Rotostay

chrisjrob

chrisjrob

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2012
Messages
29
chrisjrob.com
I sought a quote for replacing my backstay, which was slack on my 20 year old Westerly Merlin 29.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the rigger felt that after 20 years it was essential to replace the lot and most importantly the forestay - which they say is crucially important, given that all the other shrouds and stays head backward.

Unfortunately they say that our Rotostay furling is a nightmare to get apart, and have quoted £350+VAT just for taking apart the old Rotostay. They also warn that this may be insufficient. Does anyone have any experience of these - is that likely to be a fair assessment?

It's no surprise that they recommend a new Harken ESP Unit 0 or Unit 1.

So from expecting a £200 cost, I am now facing a £2100 cost.

I need to get another quote or two I suppose, but if anyone has any advice, particularly about the Rotostay, I'd be delighted to hear it.

Many thanks,
 
chrisjrob said:
I sought a quote for replacing my backstay, which was slack on my 20 year old Westerly Merlin 29.

.................................................................................. if anyone has any advice, particularly about the Rotostay, I'd be delighted to hear it.

Many thanks,
Click to expand...

You dont say where you are!


Go see "Barry the Rigger" based in Thornham marina. He is an ex Rotostay man. Been helpful in connection with Rotostays in the past.

Barry's Reefing & Rigging Repair Service ( Barry Locke)

t: 01243 376 064
m: 07970 772 686
 
Try Paul at XW Rigging in Gosport, he knows the Rotostay particularly well ;-)

Or Jerry the Rigger also in Gosport VGood. So good I'm having trouble getting an invoice from him!
 
chrisjrob said:
I sought a quote for replacing my backstay, which was slack on my 20 year old Westerly Merlin 29.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the rigger felt that after 20 years it was essential to replace the lot and most importantly the forestay - which they say is crucially important, given that all the other shrouds and stays head backward.

Unfortunately they say that our Rotostay furling is a nightmare to get apart, and have quoted £350+VAT just for taking apart the old Rotostay. They also warn that this may be insufficient. Does anyone have any experience of these - is that likely to be a fair assessment?

It's no surprise that they recommend a new Harken ESP Unit 0 or Unit 1.

So from expecting a £200 cost, I am now facing a £2100 cost.

I need to get another quote or two I suppose, but if anyone has any advice, particularly about the Rotostay, I'd be delighted to hear it.

Many thanks,
Click to expand...

My Rotostay is around that vintage and just slides down the forestay; the only tricky bit is freeing the left hand thread that holds the foil into the drum without damage.

Also, they are simple devices with little to go wrong except bearings which are easliy replaced.
 
On my Rotostay which I got second hand, (FS40/FS50) I stripped it and replaced the SS balls and had a new PVC covered forstay made as I had to shorten the extrusions. No problem.

In actual fact, on mine you dont even need to dismantle the furler, just unscrew the left hand fitting at the foot of the extrusion and you can get to the terminal where the rigging screws into.

Perhaps your is a different type or perhaps you are being ............................................................
 
I was told much the same , that the left hand thread would not be undoable.....
Rubbish that was, but as advised above you must be careful not to damage it trying.

If it still works all you need is a new forestay, (and it should be pvc sleeved for a rotostay),but you need to split the foil from the drum at the left hand thread. Don't grab the bottom and put any load on the eye, as if that breaks you're stuffed.
get a serious grip on the extrusion, avoiding the eye (I attached a vice to a plank...and gripped the extrusion in the vice).
Wrap a rope around the drum ,tourniquet it tight and clamp the tourniquet in another vice.
Now unscrew CLOCKWISE. It will go. then you can unscrew the existing forestay from the now accessible bottlescrew and withdraw it from the top of the foil.
get another one made to match by any rigger & reassemble.

This applies to a Rotostay E05
 
Last edited:
We had a 20 year old Rotostay that came with the boat.

With the mast down and all manner of heat, impact drivers, releasing fluid etc available, after several days (and I can be VERY persistent when trying to undo things) I sawed some of it apart and found that it was completely welded together inside. The only solution would have been to replace a length of forestay extrusion and add another length plus various other parts on the top of the drum. There was serious dissimilar metal corrosion from where stainless and alloy were joined/touching.

I took advice and Furlex and Harken were the two gears recommended. We bought a new Furlex (which comes with new forestay) and have never looked back.

Think very carefully about how much money you pour into old and knackered gear would be my suggestion.
 
chewi said:
I was told much the same , that the left hand thread would not be undoable.....
Rubbish that was, but as advised above you must be careful not to damage it trying.
Click to expand...

A recent thread on here identified maybe 4 or 5 very different versions of the Rotostay. You need to be sure which version you have before applying too much force. Mine has no left/right hand threads holding it together.
 
alahol2 said:
A recent thread on here identified maybe 4 or 5 very different versions of the Rotostay. You need to be sure which version you have before applying too much force. Mine has no left/right hand threads holding it together.
Click to expand...

True, and thanks for that.
Mine is an E05, I have now edited my above post to reflect that
 
Fantasie 19 said:
....and get a quote from Chris Holman in Chi Marina as well... got a lot of time for him as a satisfied punter and will be going to him myself later this season to get mine done....

http://www.holmanrigging.co.uk/index1.html
Click to expand...

Their's was the first quote I received. To be fair I was very impressed with their service and, if it hadn't been for the shock of the roller furling, I am sure I wouldn't have thought twice.

I have now had a quote from Barry Locke and it came out identical to Holman's, except that it included a service for the roller furling, which I don't believe Holman's did.

john_morris_uk said:
Think very carefully about how much money you pour into old and knackered gear would be my suggestion.
Click to expand...

That's exactly my problem - the quotes received are both within a few hundred pounds of Holman's quote for a full rig including new furling gear. New gear has to be the sensible decision and yet it leaves me with an unexpected bill for more than £2k.

Thank you all for your advice. Difficult decisions...
 
chrisjrob said:
...and yet it leaves me with an unexpected bill for more than £2k.

Thank you all for your advice. Difficult decisions...
Click to expand...

I sympathise completely. Its a common theme in sailing older boats. Then when you get it sorted you change boats and it starts again. My only comfort is that a new boat can be even more expensive.

Actually I always maintain that we do a our sailing on less than most families spend on their foreign holidays do its not all bad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top