Jackstays

[jusw]

I have a Hunter Horizon 27 and she has no jackstays or fixing points for jackstays.

I intended fitting them using the mooring cleats at each end of the boat - However, I have heard from others that this would not be a good idea --

Does anyone have any views on the subject or have a better idea?
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[damo]

Why wouldn't it be a good idea? (I'm assuming that things would be arranged so there was no risk of chafe from warps)

Nothing wrong with cleats if they are strong enough, and if they aren't strong enough you shouldn't be using them as cleats IMO /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's better if the jackstay runs down the centre of the boat because you would be less likely to go over the side, but it's not often possible to arrange that.

 

[Abigail]

Hi - the important thing is that whatever fixing you use is bolted through the deck and a stainless steel backing plate that covers the footprint of the cleat or fixing. Your cleats should be fixed like that but may not be.

Also, if you use a cleat it can be a pain when whipping on a mooring line so it's worth thinking how to make sure that however you attach it doesn;t cause you grief.

We used wichard pad eyes (which fold down so less toe stubbing), but we live on board and so it seemed worth the effort.

 

[MoodySabre]

My boat has them shackled to the toe rail at the bow and to a D-ring on the side of the coaming at the aft end.

If you are using webbing then put a stainless steel ring on the jackstays and clip on to that. It slides along easily, unlike hooking straight on to the webbing.

 

[photodog]

Mine are on the mooring cleats, cant see any problem with that...

rather they werent, but isnt really a problem.
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[MARGETTS]

Hi,
My boat has the jackstays attached to the cleats. The webbing loops are fixed to the cleats via shackles. This has proved fine so far and has passed two coding surveys and five RYA boat inspections without attracting a comment from any of the surveyors. As the cleats are almost at the furthest length on deck, you never get brought up to a halt by running out of line. My forward cleats are just far enough back to prevent you going over the bows, whilst being close enough to each other to cross from one to the other in safety. Why re-invent the wheel.?

 

[Miker]

My 26 footer when bought had plastic coated wire jackstays from the front to back cleat which was a bit a B***** because I was always having them roll under my feet. Also I read somwhere that full length jackstays were a bad thing as if overboard you would slide along to the stern and be in danger of catching the prop. I changed the jackstays for webbing and fitted a D bolt on the side deck near the cockpit front for the stern fastening. The helm uses D rings in the cockpit. Others further forward use the jackstays. I remove the jackstays between sails to preserve the webbing.

 

[Adamastor]

We had webbing jackstays made by a reputable sailmaker. They were spectra inside flat webbing tube, like tubular seatbelting, with an eye each end, which we lashed to the fore and aft cleats with RED lashings. The reason was that the red would UV degrade quickest, so we could replace the stays before they were actually compromised. But that was while we were spending corporate $$$!

 

[Slow_boat]

But the lashings would be compromised, which is the same thing (isn't it?) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Adamastor]

I should have been more specific:
IMHO, the insides of the lashings start to decay very much slower than the outside because we use braid-on-braid for that very reason. In 2 years of exposure, the lashings were looking kak (in British English- "manky"), and we ditched the stays. We used the Spectra for more nefarious uses after that, and had the strongest, baddest bivi-cord in the world to hold lee-cloths and make small lashings over blocks and things. The covers on the stays were tired, but the spectra was 100%. Which just goes to show!

 

[jusw]

http://www.ybw.com/forums/images/icons/cool.gif
cool

Thanks all for your comments - I'll go back to plan "A" and use the cleats - I hadn't thought about sliding down the jackstay to the stern - interesting!

Also I'd not really thought about UV degradation - though possibily not quite as big a problem in Chichester compared with South Africa - but a good idea to remove them between trips.

 

[portvasgo]

Thanks, you've all confirmed what I thought deep down - to good to be true at that price - and who wants to have the thought of whether the jack stay holds as you are thrown over the side! The Jimmy Green stuff looks good, complete system and not a bad price. Thanks again evereyone.