When is it time to replace the Forestay wire.

[Popeye2]

My front forestay broke off in high winds. The bolt broke where it enters the deck. When it came off the wire was flying around for quite a while. The aluminium railing pieces around the wire (where the sail runs up and down) are all broken. The wire looks OK. Would it be best , in any case , to replace the wire as perhaps it was weakened by flying around and hitting things? I believe the age the wire is 8 years old.

[Pete7]

I would because in the grand scheme of things, wire isn't that expensive, the end fittings are and the forestay a rather important part of the rigging.

Pete

[Sailmonkey]

If you need to replace the stem head fitting and the furler already, it would be the epitome of penny wise pound foolish to not replace the relatively cheap stay.

[Boatguy30]

I think you now know the answer!

[Popeye2]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I think you now know the answer!

Another sailor here told me the same thing happened him a week before. Just hard going upwind.
In porto Santo there is not even a sailmaker. Have to send the torn sail to another island.
With no rigger here, perhaps best to keep the existing wire.

As the aluminium is not broken anywhere, it may well still work once I get the new foot piece and pull the wire tight. Its just bent now.
I think if I focus my efforts on making back ups in case of this happening again, I could make it upwind to Portugal where there are riggers.
An extra rope below connecting furling to the deck. Perhaps putting the spinaker wire from the top of the mast to the ankor roller.?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Popeye2

Another sailor here told me the same thing happened him a week before. Just hard going upwind.

In porto Santo there is not even a sailmaker. Have to send the torn sail to another island.

With no rigger here, perhaps best to keep the existing wire.



As the aluminium is not broken anywhere, it may well still work once I get the new foot piece and pull the wire tight. Its just bent now.

I think if I focus my efforts on making back ups in case of this happening again, I could make it upwind to Portugal where there are riggers.

An extra rope below connecting furling to the deck. Perhaps putting the spinaker wire from the top of the mast to the ankor roller.?

Have a length of wire and some stalock terminals shipped in, then you’ll not need to worry about your old wire. No need for a rigger to do this.

[guyrj33]

would it make sense to rig a new forestay.
purchase a used hank on headsail.
Sail to a port with good riggers and sailmakers to get it straightened out.

??

[iyamwhatiyam]

Well, according to the Ask the Builder section in my copy of THE COLLECTION, (C-30 Yachts); "The average life of stainless steel standing rigging and rigging component parts is from five to seven years depending on conditions."
Which is why Allie Cat is in St. Augustine having standing and running rigging replaced,
Last time this was done to our 1989 C-30 was by the PO Oct 6, 2006.

[akprb]

First it’s not a “wire”, it’s a forestay, that’s all you need to sound pro as ;-)

Second replace all especially the chain plate, that’s where most of the work hardening happens.

Cheap insurance ;-)

[Rigger Bruce]

As the wire is 8 years old, most insurance companies are starting to demand your standing rigging be replace after 10 years. Being it will most likely be installed under a possibly new roller furler, you would want to change it now as in another 2 years you may have to change all the rigging and if done now you save the costs of dismantling the furler and installing a new wire then. You should also carefully inspect your chianplate on the bow as if it was the problem you should replace that for sure.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Popeye2,

It sounded from your post that you are stuck a long way from home in a place with very little services.....

Is what you were suggesting with "spinnaker wire" a wire to rope spinnaker halyard that you want to lead forward to help support the mast? If so, generally speaking, that will be old wire, also, and of smaller diameter than the headstay, so not nearly as strong. You could not reasonably expect it to hold up your mast for sailing north to the mainland of Portugal, and certainly not to fly a sail from.

I apologize, but I am not clear on what exactly broke on your foredeck, could you post a picture showing also the stem head fitting?

If you can figure out a way to re-attach the old wire, to support the mast, perhaps you could sail on the mainsail alone to where you can find a rigger. If you Google on "bulldog clamps for wire" you will see something that might be made to work for a jury rig for you to get you home. If there is an unbroken chain plate forward perhaps you can work out something using shackles and chain, and make a loop in the old stay. It will not be very strong, because usually your rigging wire is 1 x 19, and it is not flexible like 7 x 7, and the loads will be on just a few of the wires. But if the weather is not strong, something like that could get you home safely, as long as you sail very conservatively. The jury rigged fore stay will not have very much tension, so if you approach this, set it up carefully, and with the back stay tension released, then tighten the back stay back up to get some tension on the jury rigged fore stay.

If you do not have a stem head fitting that is intact, then you will have to have someone get one fabricated for you and shipped to you, along with a new head stay wire, and swages like the sta-lok ones, with their cones, and some silicon sealant. It is possible to make up a proper head stay, and having a large vise, to hold it while you work on it really helps.

Good luck with it.

Ann

[MikeDofFreo]

I think that I would try to jury rig something to get to a port where it can be done by professionals. It happened to me, years ago, approaching Cape Town from the north west.


I was lucky to have a jib with wire luff. I also had 2 jib and 2 spinnaker halyards. The difficulty is where to attach them. I had 2 bow cleats, a Samson post and an anchor windlass. So I had a richness of choice.

However, do remember that such strong points are not usually designed to take vertical loads. For instance some sort of strop that pulls horizontally on the 2 bow cleats and then up to a halyard and back to the other bow cleat will probably be strongest.

If possible ask the builder where would be best attachment (I had been my own builder).


And don't forget that it is very important to sail gently remembering that the boat is injured. Even if sailing under main alone be gentle with vang, mainsheet and backstay tension.

Good luck
Mike

Good luck Mike

[TheThunderbird]

I'd be concerned about all the chainplates onboard...crevice corrosion!?

[Popeye2]

I appreciate all the helpfull suggestions.
On the island of Madeira, 20 miles downwind there is a sailmaker who can order from overseas the fittings and make a new forestay for me. Hopefully the existing aluminium could be used on it.
My neighbour beside me suggests to take off the whole front piece of aluminium that the forestay was attached to. To get it heated up in a repair shop so that that inox bolt that held the forestay and broke, could be removed.
Guess I could tie the mast to the front temporarily during this repair using the spinaker cable to the side railing of the boat or perhaps to the docking rope cleet?
Guess, if that works, we will be left with a hole not screwable again and we fit a nut underneath the new bolt.
Am I on the right track?