Dual forestays, tension and sailplan.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by GILow

Can't comment on the specifics of getting adquate tension on the staysail furler stay yet, but should be able to do so soon because I am about to fit one. (It is currently sitting in the driveway, waiting on my attention.)

May I just note that Bill Hatfield, who is today on about Day 15 of his third west-about circumnavigation, yesterday (22 June 2019) from somewhere in the middle of the Great Australian Bight wrote on his blog about the rigging problems he suffered during his first (aborted more than halfway through) and second (completed) circumnavigations.

His list goes something like:

* Failed headstay furler;
* Failed forestay/staysail furler;
* Failed upper diagonals and lower diagonal shrouds; and
* Failed lower diagonal shrouds.

Bill, who uses the same marina in Moreton Bay as myself as his home base, has never pointed to failure of hanks.

See what more there is, and what he alternations he made for his current circumnavigation, at the entry on his weblog site: https://www.sailblogs.com/member/leaucommotion/464908/

[Bill O]

Thanks Alan for posting the link.

It's a very timely journal entry summarizing the rigging failures. Will need to go back into his blog entries to see what Bill determined to be the failures of the furlers and the forestay.


Bill O.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

May I just note that Bill Hatfield, who is today on about Day 15 of his third west-about circumnavigation, yesterday (22 June 2019) from somewhere in the middle of the Great Australian Bight wrote on his blog about the rigging problems he suffered during his first (aborted more than halfway through) and second (completed) circumnavigations.

Point taken about the added points of failure, but I weigh this up against the greater safety of being able to operate all sails from the cockpit, and as a solo sailor it is a no-brainer to me.

I would also note that the sorts of duty cycle likely to be experience by me on a solid old cruising boat hopping from anchorage to anchorage will be vastly different to someone trying to circumnavigate east to west.

No, my boat has done 40,000 miles with no problem from the forward furler, I don't expect to have any dramas with the dual furler setup. Of course, it will add another point to inspect from time to time.

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by GILow

hopping from anchorage to anchorage

yea, I agree, would not worry about the reliability, if it's a good brand decently installed and you inspect occasionally to make sure all the machine screws are staying in place.

For me the big drawback of a staysail furler, ESPECIALLY if you are doing more coastal work than ocean work, is it makes tacking a lot less fun and efficient.

With a hank on stay, you can bring it back to the mast for upwind work, and can then tack so very SMOOTHLY - just (for me at least) a ton more fun. Makes upwind a joy rather than a chore.

Now there are soft furlers, which are 'removable' (eg you could either drop or bring back to the mast), which the French do use for staysails (see for example Staysail fitted on FX furlers or Karver KF). But you can't (at least that I am aware) do a roller reef with them - eg they are either all in or all out, which may or may not be a problem depending on your staysail size and expected wind ranges.

If you got one of these furlers with 'top down' furling, like the Karver KSF, it could serve dual purpose - you could also use it to furl a cruising chute.