Do I need that inner forestay on my Pearson 34

[billknny]

Originally Posted by RSB333

Last summer's cruise had us towing our inflatable all over New England. It would fit on the foredeck, except for that inner forestay that lands on deck two and a half feet ahead of the mast. I've been tempted to stow it for the offshore passages, but my rig is old and I'm not sure why it's there. Does anyone know?
RSB333

It mystifies me why people get an inflatable, and then treat it as if it was a hard dinghy. If you are going to keep it inflated all the time, why not get a proper hard dinghy? If you don't have room for it, deflate it and stow it! Isn't that why you got an inflatable in the first place?

That's the rant, and here is the practical bit. Do NOT throw out you babystay unless and until you have had a rigger who you trust evaluate the need for it. If you wait long enough somebody here will post a comment that says you don't need it. Believe it--if you trust a stranger with no known qualifications with your boat.

Towing a dinghy will--someday--get you into trouble. You will lose it--eventually. We almost never tow ours, and NEVER offshore. We deflate, fold, and stow. It is the seamanlike thing to do. On my old boat I had a hard dinghy, and loved it. I had room for it on deck, barely!

It takes us ten minutes to inflate and launch the dinghy. The only reason for carrying it on lashed on deck or towing it is that I would be too lazy to do the right thing.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Re baby stay loadings.

Different class of boat , different style of sailing ...however...

Class of about 40 boats of which 3 have had the same documented issue.

Baby stay secured through the deck to frd bulkhead....

More here https://yachtcamomile.co.uk/job-list/chainplates/ .... my fix was rather grander than this one and more $$$

Baby stays can take a lot of load.....

Now .. lets remove the compression post because it takes up too much space in the saloon...

Right, and let the rig shoot the mast through the bottom of the boat like an arrow!

[barboak]

Wouldn’t davits look nice on your Pearson?

[pdenton]

RESOLUTE, my 35 foot masthead SLOOP Pearson is equipped with an forestay designed to fly an optional staysail.
This stay is equipped with a prodigious pelican hook. I have designed and built a flat bottom skiff which can fit in between the staysail stay and the mast.

Could someone please tell me what percent the baby stay goes up the mast. I had years of success sailing my 65 foot gaff rigged cutter but now that I am on a much smaller boat I would regard the staysail stay as a nuisance for tacking.
I have no idea how similar the 34 foot and the 35 foot are, but I would like to hear other experiences people have had with the 35 footer.

[nic26]

Originally Posted by RSB333

Last summer's cruise had us towing our inflatable all over New England. It would fit on the foredeck, except for that inner forestay that lands on deck two and a half feet ahead of the mast. I've been tempted to stow it for the offshore passages, but my rig is old and I'm not sure why it's there. Does anyone know?
RSB333

Why not think the other way 'round? Instead of playing with your rigging (I have no real idea of that) why not play with the dinghy? Instead of a inflatable think of a nest-able (is that a word?) dinghy. There is 1 wonderful designed dinghy (in my books) that fits even on my 26 foot boat without taking all the space. Have a look for the Chameleon on the Net. A wooden boat, in 2 pieces that come together to make a fast rowing sailing or motorized dinghy which can get you home if all goes bad.

[ZULU40]

Look at smaller inflatables, plenty around at 2.5 to 2.7 m where the stay should nest between the hull tubes

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Just a little story, about learning curves, and I think it has a moral for the OP.....

Before we left the States the first time, in our 36 footer, a boat with single lowers and a baby stay, we re-rigged, with beautiful Nichronic (sp) wire, Sta-loks, super. Except, the wire was "too big" for the baby stay--it was lighter gauge. So, we didn't replace the baby stay, thinking it would be okay, it didn't get much loading.

What happened was that it broke, at sea, in a gale (45kn), and Jim had to go aloft in those conditions. Inevitably, he got all bruised, but we did a repair, involving sistering the broken wire with bulldog clamps, . Our assumption that it didn't get much loading was erroneous. And, the wire was shiny on the outside, powdery on the inside where it snapped. This one could have turned out very badly, we were lucky Jim wasn't hurt worse.

It is only my opinion, but, based on the above experience, I think it is important to keep the baby stay, or add forward lowers in a safe manner. I would add that I think it is especially important if the OP wants the freedom to be at sea in any weather.

Ann

What an awful situation, to be facing dismasting in a gale. Going aloft in 45 knots merits a true grit award.

[Pearson Stu]

RSB: I feel your pain, brother. I've looked at this same situation on my Pearson 34 and without going into all the different possible rig modifications so eloquently outlined in this forum, I came up with two reasons not to modify:
1.) William Shaw knows more than I do.
2.) Why give the insurance company another reason to deny a claim such as an owner modification to professionally designed standing rigging.
Prudence would suggest modifications to your dingy type and adherence to seamanlike stowage when offshore.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by Pearson Stu

RSB: I feel your pain, brother. I've looked at this same situation on my Pearson 34 and without going into all the different possible rig modifications so eloquently outlined in this forum, I came up with two reasons not to modify:
1.) William Shaw knows more than I do.
2.) Why give the insurance company another reason to deny a claim such as an owner modification to professionally designed standing rigging.
Prudence would suggest modifications to your dingy type and adherence to seamanlike stowage when offshore.

Words of wisdom, I think, on both counts, but especially #2. Marine claims adjustors (and manufacturers as well) have the same reaction to owner modifications of standing rigging that a vampire has to the dawn.

[ZULU40]

huff and puff about the rig coming down? sorta usual nonsense here

Just as you control the draft of the lower part of the sail with the boom outhaul, a baby stay is about introducing bend into the mast, in an effort to control the position and strength of the draft above the top batten.

Boats that dont have a baby stay are compensated by the cut of the sail
.

[RSB333]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Some Pearson 34's had a single stay on each side, is that yours? That may be why it has the baby stay.

Yes, upper and lower shrouds attach to the same chainplate in same transverse plane with the mast. (neither forward nor aft of the mast)

[RSB333]

Many thanks for the thoughtful and helpful responses. I will be keeping the rig as is - perhaps with a rigger's advise as well, and finding a way to stow the inflatable on deck.
RSB333

[t3c9]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Why would you want to change/remove something affecting the original design of a sailboat, especially a mast stay, that the builders thought was needed?

It seems many sailors/cruisers want to modify the existing design of a sailboat and at times it decreases it's strength ...

He wants to put his inflatable there.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

huff and puff about the rig coming down? sorta usual nonsense here

Just as you control the draft of the lower part of the sail with the boom outhaul, a baby stay is about introducing bend into the mast, in an effort to control the position and strength of the draft above the top batten.

Boats that dont have a baby stay are compensated by the cut of the sail
.

Time for another Foster's.

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by Orion Jim

Time for another Foster's.

Bit early for me
But please continue, don’t let me stop you