I hate forestays

[David Hudson]

When tacking in light to medium airs, I regularly find my genoa clew/sheet end caught around my forestay.

My genoa halyard is set up on the starboard winch to minimise genoa luff sag. This results in tension being taken off my forestay.
A similar setup results when rigging yankee and foresail. My foresail halyards and bow sprit rigging lines are all 6mm dyneema with Harken blocks of suitable loading.

I am considering attaching my forestay to the kingpost by means of some form of stainless strap.

I am concerned about the integrity of the mast and rigging under such a setup and would be pleased to receive comments.

David
Tokoloshe111

[oak]

Hello David,when I look at pictures of the Cape Cutter ,the genoa ,and the staysail if on a furler always seem to sag.a little.
I wonder whether you are trying to get a "racing set" on a rig not really designed that way[IMHO]
I have stuck with the staysail furler for convenience and just shut my eyes to the fact its not ram rod straight which it might be if I had left it hanked on.
there again if I was sailing on the sea I would probaly go back to hanks

I agree the genoa/yankee is a darned nuisance on the forestay especially on the lakes where I seem to be tacking endlessly.in which case I make do with the staysail
Not much help with your question but look forward to hearing more
cheers Jack

[David Hudson]

Hi Jack

I'm using Harken cruiser and high tension furlers for my foresails.
These are designed to take load and work very well.

My problem is that the genoa sheet loop which attaches to the genoa
clew gets caught on the forestay while tacking. This requires someone
to go forward and free the genoa sheet from the forestay.

My current solution is to remove the forestay and leave the staysail attached
and furled, the passage of the genoa clew should be improved.

The use of both genoa and staysail luff wires and dyneema halyards
should give me all the rig security I need. The halyard clutches are placed
separately so there is little chance simultaneous unfastening.

I you look at the photo's in my album, you'll see that I am setting Tokoloshe up to
my own shorthanded requirements including simple mod's such as an adjustable
mainsail clew outhaul. I see no point in having a loose footed main without
the ability to adjust it.

"Thinking out of the boat"!.

Best wishes
David
Tokoloshe111

[oak]

Easy enough to move the forestay with a highfield lever and attach out of the way.
No problem with the staysail fittings but the waterstay seemed a bit light to hold the mast up in a blow?
Jack

[David Hudson]

Spot on with the highfield.

I'm already using Harken and Dyneema with extra purchases on the bowsprit.
Based on your comment I will replace the 4mm with 6mm dyneema.

It's good to talk.

Regards
David
Tokoloshe111

[Chris Wicks]

As the genoa sheets only fouls the forestay in light airs, a simpler solution than going forward to free it off, is to furl in the genoa from the cockpit just sufficiently for it to come free and then unfurl it again. In a F3 it never jams in F2 or less then it probably will. In such circumstances of gentle sailing a quick pull on the genoa furler only takes seconds and solves the problem. We use a hanked on staysail.

Our newest member of the forum 'Athan' is Greek, lives in Athens and is hoping to join us for a sail here in October, maybe the Greek CC fleet will increase to two!

[David Hudson]

Hi Chris

I agree with you about the use of the genoa furler. I'm just
not very keen on loading the foot and the leach unnecessarily
though.

How did you get Kaliope to Greece?

Regards
David
Tokoloshe111

[Chris Wicks]

Hi
Kaliope came by container from HM to Volos. There is an account of it's journey on this site, under 'articles' Tales from the Aegean

Trailing is straight forward the shortest land route being to drive to Venice then take the ferry to Greece, Patras or Igoumonitsa. A lot of boats (normally big RIBs) visit here from Germany and Italy every summer .

[David Hudson]

Thank you Chris

[Dennis]

Hello David

Welcome to the club!

Having sailed a whole season getting to know the boat, the genoa sheet snagged on the forestay was one item that went on my to do list for this season.

Like Chris, I also find it is only a problem in less than a F3. It is also much less of a problem when using the yankee.

In my case, it was always the knot in the sheet which snagged the forestay. I have recently carried out a modification which has reduced the problem.

I have cut the genoa sheet into separate port and starboard sheets. I have spliced a small eye in the end of each. I have then attached them to the genoa clew using a shackle with a flush pin. I have also fitted spacer washers to prevent the shackle moving on the clew. This allows the sheet to pull around the forestay without any lumpy knots to snag. I find that this has certainly improved matters, although the sail does still occasionally snag in some other way.

I have just posted a photo of the arrangement in the "Mary Ann Modifications" album.

Hope this helps.

Dennis