Removable inner forestay tension?

[Travelling Westerly]

I have an inner removable forestay that Ive never used and would like to try it out as I have found a dedicated hank on sail in the pile of sails that came with the boat.

Im guessing the sail is small jib which could possibly give me a better shape sail to use in stronger winds than a partially furled genoa?

Question is how much tension should I wind onto this forestay? Ive put quite a bit of tension on with my hands, IE it feels hand tight, but I can shake the wire and watch it move. Should it be near bar tight?

Thanks

 

[Wandering Star]

Can’t offer advice but will be reading advice posted here with interest as I have the same questions.

 

[LadyInBed]

How is the inner forestay connected to the deck?
Highfield leaver, block and tackle, tension wheel or something else?
If Highfield, it's difficult to over tension them, as you have to struggle to close the leaver.
At the top, how high up is it connected, masthead or lower with running backstays?
I don't think its wise to have it 'bar tight', the amount of bow in it will depend on how long it is (measured horizontal from the center line to mid point of the stay.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

How is the inner forestay connected to the deck?
Highfield leaver, block and tackle, tension wheel or something else?
If Highfield, it's difficult to over tension them, as you have to struggle to close the leaver.
At the top, how high up is it connected, masthead or lower with running backstays?
I don't think its wise to have it 'bar tight', the amount of bow in it will depend on how long it is (measured horizontal from the center line to mid point of the stay.

Its connected just behind the windlass via a large deck mounted eye bolt arrangement.

Its not a highfield lever, its more a rigging screw with a fold out handle so guessing I can't over tension it using just my hands (the handle is small so not much leverage) ?

The removable forestay goes to almost the very top of the mast, just under the forestay attachment, masthead rig.

 

[Supertramp]

I have a similar system with the removable stay about 18 inches behind the furler. I put a fair tension on with the lever which is a foot long, but not as much as the rest of the rigging. I aim to spread the tension between the two stays. Seems to work, and I can tighten it on the halyard anyway so the sail isn't sagging.

But I am interested to hear others views.

 

[Daydream believer]

You do not indicate the length so lets assume 11-13 Metres
I might suggest 15-18% when set with a loos gauge. It will be fairly vertical so should be OK with the higher tension. That will keep a straight luff to the sail which will help in windier weather. Others might suggest different.

It does, however, depend on whether there are any stays going up to the similar junction & if they lead aft a bit. In this way they counteract the pull of the stay. If you do not have anything counteracting the force then you need to see what effect it has on mast bend. There is no point applying so much tension that it distorts the mast, or for that matter, the deck.

 

[Roberto]

You have to play with backstay/forestay tension and find a good compromise.
A high tension on the removable stay (supposedly going almost to mast top) can leave the forestay so loose that the whole rolled genoa sausage will wildly oscillate, and it's not nice. From there, you may increase tension on the backstay (to stiffen the rolled genoa) or decrease tension on the removable stay, up to you to see how it works best, keeping in mind also genoa halyard, etc.
On mine I found one turnbuckle turn added or subtracted gave very different results, it was really a matter of fine tuning.

 

[DJE]

I've got one of these. Very expensive but the highfield lever couldn't get anywhere near enough tension. (12m boat with a big masthead rig.) I set the rig up with about 15% of break load in the main forestay then note the tensioner setting that gives 15% in the removable stay. Main forestay doesn't go too slack at this setting.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Thats great advice from everybody, thanks.

I have a Loos guage so will play around with setting up around 15%.

Thanks again

 

[Frank Holden]

What I do.
I tension up my inner forestay so it isn't 'floppy' - which is a technical sailing term.
Before I set a sail on said inner forestay I set up my running backstays so they aren't floppy.
Then I tension up the luff of the sail so it is 'just right'... another technical term. The tension on the luff is really all that matters.

You can overthink this stuff.

 

[Daydream believer]

What I do.
I tension up my inner forestay so it isn't ' floppy' - which is a technical sailing term.

& there was me thinking it was the name for next door's pet rabbit

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have one for the storm jib - when I bought the boat the stay was fixed just below the masthead but nothing at the deck. I fitted a Highfield lever and bottle screw to a Wichard folding pad eye. I fitted an identical pad eye underneath the plywood reinforced deck which led to the reinforced anchor locker bulkhead. Tightened with another bottle screw. I set up the deck bottle screw so you really have to lean on the Highfield lever to tighten it. Never actually used in anger, just tested to make sure it all works.

 

[doug748]

Frank Holden seems to sum it up well, I imagine few people are worried about razor edge performance with this set up.

Sheeting can be a problem, as you often need something well aft, I use the spinnaker sheet turning block and winch but it's not ideal.

 

[Yealm]

I’ve got a wheel tensioner for my backstay, and a smaller one for the inner forestay (haven’t yet used it).

I hate Highfield leavers- I’m not strong enough to tension properly and nearly trapped my hand once when it flipped over!

 

[DJE]

The Wichard ratchet tensioners have the advantage that they can be operated one-handed which is useful when working on the foredeck.

 

[LadyInBed]

Its not a highfield lever, its more a rigging screw with a fold out handle so guessing I can't over tension it using just my hands (the handle is small so not much leverage)

What you have described does sound like a Highfield leaver. Edit - see #19
This is mine

 

[Daydream believer]

One can get these with adjustment register
screw

 

[LadyInBed]

I hate Highfield leavers- I’m not strong enough to tension properly and nearly trapped my hand once when it flipped over!

Tip - Tension leaver to the point where you can't quite 'flip it over' then put a slot in the end of an old bit of copper pipe that you have laying around and use that as an extension on the leaver. ?

 

[LadyInBed]

One can get these with adjustment register
screw

Ah! Yes, it could be one of those the OP is describing.

 

[Daydream believer]

Ah! Yes, it could be one of those the OP is describing.

Shall we just ask the OP? ?