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Forestay cleat


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I apologise if this is a stupid question but I haven't been able to find anything online.

 

I'm rigging up my Javelin to allow me to raise the jib with the forestay. The jib also has wire in the luff so the wire will go from the bow, up to the front of the mast, down the mast and then needs to be anchored at the base of the mast somehow.

 

Ideally it would be good to have some adjustment on the mast as well to allow for raking the mast more or less.

 

I've seen the Highfield lever option but is there a cheaper way? Could I use a small bull horn cleat and a short length of dyneema between it and the end of the forestay/halyard?

 

Cheers,

Chris

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Hey Chris,

 

Not sure I understand exactly what your doing, if the forestay is in the jib, what will hold the mast up when the jib is down? I guess a 2nd forestay? If so, why not add hanks to the jib and remove the internal forestay? This will decrease the load you need to cleat on deck, meaning you can use any common method, horn cleat, cam cleat etc.

as for adjusting rig tension etc, when I brought Blunderbus years ago, it had a super adjustable rig, with drum winches on both side stays, and a ram bar opposing the vang load on the mast, there were also about 6 different forestay lengths to choose from. It’s all since been removed I believe, you don’t really have time to mess with that stuff on a skiff, and I guess don’t really need to? Just set each day for the conditions and go sailing seemed the normal choice in the class. I think I might have a drum winch and associated bits still if you want to do what your planning. Gives a heap of purchase.

You still in Nelson? Do you race at all? I just brought an old I14, very similar shape to a javelin, might have to bring it over some time (once we can sail it).

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Hi Matt,

 

Yes I'm still in Nelson. It would be great to have you over sail when I've got the Jav up and running.

 

The complicating factor is I run a jib furler when I sail with the kids so there is no room for a separate forestay.

 

When the jib isn't up I have a bummy stay that I unclip from the bottom of the mast and attach to the bow before dropping the jib.

 

I'm not looking to adjust anything while I'm sailing, just to allow me to use different jibs depending on who I'm sailing with.

 

Another idea I had was to use a boom slide in a track but I'm not sure if that will handle the load.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

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From the dark recesses of my memory...

 

Alloy plate 150mm long with hooks every 15mm attached to the mast, wire halyard has an eye sliced at the end which is hooked over the plate, tension as required

 

I will be at the local boat shop later today, I will see what I can find out

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Cep, The flying Dutchman worlds are in Nelson right now, so there is 40 odd FD's there right now.. Have a look at their set up. They run the jib on a separate wire to the forestay and adjust the tension lots during the race, ie tighten up for up wind and slacken it right off down wind.

 

 

Most of the guys are pretty keen to talk about their boats..

 

 

cheers

 

Tb

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From the dark recesses of my memory...

 

Alloy plate 150mm long with hooks every 15mm attached to the mast, wire halyard has an eye sliced at the end which is hooked over the plate, tension as required

 

I will be at the local boat shop later today, I will see what I can find out

https://www.allenbrothers.co.uk/?s=Hook+rack

 

This is what I was remembering

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Thanks everyone.

 

I went to have a look at the FD's but they all have on-the-fly rig adjustment which is a bit complicated for a simple soul like me.

 

I'm a bit nervous about an aluminium hook rack as I've seen one fail in spectacular fashion.

 

I've narrowed it down to two options:

 

1. An Allen Brothers Highfield lever (if I can find one)

2. A mast hound mounted upside down with a stay adjuster attached (easy to find)

 

Cheers,

Chris

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Thanks everyone.

 

I went to have a look at the FD's but they all have on-the-fly rig adjustment which is a bit complicated for a simple soul like me.

 

I'm a bit nervous about an aluminium hook rack as I've seen one fail in spectacular fashion.

 

I've narrowed it down to two options:

 

1. An Allen Brothers Highfield lever (if I can find one)

2. A mast hound mounted upside down with a stay adjuster attached (easy to find)

 

Cheers,

Chris

Deckhardware in Sydney carry the Allen range in Australia, they will post to New Zealand

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The rigger at Norsand boatyard in Whangarei makes his own special design of removable forestay tensioning lever which would probably be ideal for this purpose and as he makes them himself he could customise it for you if necessary. He talked to me about them about 5 years ago so I don't know if this info is current but if you call Norsand boatyard I expect they can put you in touch with him. I think his name is Gerry or Jerry. Even if he's not making them now I'm sure he'd have good advice for you.

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On the fireball we wanted options, so set up a full length dyneema halyard, and had an open sided clamcleat, which I shackled to a double block. A similar block was bolted to the back end of the centrecase, with a cam cleat above it. Only gives a 5:1, but allows infinite adjustment, plus used up the surplus halyard.

 

The clamcleat was hooked onto the halyard at the mast base, the purchase was threaded up, and then we just pulled hard.

 

On one occasion we thought it was slipping as the lee shroud was loose, so we tightened it just before the bottom mark. Twice.

 

When we got ashore we found we'd pushed the mast step through the hog.

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On the fireball we wanted options, so set up a full length dyneema halyard, and had an open sided clamcleat, which I shackled to a double block. A similar block was bolted to the back end of the centrecase, with a cam cleat above it. Only gives a 5:1, but allows infinite adjustment, plus used up the surplus halyard.

 

The clamcleat was hooked onto the halyard at the mast base, the purchase was threaded up, and then we just pulled hard.

 

On one occasion we thought it was slipping as the lee shroud was loose, so we tightened it just before the bottom mark. Twice.

 

When we got ashore we found we'd pushed the mast step through the hog.

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