Solent Stay

[andert]

I recently purchased an old Allied Seawind Ketch (she's a real peach!), which has a Solent Stay, currently detached at the deck and stowed at the shrouds. The boat is equipped with Roller Furling on the headstay, with a 135% Genoa furled on it. I also have the original working jib, an old 150% and a storm jib, all fitted with tape luffs, but no UV strips. The 135 overlaps too far to sheet inside the shrouds unless partially furled, which I don't particularly like....this makes an already somewhat unweatherly boat even less weatherly.....close reaches upwind, not much VMG. Check my thought process....I'm thinking about getting a CDI flexible furler for the Solent stay, putting the working jib on the headstay furler and then either putting the 135 or the storm jib on the Solent, depending on the forecast. That way, I could sheet inside for better upwind performance under normal circumstances (it always seems like eveywhere I want to go is directly upwind!), but have reasonable choices for other conditions. Whadaya think?

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Solent configuration tends to be polarized. Many boats, particularly newer production models, will have furlers on both stays, with the lighter-air one outboard, on the jibstay. The theory is that, even though you must furl this sail to tack, you won't tack as frequently, and when you do the sail will be easier to furl (lighter, and in lower windspeeds). So the working sail is on the Solent, inboard, where it is easy to tack without furling.
Sometimes we also install a forestay, complete with runners, to hang a storm stays'l on. This stay is stowable.
The alternative is to hang the working sail outboard, on the jibstay, and a hank-on drifter or similar on the inner stay. Just the opposite of the above. The difference is that the Solent sail isn't roller-furling, so the stay is stowable, and you can tack the jib without interference most of the time. At sea you'll set up both stays, but you usually aren't tacking often there. With this configuration you can also hang a storm stays'l on the Solent. So you bracket the working range of the jib with light- and heavy-air sails on the Solent. This might be the setup for you.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[andert]

Thanks, Brion. Has anyone had any experience with the CDI flexible furlers? Do they work? Also, ATN makes a storm jib that fits over the furled headsail....does anyone have any input on that?

Thanks,

Todd Anderson

[John Stone]

I believe "Practical Sailor" did a review on both the ATN and the CDI furler. You might check their data base.

[Patrick_Seattle]

March 2008

http://www.practical-sailor.com/issu...ms_5581-1.html

Another good link:
http://insidepracticalsailor.com/sel...e-zero-furler/

[Saltydog]

I've spoken to several riggers who are against installing a mast hound and thru bolting it saying that will put too many holes in the mast and instead they want me to drop the mast so they can install an internal backing plate. I think this is overkill. I'm refitting a Coronado 41 and need people thoughts on best mast fitting to use. Also what do peop,e think of using synthetic rope for the stay?

Saltydog

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
Several riggers? I ask, because, while it seems possible that there is one wingnut out there who might suggest such a thing, I'm surprised that there might be several. I can't even recall ever seeing a backing plate installed for this application; ordinarily that is reserved for boom vang fittings, where the loads are relatively high, on a much thinner section.
There are internal tangs, sometimes used for forestays, that fit inside the mast. These are not backing plates, but the whole thing, and there are limits to their articulation, and thus to their use for a stay.
If you have a well-shaped fitting, adequately fastened, there is ample support to oppose the pull of the stay. I am working on a boat right now that has been around the world -- twice -- that doesn't even have a throughbolt for this fitting.
As for doing this in place, while it is possible, I urge you to take it out, so you can do the job much faster, easier, and safer, with the stick on sawhorses.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Saltydog]

Hi Brian,
Thanks for your advice I found a mast hound from rigging only which I will use. Now my question is the deck fitting. I plan to remove the mooring bit and place the fitting there but how to tie it to the hull. Is it possible to glass in a pad eye and use a turnbuckle to tie into a double pad eye deck fitting? Or do I need to mount the hull fitting by bolting it through the bow? I hate drilling holes in the hull.

Ed