Forestay vs. headsail roller

[PeterGR]

SNAP!!
My forestay broke this week!
Luckily the spinny halyard was fastened to the bow which kept the mast upright.

The headsail furler had become exceptionally tight and with a good yank the forestay just snapped.
Upon inspection it looks like the forestay had twisted and twisted just where it exits the furler and it eventually snapped.
It also looks as if another halyard became snagged in it.

Any ideas how to prevent this from happening in the future?
The furler had been working absolutely fine.
and we had the mast down last Winter for an examination and there was no wear.

 

[PetiteFleur]

What make is the furler? Do you have a halliard diverter so the halliard makes approx 15 degree angle to the forestay?

 

[PeterGR]

What make is the furler? Do you have a halliard diverter so the halliard makes approx 15 degree angle to the forestay?

I'll have to check what make the furler is.
but there's only 2 or 3inches from the top of furler to masthead so no room/ need for a diverter.
This has been the setup for over 15-years and there's never been an issue.
I can't figure out how the forestay would have gotten so badly twisted!

As I mentioned we did have the mast down last Winter so I can only think maybe we re-rigged it wrong.
but there's nothing too it really so I'm not sure!
Maybe the upper swivel car is getting stuck and not rolling on the furler properly.

 

[pandos]

Boats are strange things.

first time I used 25 year old my new to me yacht with a new forestay...I managed to wrap the halyard and destroy the forestay...I fitted a diverter and in the years since never a problem...

I have no idea if the previous owners had some trick to prevent wrap.

Reminder to self to keep spinaker halyard fixed on bow...?

 

[PeterGR]

Boats are strange things.

first time I used 25 year old my new to me yacht with a new forestay...I managed to wrap the halyard and destroy the forestay...I fitted a diverter and in the years since never a problem...

I have no idea if the previous owners had some trick to prevent wrap.

Reminder to self to keep spinaker halyard fixed on bow...?

I'm almost certain the only change I made when we had the mast down was to change the spinny halyard setup.
It had previously been on a cheek-block on the side of the mast so I fitted a swivel pulley to a fitting that was high and forward at the masthead.

Are there any other methods to prevent halyard wrap?
I assume fitting a preventer can only be done once the rig it up?

 

[Refueler]

Diverters do not always work ... it certainly didn't work on my Plastimo ..

My furler has the ultimate halyard wrap preventer .... which previous owner fitted ... I swapped to diverter which failed - so went back to original setup >

Yes its a bit of a pain that I now have two lines to look after ... the genny halyard and the light line that runs to a small block on mast face to stop the halyard wrap. But you only have to be bothered with it on average once or twice a season ..
Both halyard and that line are made fast to the 'cranked shackle' ....

I know some snear at it ... but one halyard wrap soon convinces it is worth it ...

 

[pandos]

I'm almost certain the only change I made when we had the mast down was to change the spinny halyard setup.
It had previously been on a cheek-block on the side of the mast so I fitted a swivel pulley to a fitting that was high and forward at the masthead.

Are there any other methods to prevent halyard wrap?
I assume fitting a preventer can only be done once the rig it up?

My diverter is just a simple staple that the halyard passes through so that it is not paralell to the forestay..(thereby it has some leverage on the swivel to prevent it spinning..) it still needs to high enough to haul up the gib.

Not sure how I figured out the position, I migh even have calculated the angle according to Selden...but unlikely.

As I write this I recall that I had the sail shortened around the time of the wrap so perhaps that was the immediate cause of my wrap...



In terms of position it is about

 

[AntarcticPilot]

A point about halliard diverters. Until earlier this season, I had a wire jib halliard, with a braid-on-braid tail and a halliard diverter. I had the mast down to replace the standing rigging, and the first thing I saw was that the wire had almost cut it's way through the diverter! As I only hoist or lower the jib once each a season, this has just been from side-to-side movement of the halliard, not up and down movement. Needless to say, I have a new diverter and I've replaced the halliard with Dyneema!

Lesson learnt - halliard diverters are not immortal, and the combination of one with a wire halliard is not a happy one.

 

[Refueler]

A point about halliard diverters. Until earlier this season, I had a wire jib halliard, with a braid-on-braid tail and a halliard diverter. I had the mast down to replace the standing rigging, and the first thing I saw was that the wire had almost cut it's way through the diverter! As I only hoist or lower the jib once each a season, this has just been from side-to-side movement of the halliard, not up and down movement. Needless to say, I have a new diverter and I've replaced the halliard with Dyneema!

Lesson learnt - halliard diverters are not immortal, and the combination of one with a wire halliard is not a happy one.

You were very lucky - imagine you hadn't seen that ...

At least with my two line system - I have no fear of similar ... once wrapped - never forgotten.