How do I set-up this staysail?

[Wideocean7]

Can anyone help me set-up my staysail? I gather that it was self-tacking although there may be parts missing, notably the boom.

The photos show a fitting that slides up the inner stay and to which I am guessing a staysail boom was attached and which I don’t have. There are three deck fittings close to the mast step – a padeye, turning block and stand-up block. To complete the picture, there’s a padeye on each side deck. There are no tracks (and I’d prefer to avoid drilling holes and buying these if I can).

How would I set things up?

Cheers

[pesarsten]

Look for some pictures of Island Packet cutters, you'll be able to see how thet are rigged. Looks like it will work for you.

[Adelie]

It looks like a gooseneck fitting for a forestay mounted club foot boom for a self-tending staysail.

[Bowdrie]

The fitting on the Forestay was used to attach a Forestaysail boom, or Staysail boom, not a "club".
In pic #3 the 2 padeyes on the side decks were for use with blocks, either shackled on or using snatch blocks to enable a staysail to be flown loose footed and sheeted without the boom.
In pic #2 the center padeye, the upright block, turning block, together with the other starboard side cabin top mounted pad eye are used for the self-tending tackle when the boom is rigged.
Edit: it's hard to see the "depth of field", but the two side deck mounted padeyes might also see use for sheeting a small jib.
When used for a loose-footed staysail they would allow the staysail to be used when way off the wind, also might see use for rigging a preventer line to hold the staysail boom out.
Lots of ways to play around with strings and such.

[Wideocean7]

Thanks All. Good suggestion to look at the Island Packets. The image below suggests I'd sheet via turning blocks attached to the padeye/stand-up block either side of the centreline. But what do you reckon the turning block near the mast step on my yacht is for? Any suggestions where I could get a fitting for a new boom to marry up with the sliding fitting on the inner forestay?

[Bowdrie]

In the Island Packet pic you'll see that the sheet leads aft directly from the port side block.
My guess is that the turning block was used to re-direct the sheet lead to the center of the boat rather than down the port side.
Also, the presence of the center padeye suggests that the sheet set-up envisioned was not quite what the IP set-up is.
The positions of your hardware allows several ways to string lines around.

[fxykty]

I’ve never understood what staysail booms are for - why can’t you just sheet the staysail through blocks on the pad eyes on each side?

Regarding the cheek block, that looks like it’s aligned with the stand up block and leads back to pilot house. That assumes that there are several blocks missing and that the staysail had single line sheeting.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I’ve never understood what staysail booms are for - why can’t you just sheet the staysail through blocks on the pad eyes on each side?

The boom allows a self-tending sail with only one sheet.
Part of it comes from the days when the staysail was a fairly large "real" sail that was used in all weather conditions and commonly had a couple or three reef points and could be reefed like a main.
In those times, (without winches, or only small ones,) a "Jib" was a "fair weather" light air sail and in many rigs was "set flying", no hanks, hence the term "flying jib".

[Wideocean7]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I’ve never understood what staysail booms are for - why can’t you just sheet the staysail through blocks on the pad eyes on each side?

That's an option. But then I can't control the sheeting angle (unless fully sheeted). I'd then need a barber-hauler system - complications I'm hoping to avoid.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

The fitting on the Forestay was used to attach a Forestaysail boom, or Staysail boom, not a "club".....

Club footed is a somewhat dated way to refer to a foresail with a boom used to make the sail self-tending.

It was the first phrasing the popped into my head so I used.

[Wideocean7]

I've been looking over again what you guys (gals) have written. Thanks heaps as it's given me a better appreciation of my options. I have a bunch of block/tackles so I'll play around trying to see what fits in an attempt to reverse-engineer what the designer had in mind. I mentioned it above - do you know of the fitting I need for when I get a new boom? Ideally it would marry up with the one on the inner forestay which I've shown in a photo above.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Club footed is a somewhat dated way to refer to a foresail with a boom used to make the sail self-tending.

It was the first phrasing the popped into my head so I used.

It is a common usage term, but there is a "club footed" staysail and it is different from a "boomed" staysail.
A "club foot" staysail has a short section of "boom" that does not reach the forestay nor is it mechanically fastened to any structure/rigging.
That short section is laced on to the staysail from the clew to perhaps 1/3 or so of the distance of the foot of the sail.
It serves as a "short boom" for single line sheeting, whilst still allowing the foot of the sail to take a nice curved shape.
When the sheet is slacked that short section can become a real "Club" to anybody on the foredeck, as well you can imagine.
It is an ancient device now, and thankfully not used anymore but for some reason the term has refused to go away.
I suppose the term hangs-on much as we commonly hear the term "inner forestay", what, does that mean there's an "outer forestay", well there is, but you only find that on something like a clipper ship.
What many call a "forestay" is in reality a "headstay", like it goes from the mast-Head to the stem-Head, it "stays" the Head of the mast.
Unless you have 2 staysails, (a 3 headsail rig,) there is no "inner forestay",
it's just a forestay that you put a forestaysail on.
For the OP, as you're in Oz I have no idea where you could get the fittings you need.
Perhaps you can invent something that can use a section of small spinnaker pole, etc.

[Wideocean7]

I delved through some previous sale particulars (way before I bought her) and found this photo showing a full-length staysail boom. This is what I'm attempting to replicate as I don't want to go down the route of installing jib car tracks.

[Wideocean7]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

For the OP, as you're in Oz I have no idea where you could get the fittings you need. Perhaps you can invent something that can use a section of small spinnaker pole, etc.

Thanks Bowdrie - I'll start hunting. I was hoping that someone might recognise the fitting and give me a lead.

[nuku34]

Wideocean7:
I sailed for many years with a boomed staysail on my Joshua ketch. That sail was fine (and was "self tacking" i.e. needing only one sheet) as long as you are close hauled or on a tight reach and the geometry of the sheet is holding the boom down. The problem is that as soon as you ease the single sheet to go off the wind, the end of the boom goes past the point where the sheet is pulling it down, the end of the boom lifts, the leach of the sail goes soft, and the shape of the sail goes to hell. Sorry, this is just the way it is due to simple geometry. The only solution is to put some sort of vang tackle between the boom and the leeward rail to pull the boom down, but of course then the sail is no longer "self tacking". I had a love/hate relationship with that boom and always intended to deep six it and go to a 2 sheet system, but I got lazy and sold the boat with the staysail boom still on it.



The modern "self tacking" jib or staysail uses a transverse traveller track with sliding car, forward of the mast. Usually the sheet goes from the car to a sheave several meters up the front of the mast then inside the mast, out the bottom and back to the cockpit. This allows the car to slide from side to side on the transverse track. In some cases, there are control lines to limit the travel of the car just as you have on the mainsheet traveller. This is a good system especially if the track is a long one.