Stays'l Stay, part II

[bschnur]

Ah, the things I learn on this board. It turns out that my M382
was rigged with a "Solent stay" sometime before I bought her.
I've always looked a bit askance at the mounting position of this
"odd" stay since it mounts less than a foot behind the headstay.

Since my sole use of an inner stay will be to hank on a storm
stays'l, and the best advice has always seemed to be to keep the
storm stays'l as close in to the mast as possible, maybe the
Solent stay is not such a good place for storm canvas? A
standard inner forestay, per Brewer's design, with running backs,
gets the canvas pretty close to the mast, thus keeping that
sailplan close together. Then some knowledgeable people pointed
out that Solent stays don't require running backs and all the
attendant extra rigging and fussing they require. This, they
say, would be especially important on a short handed boat, which
makes the Solent stay look all the better in the sense of
potentially stronger and more reliable.
So, which works out best in the real world of storm stays'ls -- a
center of effort that's further forward on a simpler and
potentially stronger stay, or keeping that CE as close to to the
mast as possible, but now having to deal with mast pumping,
running backs, etc? I'm not at all familiar with either
approach and I look forward to hearing what experience has
taught.

 

[balthazor]

I like the solent stay for running my working jib, but I have yet to be in anything requiring my storm jib. (I have used the working jib in winds up to 35 to 40.) My sense is that you are right in your estimate of the pros and cons, but how to judge where they balance out--I do not know. If all you want is a place for your storm jib, use the solent stay, I would say. (My storm jib was first set up to run without a stay, but I have added hanks.) If, on the other hand, you want to be able to run your boat as a cutter--as Lenny does--go for the inner forestay and the running backs I am not sure anyone could give you a definitive answer. I just corresponded with Brewer about plans and I have talked to him on the phone--before I bought the boat. He is a fine guy. You might give him a call.

 

[barefoot]

Jim -- I run my Brewer-type staysail without the running backs. The mast section is quite beefy, and I've had no problem with mast pumping. But the most windI've been out is is around 30 knots. I do have the running backs ready to go, and I would install them if I were taking the boat offshore (which is my intention two years from now).