back up to forestay, so it is lower and close to the spreaders so additional backstays not required.
 
Like others, I am a bit confused by the question.

You will, at the moment, have a forestay: it's inside the furling gear.

Which bit are you worried will pack up?
 
inner forstay

Sorry, I didn't explain myself very clearly. It is my intention to have an inner forestay
set back from the genoa and secured to a movable fixing on the foredeck aft of the winch,using a highfield lever, not a permanent fixing, thus not getting in the way of the genoa. The upper fixing to be on the mast half way between the crosstrees and the mast top. I have in mind adding additional backstays to absorb any extra mast stress. The lower end of the backstays to be secured to an eye on the gunwale.


My question was to seek advice re the location of the deck end backstays.

Many thanks to all replies thus far.

David



Thistle said:
Like others, I am a bit confused by the question.

You will, at the moment, have a forestay: it's inside the furling gear.

Which bit are you worried will pack up?
Click to expand...
 
Check stays

Ah now that is the question.
You will appreciate that additional check stays will have more power if mounted further aft of abeam the mast so that is better. However further aft means more chafe and fouling by the mainsail when running with boom out. For this reason many racing fractional rig boats have running backstays which are tensioned on the windward side and left very loose on the leeward side. You need another crew person and possibly a winch each side to operate the running backstays. So I don't imagine you want that.
Are your check stays to be permanent or only connected when using the storm inner fore stay? A high field lever could be used to get the tension you need on these back/side stays. But if you usually sail with this removed you are going to end up with 3 stay wires (fore stay and 2 side/back stays lashed to your mast and simply a nuisance. If you do fit them with high field lever then a compromise for storm conditions could have the new chain plates fitted about 20% of the way from mast to transom. This would cause some chafe on the main when running but you could live with that.
If you went for permanent aft (of abeam mast) mounted side stays they would be something like 10% of distance mast to transom. (compare the distance on your sized boat with other similar size with fractional rigs) This is typical of many fractional rig boats like mine. Yes the mainsail does chafe and I have wear patches especially over the full length batten pockets. But that inconvenience is worth the advantages of the fractional rig. In my case the backstay is an adjustment more than a mast support as no problem with back stay very loose.

Another option which might suit you better is a diamond or jumper strut fitted on the mast. Here a pair of small spreaders are mounted near the attachment of the new inner forestay.Wires run from the mast top
to the spreaders down to the main spreaders. The 2 new spreaders should be angled forward about 60 degrees apart and the tips should be joined together. The wires are tensioned very tight. Any force forward at the middle of the mast between the spreaders and the top is transfered to these new spreaders so to the backstay and the intermediate sidestays which in themselves hopefully have chain plates aft of abeam the mast. If they are not abeam the mast then jumpers won't work.

if you don't have intermediate side stays mounted aft of abeam the mast and you don't have an inner forestay or baby stay then apparently the mast has sufficient fore and aft section to stop the mast middle bending forward or aft. If this is the case then perhaps your new inner forestay will not bend the mast forward too much. This especially if the new inner forestay is attached nearere to the top of the mast than half way between the spreaders and top.

If you have intermediate side stays with chain plates aft of abeam the mast and have spreaders swept aft rather than square to the centre line then you will not need an inner forestay for middle mast support.
I would then suggest that additional stays from the new storm forestay go from that point on the mast via the spreader tips to the existing chain plates. Or better new chain plates a bit further aft.

So the answer to your question is that it is all a compromise. Further aft is stronger but more inconvenient. I think the better more common solution is to mount the new forestay as high as possible ie close to main forestay and hope the stiffness of the mast will transmit loads via normal backstay. it might be an idea to consult a mast builder/rigger for another opinion. good luck olewill
 
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