Forestay (?) attachment help

[SV Someday Came]

Hello
As I learn about my new boat, seems every day brings a new question. During my last sailing lesson, we had the dickens of a time tacking and jibing due to the jib getting "hung up" on the forestay for the staysail. Upon closer examination, it seems that the forestay can be removed (see photo), but I am loath to do so for two reasons: I may not be able to re-attach it as it is under tension, and secondly, I am not sure where to attach it if removed. If you look at the photo, you can see the lever is held in place by a steel circle. It looks like one would lift the circle freeing the lever, then pull the lever to 90 degrees of the forestay. Does anyone have experience with this type of attachment system? How does one loosen the forestay so as to remove it, and more importantly, to facilitate re-attachment? Thank you. (I do not know how to rotate the attached image.)

[Franziska]

It's a so called "Pelican slip hook" which attaches it.

That gives you some lever when resetting the inner forestay. Try it on the dock. It's fairly easy.

Just as you described lift the steel ring up, open the hook and slide the thing out. As to attaching it when loose, check if there is no attachment close to the guardrail on the side deck.

If you can only slacken it, don't remove bolts, just tie a bungee cord between the loose inner forestay and your mastfoot to store it.

You need the inner forestay when you want to set a storm jib.

[Bowdrie]

It rides "over center" to attach, the ring is a safety device to prevent untoward unlatching.
If it is adjusted properly, (it's a narrow range,) you will be able to latch/unlatch without any loosening of the threaded section.
Of course, the trade-off of "proper" adjustment means that the forestay will not have near the tension of the headstay, but that trade-off is generally accepted for a staysail, (that's one of the jobs of the runners when they are used, to add some tension).
Yes, trying to find a place to secure it when disconnected can be a hassle, most seem to just tie it off to a shroud.
Traditionally a staysail was used with a "Yankee" jib, that was higher cut and shorter on the foot, that allowed easier tacking.
Big jibs will always present some issue being passed "thru the slot" when tacking.
Regarding your use of a question mark in the title, yes, it is a "Forestay", the use of the prefix "inner" is incorrect, (unless there is more than one, as if you had 3 headsails).
The jib, (on your boat,) is on a "Headstay".

[SV Someday Came]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Try it on the dock. It's fairly easy.

Will do, thanks
Michael

[SV Someday Came]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

If it is adjusted properly, (it's a narrow range,) you will be able to latch/unlatch without any loosening of the threaded section.

Good info, thank you!
Michael

[Manateeman]

Next time you go up the mast check the fitting carefully...seems like there was a lot of tension on this stay so check the hull attachment as well.
Mark

[Cheechako]

That lever works on the same principle as a "chain binder" the truckers use to tighten and attach chain. It gives you some leverage, but can still take some effort, depending on rig tension.
The stay often attaches over near the chain plates to a piece of line or cable set to a length that works. My boat had a SS device that was a curved half tube for the wire of the stay to curve around when stored to the side. I may even still have that here somewhere...

There's a method for tacking through the slot and it's not that difficult really:
- First... use a sheet bend to attach a one part sheet, no big knots on the line so it doesn't hang up on the staysail stay.
- When you tack... dont release the jib fast! As the headsail back winds initially near the luff, release the sheet in a controlled fast-ish manner exactly so the headsail bulges through the slot and pull the clew through after it.

Practice makes perfect, it's all about feel and timing.... and helmsmanship! I could do it readily single handed on the boat in my avatar, well.... most of the time.

[stormalong]

Be careful! Years ago I read an account of someone hitting their face with one of these. Under tension there can be a lot of power stored up in that lever. It smashed an eye and eye socket. Keep your body away from it. If it is very tight put a long pipe over the handle. The long handle give you a mechanical advantage.

I have one on my inner forestay. It takes a lot of force to close it - puts a lot of bend in the mast.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by stormalong

It takes a lot of force to close it - puts a lot of bend in the mast.

If it "puts a lot of bend in the mast", you're pulling the mast out of column.
That's generally not a very smart idea on masthead rigs.
Fractional rigs, like a lot of racing boats use, can and do purposely induce forward bend in the center section of the mast to flatten the main and tighten the jibstay, but such actions have little place on masthead rigged cruising yachts.
A "small" amount of forward bend that is counteracted by having running backstays tightened up works and maintains column.
Unsupported bending, not so good.

[Manateeman]

Bowdrie is completely correct. We’ve seen permanent bends put in spars. The lighter the spar section, the greater your chances.
In addition to the spar being damaged, over tension puts all the other components under extreme pressure. Why do that. Are you testing the bolts, wire, or terminal ends to see if they will fail? It’s all to easy to start destroying your own boat by cranking up the rigging bar tight.
Mark

[Searles]

It’s a Hi Field lever ,I have one on the inner forestay on my Perry 48 ,backed up by running back stays ,once over 30 plus KN over the deck it’s second reef in the main and staysail on a furler on the innerforestay ,on mine the Hifield lever stays on deck and the innerforestay ond furler stow back to the fwd lower ,.it works fine .⛵️⚓️

[Bowdrie]

^ Yes, what the OP has might be referred to as a "First cousin" of a "Highfield lever".
A traditional Highfield lever device is fastened down to the deck and is separate from the stay that it tensions, it's a mounted piece of gear.
The OPs device is integral with the stay, it connects with/to a separate deck fitting, the similarity is in the "over center" operation, but we colloquially refer to them as having the same name.
It is not a "Pelican hook", which operates without over-center geometry, and depends upon its retaining ring to prevent release.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

^ Yes, what the OP has might be referred to as a "First cousin" of a "Highfield lever".

A traditional Highfield lever device is fastened down to the deck and is separate from the stay that it tensions, it's a mounted piece of gear.

The OPs device is integral with the stay, it connects with/to a separate deck fitting, the similarity is in the "over center" operation, but we colloquially refer to them as having the same name.

It is not a "Pelican hook", which operates without over-center geometry, and depends upon its retaining ring to prevent release.

Regarding Highfield vs Pelican Slip hook. Looks and acts very much the same in my view.
Different names for similar equipment. Both act off center.

Without the off center action there would be no lever advantage.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_hook

The Highfield lever is different to some degree as it includes the turnbuckle style threads afaik.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Regarding Highfield vs Pelican Slip hook. Looks and acts very much the same in my view.
Different names for similar equipment. Both act off center.
Without the off center action there would be no lever advantage.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_hook
The Highfield lever is different to some degree as it includes the turnbuckle style threads afaik.

Sorry, but no way Jose.
The reference you posted of a Pelican hook is correct, and you will see on the diagram that the load is taken eccentrically on the RELEASE side of the lever.
The only thing that prevents release of the load is the retaining ring.
Whereas on the Schaefer device that the OP has, the load rides OVER CENTER and is taken on the LOAD side of the eccentricity, and even if the retaining ring is lifted off of the lever, the release of the load can only be obtained by forcefully moving the lever back across over center.
The Schaefer device is "self-locking", a Pelican hook is NOT.
The geometry of the two devices is 180 degrees different, and they are not the same, either in operation or name.