I need to choose a configuration for the staysail..

[Perseus]

Which is the best configuration for a cruiser sailboat?
1)a self-tacking boomed staysail with a foredeck travellert and one sheet led aft, or
2)a loose footed staysail with two sheets aft on two deck mounted tracks?
Does anybody can help me?

Perseus

[boatman61]

I prefer the boom.. single line self tacking sail..

[Perseus]

Thanks boatman61. Can I ask you why? What are, in your opinion, the pro and cons in these two options? Is there a difference in price for these two configurations?

[Paul L]

You didn't say what boat you are putting this on. For me, I like the loose footed staysail on a furler. This sail is not big, so it is not much to handle -- unlike a genoa that can be a bear. Since it is easy to handle and tack, I'd rather have less and simpler gear on it, than the boom approach.

[boatman61]

The loose foot is cheaper and easier to set up as you don't need the cost of boom and deck fittings..
The one I had was on a HC37c... all ready fitted.. had used the loose foot in the past on other boats but found the ease of use and simple adjusting/setting of the boomed sail with just one line was nicer.. especially when hove to..

[Perseus]

Thanks again boatman61 (Phil). I agree with you. Seems to me that the boom is the expensive that turns out to be the cheapest.. Muito obrigado pela sua valiosa opinião. Perseus

[Paul L]

Depending on the boat configuration, having a boom on the foredeck can preclude putting the dinghy on the foredeck when on passage.

[Perseus]

UPS! that's true.. I was considering this system in a Caliber, Porto Rico ou Pacific Seacraft... Thank you Paul. Best wishes. Perseus

[robert sailor]

One of the advantages of a boomed staysail is when you fall off the wind the sail will hold its trim much better than a loosefooted staysail as these just twist off at the top.
Depending on your boat type I'm a convert to solent rigs as staysails require running backstays and they are a pain in the bum plus with many staysails they end up being too small so there is a big gap from being overpowered on your genoa to a windspeed when the staysail kicks in.

[roverhi]

Delivered two Westsails with boomed staysails. Hated the suckers and one nearly killed me. Unless there is some means to keep the boom from kiting, you'll get a crappy setting sail as you sail off the wind. Doubt that you'd have enough width on a traveller to properly control the sail on a reach. How are you going to adjust a traveler as wind direction changes?? To fit the boom, staysail has to be smaller than optimum so less efficient. The boom was always in the way, especially at anchor. The booms are dangerous when off the wind, got the scar on my head to prove it. The Hoyt boom solves a lot of the sail shape problems with a boomed staysail but you still have a boom cluttering up your foredeck.

After those two deliveries, built our boat with a loose fitted staysail sheeted to blocks on a track on the cabin top with winches on the cabin at the cockpit. Sail set very well on all points of sail just like any loose footed foresail. Has the typical DDW/very broad reach issues that jibs have that require poling out. Not really an issue as we usually had the reacher drifter poled out under those conditions and the staysail stowed on deck. Short tacking the sail was not an issue. Sail is so small and easily handled that I just pulled in the new leeward staysail sheet as I went from side to side after releasing the Yankee on a tack. Once I got the yankee trimmed on the new tack went back and adjusted the staysail, if necessary, though usually got it damned close to optimum on the first try. You can have your sailmaker build as large a staysail as won't foul the shrouds, etc. Had a genoa staysail built that really worked well in conjunction with the yankee for light air sailing. Unfortunately, the sheet fouled the foreword lower shroud as it was eased. Required rereaving it around the shroud so sold it before we left on our cruise.

[S/V Alchemy]

I have a loose-footed hank-on staysail with a furling yankee. So far, so good, but I can see why a boom would be nice, as well. There's a third option of a curved track that I haven't seen mentioned. A bit old-school, perhaps, but so are staysails in some minds.

I also like (probably because it's a fairly large staysail we have) a hank-on staysail with a set of reef points. I've been in conditions where the staysail alone has taken us to 7 knots SOG (that's near my hull speed and it's a 16 tonne 41-footer steel cutter) and so can anticipate even that being more speed on than might be desirable in the open ocean.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

...

I also like (probably because it's a fairly large staysail we have) a hank-on staysail with a set of reef points. I've been in conditions where the staysail alone has taken us to 7 knots SOG (that's near my hull speed and it's a 16 tonne 41-footer steel cutter) and so can anticipate even that being more speed on than might be desirable in the open ocean.

+1. Good to have a means of reefing the stay sail. On a previous boat I had mine rigged with a single line reefing system to take it down to calculated storm jib size for the boat. Quick and easy to do...much easier than some storm tactics discussed.

Came in very handy in a severe unforecast storm once. We did 10.5 knots under the reefed stay sail alone on a 37' foot monhull ... yehaa!

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

+1. Good to have a means of reefing the stay sail. On a previous boat I had mine rigged with a single line reefing system to take it down to calculated storm jib size for the boat. Quick and easy to do...much easier than some storm tactics discussed.

Came in very handy in a severe unforecast storm once. We did 10.5 knots under the reefed stay sail alone on a 37' foot monhull ... yehaa!

That's what I call "getting ahead of yourself", although in a good way. If that wind is off the land, great. Open ocean, chuck out the drogue!

[markpierce]

My former cutter had a boomed staysail. No complaints. Often the winds were too strong to use the flying jib in addition to the staysail. (The flying jib was the first to drop to shorten sail.)

[hpeer]

I haven't tried a loose footed arrangement yet. But on our small boat I damaged some fittings on the traveller and had to replace it as it was obsolete. When I did, I bought a full traveller and ran both sets of lines back to the cockpit. That deals with the kiting issue and helps keep the sail from slapping around and pounding in a sloppy sea state.

Just an idea.