Forestay connection

[billodusa]

Hi all,
Posting my first question to the board after reading for the last year. A great resource and I thank you all!

I'm still not brave enough to attempt stepping the mast by myself so I have my first mate handle the duty
of connecting the fore stay to the deck fitting. She really struggles holding onto the forestay while trying
to get the wire loop into the tiny hole of the pin.
She really likes this "safety pin" I found at Menards; much easier to handle with one hand.
I'm just not sure how safe it really is.
Has anyone had experience using this type of pin?
Any other suggestions for alternatives?

Thanks,
Bill

[kokko]

The pins are fine, but should be stainless. For the benefit of your wife, use the jib halyard to hold the mast up while the forestay is pinned. You can also secure the jib halyard to a line led through a block at the bow and back to the cockpit

[billodusa]

Using the jib halyard to lessen the load on my wife is a good idea.
Unfortunately, I no longer have a jib halyard after adding a jib furler.
I could have left the jib halyard on the mast just for raising/lowering but the mast bail was interfering with
the top of the furler so I removed it.

[Alan]

I use a variation of kokko's second method. I tie a line around the mast above the spreaders and run the free end down through a block at the top of the winch stand. My crew pulls this line toward the stern of the boat, belaying the mast while I lift it. I've got a hinged mast, so this allows me to use both hands to fiddle with the forward hinge pin as well as the forestay attachment.

If we need to stop in the middle of things, my crew ties off the belay line to one of the bow cleats.

One caveat with this approach; I'm of average height and just tall enough to untie the line from the spreaders after the mast is up.

[kokko]

I use yet another variation with my Catalina. I connect the mainsheet to the jib halyard and the stem. One person lifts the mast, and the other can keep tension on the mainsheet and brake if needed.

[jeadstx]

Once the clevis pin is in on the forestay, you don't need someone to hold the forestay while you put the split ring in to secure the clevis pin. I think a SS split ring would be better to use than what you are using, too easy for something to snag on such a large pin.

When I raise the mast on my DSII by myself, I tie a 1/4" line above the turnbuckle on the forestay, then run the line thru the bow cleat to a cam cleat (with fair lead ) on my cuddy cabin top. I take up the slack as I push the mast up. The DS mast isn't all that heavy. When the mast is up, the cleated line holds the forestay in place until I can get down to pin it in place. I then tighten the turnbuckle.

My Mariner mast is more of a challenge sine it weighs about 15 pounds more than a DS mast and is a little longer. For that I use a winch attached to the trailer which is attached to the jib halyard and I have to have someone crank on the winch while I push the mast up. Several people on the Mariner Assoc. forum have a stabilizing "A" frame that fits in the sail track that allows someone to to just use a winch attached to the jib halyard to raise the mast along. One guy has a system to be able to raise and lower his mast while on the water so he can get under bridges.

John

[GreenLake]

The issue is getting slack on the forestay to insert the pin. Once the pin is in, it won't go anywhere and can handle taking the load.

I tend to solve this problem by just giving the mast a bit of a push forward. (Mine is keel stepped, so at that point it's basically held in place, but on a ramp, gravity will pull it back a bit so that some crew can't get enough grip on the wire to make the holes line up.)

For securing the pin.

For the "safety pin", I'm with John. I would worry about something snagging and ripping it open. The usual culprit are dock lines or spinnaker sheets at that location, I'd guess. Seems like you don't have a spinnaker, or you would have a spare halyard. Still, I would look at something that makes sure the pin can't come open. Either some wedge in the opening or a small conical cover over the forestay that deflects any lines and that you can push up to fit the pin and safety pin.

Corrosion is an issue, but one way to address that is to swap out the part regularly and not leave it in place for extended periods. That might take care of it on a lake, but for saltwater I would look for something else.

There are two types of split rings. One where the inner part looks like a spiral, and the other where it bends 90 degrees. I find the former much easier to use. Perhaps you can find an oversize version?

[TIM WEBB]

Best way I've found (hinged mast) is a ring on top of the winchpost mast support, to which I connect the jib halyard shackle. Raise the mast, cleat the JH, then attach the forestay. I'm using the FS lever for tensioning the rig, so there is no tension on the FS while attaching it to the lever. Close and pin the lever, then attach the JH shackle to the jib. Easy peasy! ;-P

[K.C. Walker]

Tim,

I've been running pretty high rig tension to get prebend and mast flexibility. I have to crank on a 5:1 block and tackle attached to the jib halyard to get my FS connected. I've thought about getting a forestay with a lever. How loose is the rig when you have the lever open? And, can you put a fair amount of tension on by just flipping the lever?

[TIM WEBB]

K.C., when I upgraded the standing rigging, I decided to start over from scratch. I knew I wanted as much aft rake as I could get, so I set the shroud turnbuckles such that, with the jib halyard as tight as I could make it (without using any additional purchase), the forestay eye end *just* reaches the top hole of the 3-hole lever, but lines up well enough to easily insert the pin. Closing the lever tightens the rig, and puts a little slack in the JH. When reversing the steps to un-rig, I don't really honk on the JH, just make it snug, and when I open the lever, the rig goes quite slack and the eye end pin comes out easily. So, to answer your questions, yes, the rig is fairly loose with the lever open, and fairly tight with it closed. I know, not very scientific, as I've never measured the rig tension or mast rake, but it works. The leeward shroud doesn't go slack until the wind's about 9-10 kts, and the weather helm seems about right.

[K.C. Walker]

Thanks Tim, it seems like a good set up.

[TIM WEBB]

No prob!

[billodusa]

Stupid question - since I don't currently have a jib halyard, couldn't I use the main halyard?

[TIM WEBB]

Hmmm ... not a stupid question, but I wonder? Never tried, but I would think you would get too much mast bend. You really need to be pulling on the area near the hounds, where the stays attach. With your furler, you might be able to use a method like John describes, tying a line to some part of the furler near the lower end?

[kokko]

It would be easier to secure a line above the spreaders and use that to lower (or raise) the mast.