AJMG
New member
I am the new owner of a Westerly 33 which doesn't have a forestay. Is this normal for a 33 - should I fit one?
Westerly 33 Rigging
- Thread starter AJMG
- Start date
Tranona
Well-known member
Welcome
Nit sure what you mean by forestay - the normal meaning is from the masthead to the stemnead - and yes a Westerly 33 like most boats should have one. However if you mean a babystay from lower down to the front of the coachroof then yes both the sloop and ketch seem to have one.
Nit sure what you mean by forestay - the normal meaning is from the masthead to the stemnead - and yes a Westerly 33 like most boats should have one. However if you mean a babystay from lower down to the front of the coachroof then yes both the sloop and ketch seem to have one.
AJMG
New member
This is the ketch and yes, thank you, the baby stay; many thanks for your help
Bilgediver
Well-known member
Plenty of pictures on the web if you Google Westerly 33. There should be an attachment point for the Baby Stay on the fore end of the cabin maybe a stainless T plate with a hole to take a rigging screw.
Westerly 33 For Sale, 10.14m, 1980
https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/8/82/W33_brochure_1.pdf
William_H
Well-known member
The role of the inner or baby forestay is to pull the middle of the mast forward. This to counteract the pull aft of the intermediate side stays which have chain plates aft of abeam mast. The 2 forces opposing one another hold the middle of the mast rigid so averting the middle from moving out of column and making it susceptible to mast failure.
So yes especially in strong winds driving hard with a huge down ward load on main forestay, back stay and cap shrouds. (stays) you need that middle of mast located under the load path. However the dimensions and thickness of the mast in the fore and aft dimension will make the mast resistant to bending out of column. So in mild conditions mast is safe and of course the jib is much easier to tack without the inner forestay.
Most people with this design of rig will leave inner forestay attached just for security and cope with getting jib around it when tacking. Some will remove back to mast in light winds when tacking a lot.
Some have an adjustment on inner forestay so that mast can be bent middle forward to take some camber out of main sail when in strong winds. (against ian increased tension on back stay) But mast bend on this kind of rig is minimal and not worth the effort. The tension of the inner forestay is then set to make mast perfectly straight as viewed from side perhaps using a halyard as a straight line to compare. The intermediate side stays are also adjusted to get mast straight as viewed from front and back. Tension of inner forestay against intermediat side stays gives middle of mast bend. ol'will
So yes especially in strong winds driving hard with a huge down ward load on main forestay, back stay and cap shrouds. (stays) you need that middle of mast located under the load path. However the dimensions and thickness of the mast in the fore and aft dimension will make the mast resistant to bending out of column. So in mild conditions mast is safe and of course the jib is much easier to tack without the inner forestay.
Most people with this design of rig will leave inner forestay attached just for security and cope with getting jib around it when tacking. Some will remove back to mast in light winds when tacking a lot.
Some have an adjustment on inner forestay so that mast can be bent middle forward to take some camber out of main sail when in strong winds. (against ian increased tension on back stay) But mast bend on this kind of rig is minimal and not worth the effort. The tension of the inner forestay is then set to make mast perfectly straight as viewed from side perhaps using a halyard as a straight line to compare. The intermediate side stays are also adjusted to get mast straight as viewed from front and back. Tension of inner forestay against intermediat side stays gives middle of mast bend. ol'will
Concerto
Well-known member
You have made a sensible choice in buying a Westerly 33. You may find this link worth reading about the W33.
W33 - Westerly-Wiki
If you have twin lower shrouds then an inner forestay is not needed. Check whether you have a cap shroud and 2 lower shrouds. Perhaps a few photos would be useful.
You could ask this question on the Westerly Owners Forum as there are a number of W33 owners regularly reading and posting. It is free for all to read, but free to register to post.
Forum Activity
If you are not a member of the Westerly Owners Association then I woukld highly recommend joining.
What WOA can do for you
I sail a Fulmar singlehanded, which is a bit more racy than a W33, and am very active in the Association. My boat, Concerto, was the WOA boat at the Southampton show in 2021.
Last year I sailed round Britain singlehanded including round the top of Shetland. Follow the link in my signature to see plenty of items on this forum about the trip, links to You Tube videos and PowerPoint presentations from some of the talks I have given.
W33 - Westerly-Wiki
If you have twin lower shrouds then an inner forestay is not needed. Check whether you have a cap shroud and 2 lower shrouds. Perhaps a few photos would be useful.
You could ask this question on the Westerly Owners Forum as there are a number of W33 owners regularly reading and posting. It is free for all to read, but free to register to post.
Forum Activity
If you are not a member of the Westerly Owners Association then I woukld highly recommend joining.
What WOA can do for you
I sail a Fulmar singlehanded, which is a bit more racy than a W33, and am very active in the Association. My boat, Concerto, was the WOA boat at the Southampton show in 2021.
Last year I sailed round Britain singlehanded including round the top of Shetland. Follow the link in my signature to see plenty of items on this forum about the trip, links to You Tube videos and PowerPoint presentations from some of the talks I have given.
William_H
Well-known member
Just to make sure there is no miss understanding when Concerto refers to "Twin lower shrouds then an inner forestay is not needed" I think he is refering to twin shrouds whose chain plates are forward of abeam the mast. These to match twin lower shrouds whose chain plates are aft of abeam mast. So 4 lower shrouds all together.
Although to clarify here I am not talking specifically of this boat but general mast head rig shroud arrangements for control of middle of mast fore and aft. ol'will
Although to clarify here I am not talking specifically of this boat but general mast head rig shroud arrangements for control of middle of mast fore and aft. ol'will
Mataji
Active member
Check with XW Rigging. They are Westerly specialists and once sent me a complete set of standing rigging for a Centaur without me having to measure the old ones. All shrouds fitted perfectly.