What is this for? Strange lines for a staysail halyard...

[Ensign Claptrap]

Hi all, lurking for a few years but first time posting. Apologies if this isn't the best section for this thread.

Hoping someone has an idea of what some previous owner was doing with this setup (described below, but best seen in the illustration/pics)

Bought a cutter-rigged Fantasia 35 (hull #56) a couple months ago. Still getting to know her and repairing lots of stuff. I have been perplexed by this since then, asked some friends, and no one seems to know what this was for.

- Under the inner forestay / staysail furler are two snatch blocks, lashed on.
- A line (1/4" at best - shown green in the drawing) runs from a cleat on the boom, under the reefing hook, behind the spreader, through a snatch block, back down about halfway and terminates in an eye splice with a ring thimble.
- Through the ring is another, smaller line (1/8", maybe paracord - shown red in drawing), also run under the reefing hook, with one end spliced to a saddle on the boom, and the other end unknown (couldn't dig it out from under the mainsail, separate issue, but I expect another cleat or saddle).

The same setup is mirrored on the other side through the second snatch block.

I'd like to set up the staysail for use, but I'm perplexed by this and would like to understand the intention before I (likely) rip it all out and install a traditional halyard setup.

Anyone have an idea?

Thank you!

Joe

[Tin Tin]

Guessing it is a lift for spinnaker pole or for poling out a jib wing on wing etc.

[Diamond Life]

Isn’t that a simple lazyjack system whereby you can lower the lines once the mainsail is up to avoid any chafe.

[Kijit]

Looks like a retractable lazy jack system to me as well. We have essentially the same system on our boat.

[GILow]

Straight forward and sensible lazyjacks for the main.

[marcjsmith]

Looks like a lazy jack setup as others have mentioned.

personally I'd remove the snatch blocks and rivet on some cheek blocks in their place on the side of the mast. less change for stuff to bang around and make noise aloft.

[noelex 77]

Welcome to the forum Joe.

[Ensign Claptrap]

Damn, lazy jacks never even occurred to me. So used to flaking, I guess. Makes sense that that's what it is, although, prioritizing lazy jacks at the expense of the staysail says a lot about the PO to me haha. But knew that already from a lot of other issues.

I'll look at improving with cheek blocks like Marc suggested, and still get the staysail halyard set up.

Thank you all so very much!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ensign Claptrap

Damn, lazy jacks never even occurred to me. So used to flaking, I guess. Makes sense that that's what it is, although, prioritizing lazy jacks at the expense of the staysail says a lot about the PO to me haha. But knew that already from a lot of other issues.

I'll look at improving with cheek blocks like Marc suggested, and still get the staysail halyard set up.

Thank you all so very much!

How the heck is it affecting the staysail?

I’d be less critical of the PO until you learned some more. It looks like a very good installation, better than many I’ve seen.

The use of snatch blocks is odd, but I’d seek to understand the logic before dismissing the PO as an idiot.

[GILow]

The staysail is on a furler, possibly the sort with the integrated halyard.

Time to get a bit more humble and learn before “ripping stuff out”. The PO clearly knew a LOT more than you about this stuff.

[GILow]

And, might be time to get some more knowledgeable boat friends. Anyone who couldn’t recognise those as lazy jacks hasn’t got a lot of boat experience.

[Kd9truck]

That’s your flying back stays mate.

Necessary for stay sails to keep the mast from being pulled out of shape and further support and strengthen the standing rigging

Seems the previous owner just lashed them to the boom to reduce mast/rigging slapping noises, or to reduce clutter on deck.

[Kd9truck]

Detach the lower end of the line from the back of the boom and find a deck fitting that you can attach it to when under way before you deploy the staysail.

Midship cleats are verry popular place for the flying/running back stay. A soft shackle attached to a self tailing split block would help. You may have hardware attached to the midship deck that help you figure out the POs arrangement.

The 2 part line is meant to give you a mechanical at vantage

Note: you only need to rig the windward side, FOLO first on last off in this application.
If you rig the lee side you will most likely be limiting the range of the main as the boom and sails will be leaning on them.

Cheers

[rslifkin]

Those are almost definitely not running backstays. The line involved looks far too small to be intended for that purpose, plus they're attached on the front of the mast, not the sides. I agree that it looks like a set of lazy jacks that has been tucked out of the way.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Kd9truck

That’s your flying back stays mate.

Necessary for stay sails to keep the mast from being pulled out of shape and further support and strengthen the standing rigging

No, they most certainly are not.