Jib furler and double forestays?

[Aldis]

The boat that i am looking to buy has double forestays (photo).
Is it okay to install a genoa furler on one of them or i need to re-rig to a single forestay?

[dougweibel]

Last week I passed a boat on the dock that had double headstays arranged like that. First time I'd seen one, but I guess they are out there. Both headstays had continuous line furlers on them. I would imagine that a regular (single line) furler drum might be too big to fit. I'm not sure I've ever seen a continuous line fuller on a stay with a rigid foil before, but looking around I see Facnor offers one.

[Benz]

If one was rolled up and the other deployed, wouldn't the sheets of the stowed one interfere with the open one? Even if only one had a furler, it seems the other wire would chafe on the sail when sailing large.
What you have here is a perfect opportunity not to waste money on roller furlers, but to try out the increasingly rare double-headsail arrangement for going dead downwind.

[dougweibel]

Originally Posted by Benz

If one was rolled up and the other deployed, wouldn't the sheets of the stowed one interfere with the open one? It may be possible to tie off unused sheets at the bow so they are out of the way.

Even if only one had a furler, it seems the other wire would chafe on the sail when sailing large. This seems an issue with the double headstay arrangement if using furlers or not. Maybe less an issue with furlers as there may be less chafe between a furled sail and a deployed sail than between a bare stay and a sail?

What you have here is a perfect opportunity not to waste money on roller furlers, but to try out the increasingly rare double-headsail arrangement for going dead downwind. He can do that without or with furlers. I have a genoa and a code 0 on a sprit, both on furlers, and often fly them wing on wing. It is not exactly the same but similar.

I'm not a fan of this double headstay arrangement but maybe it is OK. If it were me I'd have a conversation with a rigger and a sailmaker about the pros and cons of keeping it versus converting to a single headstay, and if keeping the best way to use it.

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