Fractional rig on East Anglian

[EASLOOP]

Trying this on Classic as recommended
Hi out there,
On my East Anglian sloop (3/4 masthead - I think that is the right description) I have what looks like two forestays. A heavy gauge stay and a lighter one. They are both fastened to each other via a kidney shaped bracket that is fastened to the bow roller bracket so that it can rock to and fro. It seems that with the foresail hanked on to the lighter stay when the sail fills up it will pull on this rocker and cause the main stay to tighten up. Is this correct or am I totally at sea? so to speak.
I would appreciate any ideas/knowledge etc.
have fun
John

 

[Mirelle]

Sounds like a twin forestay set up.

A very common fitting on boats, espescially those that contemplated some offshore racing, in the 50's and 60's.

However, both stays should be the same size wire.

The kidney shaped bracket (more usually a simple triangle, point down, at the bottom of the stays) is indeed to even up the load on the two stays.

There may or may not be twin halyards. For racing use, there will be. For cruising use, one halyard will do.

The idea is to speed up headsail changes using hanked on headsails. The sail in use is set in the normal way, and the next sail (usually the next size down) is hanked on to the stay and lashed to the guardwire in its bag. Should a sail change be needed the new sail is run up before the old one is dropped, so the boat is not slowed by being left bald headed. The same system can be used when cruising short handed but in this case the sail in use is dropped, the halyard switched, and the old sail lashed on or sent below and replaced with a yet smaller one.

The plate is to even up the forestay tensions and to ensure that the two stays are far enough apart to prevent the piston hanks grabbing each other.

 

[Sniper]

Re: Sounds like a twin forestay set up.

Not 'Hengor' by any chance? I remember her having an arrangement like that when my friend owned her in the early '90s

 

[ashanta]

Re: Sounds like a twin forestay set up.

Mirelle, i'm glad you answered this (and so well described) as EAsloop asked this on one of the other forums and I suggested that he should post the question on Classic boats. Your answer raises a couple of points; The diameter of the cable used for the forestay's are different and should be the same. The larger or the smaller diameter?
Secondly, in EAsloop's previous post he refers to the forstay being slack and I suggested that the forestay shoul be tought and with (modern) fractional rigs there should be sufficient tention to hold the mast upright and well tensioned.
I feel that with your understanding of how this rig is intended to be set up there may be further advice that EAsloop needs to ensure his mast is securely and adequately set up the demands that may become it?

EAsloop. I apologise if I appear to patronising and If I am then tell me to TALWOASP.

Kind regards.

Peter.