Advice on climbing mast to remove forestay

[dougtheslug]

I have a Hans Christian 33t and need to service my Mariner Roller-Stay system upper Swivel. To do this correctly, I believe I need to remove the forestay. Since I have a staysail stay, can I:

1. loosen my backstay slightly
2. keep my staysail stay and the other shrouds tight
3. remove the lower end of the forestay
4. climb the mast and remove the upper end of the forestay

Or, is climbing the mast a terrible idea with zero tension in the forestay. I have the boat in the water so I'd rather not pull it out just to do the forestay. Nothing else on the bottom needs work right now.

I'm assuming the other route is to pull the boat out of the water and have a crane undo the top of the forestay. But, I'm new at this whole sailboat thing and I'd appreciate other's ideas!

Thank you!

Doug

[Sailmonkey]

Do you have a spinnaker halyard to replace the forestay?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Do you have a spinnaker halyard to replace the forestay?

Or you can use the halyard removed from the foresail when it is removed from the furler.

[dougtheslug]

I do! I didn't think of a halyard taking the load. Is that a common way to carry the load from a removed forestay?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by dougtheslug

I do! I didn't think of a halyard taking the load. Is that a common way to carry the load from a removed forestay?

I do this on a surprisingly regular basis. I use the spin halyard to hold the masthead forward (and to a lesser extent to support t he sprit). I unpin the top of the forestay and use the job halyard to lower the stay and furler to the dock.

[GILow]

I’m paranoid. I use every darn halyard I can find to take the place of whichever stay I am about to remove.

I managed to get five into position when doing the aft stay last week.

Still terrified.

[dougtheslug]

It worked! I didn't need to climb the mast as it turns out, but I did need to take off the lower part of the forestay. I used 2 halyards to replace the tension of the forestay, and I loosened the backstay slightly.

Thank you all!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by dougtheslug

It worked! I didn't need to climb the mast as it turns out, but I did need to take off the lower part of the forestay. I used 2 halyards to replace the tension of the forestay, and I loosened the backstay slightly.



Thank you all!

Glad to help!

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by dougtheslug

I do! I didn't think of a halyard taking the load. Is that a common way to carry the load from a removed forestay?

Yes, common practise. Of course assuming the line you use (be it a spi or genoa halyard) is in good condition.
Give the line nice tension using a winch and the mast will stand without problems.
If you are afraid - replace the line you want to use as a headstay with dyneema - it will be stronger than your metal stay...

[barnakiel]

Climb once, attach a line just below the fitting.
Make this line tight to the bow.


Ease the back a bit.
Ease the TOPs a bit.
Ease the forestay.


Go up.
Service the forestay.


Come down, tension in reverse order.


Go up, remove the extra line.


b.

[roverhi]

If you have traditional double lower shrouds, they are all that are needed to hold up the mast. Wouldn't want to go to the masthead with only the lowers supporting the mast but have gone to the spreader and slightly hire to fix steaming light.

Have rerigged my boat and otherwise gone to the mast head just using halyards and the lowers as support for the mast. Don't need to invest in Dyneema or other exotic materials for halyards or double up. Good old dacron double braid winched up tight works just fine. Never bothered to loosen other wires unless needed to do so to get the turnbuckle pins in.

[conchaway]

Find a young person ( If you can pull one away from his texting) who is intelligent enough to do the job and dumb enough to climb up.

[slug]

Originally Posted by dougtheslug

I have a Hans Christian 33t and need to service my Mariner Roller-Stay system upper Swivel. To do this correctly, I believe I need to remove the forestay. Since I have a staysail stay, can I:

1. loosen my backstay slightly
2. keep my staysail stay and the other shrouds tight
3. remove the lower end of the forestay
4. climb the mast and remove the upper end of the forestay

Or, is climbing the mast a terrible idea with zero tension in the forestay. I have the boat in the water so I'd rather not pull it out just to do the forestay. Nothing else on the bottom needs work right now.

I'm assuming the other route is to pull the boat out of the water and have a crane undo the top of the forestay. But, I'm new at this whole sailboat thing and I'd appreciate other's ideas!

Thank you!

Doug

Very dangerous

The halyard might break
The chair might fail

Safer if you go down the the pub, put together a decent gang, then form a human ladder

Easy Job done