Wishbone boom on roller furled headsail.

[Patrigo]

I have just succeeded in fitting a wishbone boom to improve the performance of my roller furled staysail. The sail is controlled by the furler line and a sheet to the centreline and back to the cockpit. It gives me perfect sail shape from close hauled to winged out downwind. The wishbone vangs the sail and acts as an inboard handrail when close hauled. It does not thrash about the foredeck due to the vanging action of the boom.
I have googled the heck out of this subject and cannot find any post indicating that others have achieved a similar result. It was not an expensive exercise and I am amazed by the sail's improved performance and ease of handling. It beats the heck out of sheet tracks, barber haulers and other gizmos which are used to make a staysail work, even half ways decently.
So, any info on the subject or links to someone else's success?!? Am I one of many, or.....

[colemj]

Google "Camberspar". While not roller furled, it was a commercial product used by Endeavor, Manta, Freedom, Shuttleworth and others that performs like you describe. It is especially useful for boats without backstays because it vangs the forestay tighter as the pressure builds on it.

It is a bit different from a full wishbone, in that it is a rotating half wishbone captured in a pocket in the sail. It rotates in the pocket when tacked.

We have one and love it. The only complaint is that it is a small sail - ours is a jib, your staysail is perfectly sized for it.

I would be interested to see pictures of your implementation.

Mark

[georgelieber]

That sounds great! Please post some pics. I would like to try it.

[ctl411]

Thanks for that pic Colemj. I want to rig a half wishbone mule sail on our ketch. Placing the spar in the sail is something I had not seen.

[Patrigo]

This is the second forum I have visited on this subject. The first gave me nothing but myopic blether. I have an easily set up wishbone boom on a roller furled staysail. It is the best staysail setup I have ever experienced. and I have been unable to google anything on the subject, except a Hoyt's boom which requires a foredeck redesign. Is the World oblivious to staysails that WORK,--why am I a voice in the wilderness? Surely someone, somewhere has lamented the poor performance of their staysail?
Google the subject, and, if you find something worthwhile, please let me know about it.
HELP!

[colemj]

No, you have about summed it up. There is the Camberspar that I mentioned and the Hoyt Jib Boom you found and that's about it.

Not a lot of boats have staysails anymore, the Camberspar is not roller-furled and the Hoyt system must be designed for the forces, which costs extra.

Besides, most boat-buyers are very frightened of anything they perceive as "new" or "different". Roller furling can still get hotly debated, along with efficient underwater foil shapes, CQR and fisherman anchors, etc. Sailors are, in general, an extremely conservative lot.

Mark

[ctl411]

Most that run a staysail already have tracks on deck for adjustment or like my old cutter a conventional boom. You will find that the odd (today's odd, not a sloop) rigs won't have much on the net about them. I'm always on the lookout for ketch info and I don't find much either.