A Few Questions for a New Owner

[Dulcesuenos]

Ok we have the boat almost a year so not terribly new to us but our first larger keel boat. Shes a 31 bombay clipper, My question is the forward stay on which the head sail is furled has another stay a foot beyond it. This stay is very well secured and seems very strong. We have a hank on style storm jib for the boat. Can this "more foreward" stay be used for this storm sail? I am not a big fan of using the semi furled headsail in a storm.

Thanks for any input on this.

[savoir]

The outer wire would be intended to carry either a light weather jib or a reacher. You would probably make most use of a smaller jib on the inner wire and it seems like you are furling a sail on it. Furlers create problems for hank on sails and force you to hank that sail somewhere else.

Maybe you could rig up a removable inner forestay and hank the storm jib on to that. It is much safer to connect a storm sail mid deck than out on a bowsprit. Is there a staysail fitting in the middle of the foredeck ?

[Dulcesuenos]

There is no fitting between the mast and headsail stay for a stay fitting. It would not be hard to install one, but was hoping we could use the forward (really barely 12" ahead of head sail stay. What would the down side of this be? It is not really out on the bowsprit, but more like just behind where the bowsprit / pulpit begins.

[savoir]

The main drawback is that the bow can be a scary place to go in bad weather. The tacks will be a little slow as the sail forces its way through the slot but that will probably be the least of your worries.