Twin forestays

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Mike77

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I would be grateful of you could answer the following:
I understand there are now roller furling cruising chutes available and was thinking of incorporating a double roller furling forestay system on my 37 footer with a Genoa and Cruising Chute.
Can you let me know if this is feasible and if so what are the disadvantages.
 
Disadvantages that come to mind are:

Chutes are very bulky

If it blows forward and round you will get a very unpleasant wrap round the other forestay

If they are side by side, then the pull will be off the centre line of the boat, if the are fore and aft, like a cutter rig, then there will be problems tacking

You won't be able to easily adjust the height of the tack on the chute

The usual comments about uneccessary weight aloft in heavy weather

Snuffers work fine

Have you considered a twin foil, so you could have a poled-out genoa, and run a light genoa/chute up the other groove as a twistle rig?
 
I second what Damo says, and would add that it is very difficult to get any tension into the forestay with twins. Windward performance will therefore suffer.
Nicki
 
The furling cruising chutes I believe you are thinking of, are not furled on a fixed stay as a genoa is. The one I have used is just like a normal cruising chute, apart from that it has a swivel at the top and a loose furling drum at the tack. You get it out of the bag and hoist it furled, then unwrap it with the furling line. It is not wrapped around a stay and is not a permanent fixture.

They are very good for cruising, not sure who made the one I used.
 
I considered having the type with a swivel etc that has already been mentioned. I believe that they are sometimes called a Code Zero. It was suggested to me by a guy from Doyle Sails. If you go to their website you will find a bit more about them. I believe they call them an APS or UPS. Something like that. I think that you will also find more if you Google Code Zero.
 
I've logged about 7000 miles on a swan 38 with twin forstays. It is a fantastic system. We have a 150% genoa on the outer stay and 12" inside it we have a 90% jib. As soon as the wind is strong enough that teh outer sail is reefing down to loose shape we simply change from the cockpit. No fore deck work. Down wind, we have two spinnaker poles and unfurl both sails and pole them out. Works a treat
 
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