Storing an inner forestay

[Charlie]

When using my 130% jib or even the 100% jib the inner forestay gets in the way. I'd prefer to store it when I am not using it. Does anyone have a good system for storing the inner forestay. Preferably with the storm staysail still on the forestay.

[Randyonr3]

Charlie
had a quick reliese system on mine for awhile...You'd pop it lose and move it back to the mast, but this last time I had the rigging replaced, I opted not to put the lever back on..it was pretty large and I found that it was a catch all for anything passing by it.. Its kind of a pain for short tacking with it up but I hope I'll be out of here this fall and there wont be any more short tacks..

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Charlie
had a quick reliese system on mine for awhile...You'd pop it lose and move it back to the mast, but this last time I had the rigging replaced, I opted not to put the lever back on..it was pretty large and I found that it was a catch all for anything passing by it.. Its kind of a pain for short tacking with it up but I hope I'll be out of here this fall and there wont be any more short tacks..

You mean yours was set up as a Solent stay, right?

[Catamount]

Having a release lever on an inner forestay so that it is removable doesn't mean that it has to be a Solent Stay. What makes an inner forestay a Solent Stay is the fact that it is attached to the mast near the masthead such that additional backstays are not needed to help support it. I have a removable inner forestay that attaches to my mast at about 4/5 of it's height above deck, so I also have running backstays to support it.

When not in use (most ot the time) I bring the bottom of the stay back to a pad-eye on the deck just aft of (and inside of) my side shroud chainplates. I have an "Inner Forestay Stowage Bridle" from CS Johnson (Wichard makes one, too), lashed to a padeye just forward (and inside of) my side shroud chainplates, and adjusted such that the stay is taught with the ABI Release lever closed.

I don't know about storing the stay with the storm jib still hanked on. Why not take it off when you have the stay put away?

[donradcliffe]

My inner forestay had a hydraulic tensioner, and I used to take it off and back around the shrouds and secure it on base of the shroud with a 4-1 tackle. I cut a notch in the back of the lower spreader to keep it from working back and forth.

After a circumnavigation in which I never used it once, I ended up taking the whole inner forestay off--it and the storm jib are in the lazarette for now, but will probably be off the boat one of these days.

[Randyonr3]

Maren
Mine is exactally as I stated, a staysail stay. I have running backstays, or checkstays, what ever you wish to call them, aposed to the staysail, about 4 feet behind the forestay and at the same angle as the forestay mounted about 1/4 of the way down the mast,
And not to be confused with the baby stay which is in a third position forward of the mast.

[Jolly Roger]

The removal process is further complicated if you have a boomed staysail, especially if it is pivoted on the stay itself. Of course, it should not be attached to the stay, but set on a pivot post slightly aft of the stay, so the sail has more bunt as it is eased, and tightens as it is hauled in. A boomed staysail has great advantages as a storm headsail, especially running, being self tacking with only one sheet, and generally ‘stronger’ on a boom. If the boom is pivoted on the stay, it is necessary to have a gallows arrangement for it, when you bring the stay to the side of the boat. If it is on a separate post it can be left where it is, run up the mast like a spinnaker pole, or lashed in chocks on deck.
Having said all that, we ran a massive Genoa from our headstay and never really felt the need to remove our boomed staysail. It sometimes wouldn’t go through the slot, but we could usually pull it through and if we were seriously tacking with both we would let it fall onto the staysail, then the wind took it through. It was a small price to pay for having a really strong self tacking storm sail, when we needed it.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Catamount

Having a release lever on an inner forestay so that it is removable doesn't mean that it has to be a Solent Stay. What makes an inner forestay a Solent Stay is the fact that it is attached to the mast near the masthead such that additional backstays are not needed to help support it. I have a removable inner forestay that attaches to my mast at about 4/5 of it's height above deck, so I also have running backstays to support it.

When not in use (most ot the time) I bring the bottom of the stay back to a pad-eye on the deck just aft of (and inside of) my side shroud chainplates. I have an "Inner Forestay Stowage Bridle" from CS Johnson (Wichard makes one, too), lashed to a padeye just forward (and inside of) my side shroud chainplates, and adjusted such that the stay is taught with the ABI Release lever closed.

I don't know about storing the stay with the storm jib still hanked on. Why not take it off when you have the stay put away?

Thanks Tim:

That is the item I was looking for. When we go out for a daysail it is a PITA to have the inner forestay up. I want some way to keep it out of the way.

On a long cruise where we are not tacking alot I guess it would be fine to have the inner forestay in place and the storm staysail attached and the jib leads run. That way if I needed to I could just role up the jib and then put up the staysail rahter than reefing. The boat is pretty balanced with the staysail and a full main in 20 + knots of wind.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

The removal process is further complicated if you have a boomed staysail, especially if it is pivoted on the stay itself.

Catamoun, Randy and (er) Jolly,

Thanks for clarifying that guys. Learn something new every day

[JB]

I have a quick release with lever system for the forestay on my Caliber 47LRC and the stay itself is fitted onto a track on the mast so I can lift the whole thing out of the way and secure it to a padeye further back on the deck. To prevent sheets and so forth from fouling on the lever mechanism, we made an attractive cover for the lower portion of the stay with velcro for easy on and off. All work great - the staysail is on roller furling, so we just winch the whole thing up and off to the side when we don't want it in the way on the foredeck - which is really rare.
Caliber calls this a "Convertible Cutter Rig" - an accurate and appropriate name.