Dynex Dux inner forestay?

[Kiwipete]

Great forum. Just a quick question: Is Dynex Dux suitable for use as an inner, sail-carrying forestay? If I can, I'd like to get rid of the detachable wire stay and its great big heavy ABI quick release lever. They beat up my mast and deck. Mostly I use the IF to stop the mast from pumping, but it's meant to carry a storm staysail or storm jib (neither of which has been used in anger yet).

So, I'm hoping a 7mm Dynex stay tensioned by a 6:1 tackle (with the fall taken to a mast winch if necessary) and by the runners (already Dyneema, taken to spi winches) would be a suitable replacement. I'd get rid of the bronze piston hanks on the 2 sails and replace them with soft shackles. Seems to me this would be friendlier to boat and crew, and will be easier to stow.

If any of you have experience (good or bad) with this sort of setup, I'd love to hear about it.

[Brian Duff]

Well you haven't said what size boat or what size stay your are replacing, but the idea is valid.

if the your intention is to keep things light and freindly, and you have a winch to tension, you may only need 2:1 purchase.

have fun

[Kiwipete]

Brian - the boat is 34' and the wire inner forestay is 6mm. I've already ordered the Dynex and hope to make the change next weekend.

[Jack]

Did you get the thing rigged? How is it going? How was the job?....:-)

[Brian Duff]

The schooner that we rigged over the winter with Dynex has it for both forestays, and things seem fine so far. Responding just line a wire rig would on a boat of this type. Time will tell , though.

[svbravo]

Kiwipete:
Did you ever rig the Dux stay? I'd be interested in hearing how it worked out.

I have my mast out of my Kelly Peterson 46. It was originally designed with roller furl staysail, which I'm converting to hank on. I've been thinking along the same lines as you, considering either dux or braid spectra line. I'd need to add a sheave for it above the existing halyard sheave to run it internally down to a mast winch below. For a fair lead where it exits the sheave, I might need to add a "halyard" restrainer below it, to keep it in alignment with the halyard sheave right below it.

One variation I'm thinking of is to put a snap shackle on it's end. Then rig the staysail "prehanked" on to it's own dedicated length of dux/spectra, which would run from tack fitting to the sheave point above. Thus, when time to hoist a staysail, I could just clip it onto the tack eye on deck, clip on the stay to it's other end which would have a thimble spliced in, tighten the stay, and hoist the sail normally w/ it's halyard.

I would have a similar length of line "prehanked" on for both the storm staysail and regular working staysail. Seems like it would simplify sail changing and setting, minimizing time on the foredeck when least desired, and be pretty easy to do. Also would eliminate the need for hyfield lever at the deck if it could be adequately tensioned at the head end w/ sheave and mast winch.

Hope my description is clear.

Does anyone see any problem with this arrangement? Anyone tried it, especially on a 46', 33,000lb boat? Any suggestions for line to use?

Thanks for any advice
Adam
KP46 'Bravo'
Seattle

[Jack]

Adam, I am not quit following what are thinking about. But I am interested in any ideas that will ease changing sails. I am using bronze hanks on a 9mm forstay.

I have an staysail stay made up of 9mm Dynex Dux, and I modified a Colligo terminator to fit inside of a Highfield lever. I get it plenty tight looks like, for the staysail.

I just recently added a continuous line furler to the bow. If you look at photos of the round' world race boats, you will see 5 or more sails rolled up on these things.

http://www.colligomarine.com/Furlers.htm

It works so well I may get another one for the staysail. I have "rolled up" and bagged 3 different headsails so far so good. A Yankee, a Genny, and a light drifter. There are a few things I like over a regular roller furler. I can use any sail I want, and changing is easier.

You roll up the sail and you can drop it and bag it. The next sail is easy to attach and pull up and unroll. You can locate the roller anywhere you want. I am considering a small bowsprit, or even on the front of one of my ama's. It is a lot lighter than a roller furler. I still have all my hanks so if something goes gunnysack, I can go back to hanks.

The boat is a 34' Searunner Trimaran.

[svbravo]

very interesting, Jack. I hadn't thought of one of these for staysail and storm staysail use, just think of them as light air code zero type furling. but you're right, if a volvo60 is using, should be fine on my 46.

One question would be getting tight enough. Would a 2 part halyard to a winch give adequate tension?

I'll see if I can explain my original concept any more clearly. Imagine 2 staysail "halyards", one exiting mast immediately above other. This top one would actually clip to a stay, of preset length (from deck fitting to this mast sheave). That "stay" would be made of dux, and would remain hanked on to the staysail, one for each staysail. When you bag the sails, you don't unhank, just pack it up with this length of dux attached.

Then when you want to raise a sail, you attach the tack end of the line to the deck fitting, attach the upper end to line to the shackle of the "stay" (actually the upper "halyard" as described above), and hoist it tight, very tight. the sail is still on deck, naturally already hanked on. You now would attach the regular halyard and hoist it normally.

What I like about it is simplicity, no add'l furler needed. But it does require the add'l halyard for the stay be added immediately above the normal staysail halyard sheave. But when you're not using the staysail, you simply handle it all as another halyard, w/o any extra gear.

Hope this makes more sense. I'm still going to look into the Colligo furlers, as well as facnor to see if they recommend for staysails and storm sails. Interesting.

thanks
Adam