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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

What would you do if your forestay snapped?

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/25/2009 : 13:16:29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TF_Zv7cXrs

Paul

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 13:36:51

They're lucky the rig stayed upright.

When the forestay snapped on my catamaran about 12-13 years ago, the rig came down onto the boat, broke the gooseneck at the mast, and ended up in the water on the starboard side. It happened in an instant, one moment I was sailing on a port tack, the next I was dodging aluminum & steel. Fortunately I didn't have my golden retriever with me that day, it would have almost certainly hit him as it came down in his favorite spot to be in the way. The mast was filled with foam so it wouldn't sink, and some guys on jet skis were there in a minute or two to help. I eventually got a tow back to the dock from a guy in a Boston Whaler who'd seen it all happen from his dock. The good news was, it cost me about $40 and a six pack of beer to get back in the water. The new forestay was about $20 to have made up, another $20 or so to have a new gooseneck fitting machined, and I left the beer on the Boston Whaler guy's dock since I wasn't sure which house was his.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 14:25:29

Change my pants.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 14:42:18

I haven't had one snap on me, but, in a race last year in our C-22, I did lose a quick release pin at the bottom of the forestay turnbuckle. We use them at the forestay and forward lowers. I hadn't taped it, and that was the first time in years of racing that it happened. We were lucky that we didn't lose the rig, but we did have to drop out of that race to fix it. The jib and the forward lowers were holding everything up. I quickly turned downwind and loosened the backstay so my crew could try to put in another clevis pin, but he wasn't able to do it. So we carefully headed back to the dock and made repairs there.

Edited by - dmpilc on 01/25/2009 14:44:20

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 14:59:01

I think I would have cried out, "_(@#*&&^!@#^%$&^#" and then prayed it wasn't going to cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to get the boat back to sailing condition.

I had never considered a forestay breaking before, but hey, why not.

Deric

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 15:02:59

Duck! If the forestay snaps on a C250 the mast is coming down.

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bigelowp
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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2009 : 15:24:49

First say "Oh S__T" then pray, and afterwords do as I am -- trying to fix all the unseen but still damaged parts of a boat that had the mast crash down on the cabintop, stern rail, etc, etc. I have a gained a REAL appreciation for the standing rigging -- whcih I am much more dilegent checking than when I started out sailing . . .

Edited by - on

Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 01:33:24

As with Randy if my forestay snaps, the mast is coming down towards the cockpit "Timber!!!". Since I have a boom vang, and if it's tight, and if the main was over the cockpit then maybe, it could hold the mast up to give me a chance. To many "if's".

If any other mast attach points were to snap it wouldn't be as bad. I could handle one of the lowers or uppers snapping, or even the backstay. But the forestay, never. To the point that I am considering having a line from the top of the mast all the way to the pullpit just as a safety. Have you ever considered something like that?

Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 01/26/2009 01:34:21

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 07:58:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Blackburn
 To the point that I am considering having a line from the top of the mast all the way to the pulpit just as a safety. Have you ever considered something like that?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

While under sail on a cruise in the Georgian Bay, a friend of mine suffered a broken forestay that snapped at the mast. His headsail, furler, etc, ended up in the drink, but his mast stayed upright. He credits his spinnaker halyard, which is tied off to the pulpit, with keeping his mast from joining him in the cockpit. Since then, I've run my spinnaker halyard to the pulpit. Will it help the mast stay upright in the event of a broken forestay? Who knows, but it's better than nothing and gives me some peace of mind.

Edited by - dlucier on 01/26/2009 08:00:01

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 09:15:11

My (or now Voyager's) furler drum was shackled to the stem fitting, so I suspect the furler, sail, and halyard might keep the mast from coming down. One thing that can lead to a broken forestay is the damage from a halyard-wrap with a furler. When I bought Passage, it had signs of that--the top of the forestay was twisted and bent a little. It wasn't long before I bought a new full set of standing rigging.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 09:23:08

In all seriousness...

Turn dead downwind instantly. Then take the Jib halyard forward and tie it to the bow pulpit. Chances are theough, that if your forestay is taking strain to break it you are either pounding upwind, or there is some serious wave action, or your mast is pumping. If the waves are making the stick into a whip, you can't do squat about it. If you are pounding to windward, then you can turn downwind, but pullin ga 180 with an unsecured mast takes more than a little seamanship.

Probably the best thing to do is to inspect your rigging from time to time and make sure all is well up there.

Edited by - on

Steve Blackburn
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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 13:30:20

The problem with "turn downwind instantly" is that when your forestay breaks it's most probably while you were going upwind. If that is the case once the forestay snaps the wind will push the mast down even faster (because of the main). I don't think you would have a chance, the mast would probably go down in like 3 seconds.

How do I know this? Well when I first got my boat my wife and I decided to raise the mast (with the trailer mast raising system). Being new to this I had no idea if the backstay was too tight or not and if we were applying normal presure (from the winch). Well it was way to tight, and the line I was using to raise the mast snapped. At that time the mast was nearly all the way up and the furler almost hooked in. The furler slipped out of my hands and I tried as hard as I could to keep the mast upright but it was going down slowly nearing the cabin top I had to let go (before my arms would rip off) and it broke the cabin top.

So with this bad experience I can just imagine this happening on the water. No chance.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 13:36:50

So Steve, are you seconding the nod for a spare halyard attached to the pulpit?

Edited by - on

RCarie
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 20:39:09

Go Down wind fast!

Randy
#5947

Edited by - on

Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 21:30:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 So Steve, are you seconding the nod for a spare halyard attached to the pulpit?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I think so!

Unless I can run from the cockpit to the pullpit with halyard in hand under 3 seconds.

I`m installing a spinnaker block at the mast top next summer, with halyard and will attach it to the pullpit when not in use. When in use it`s mostly because I`m going downwind anyways.

Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 01/26/2009 21:32:37

Arlyn Stewart
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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2009 : 17:15:21

Securing the spare jib halyard to the pulpit doesn't work great as it fouls with a CDI furler. A spinnaker halyard however will do the job.

The method I've used often while cruising is to rig a line to a spinnaker mast crane prior to stepping the mast. The advantage is that it is not another slapping halyard.

Edited by - on

Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2009 : 06:56:35

Well. . . been there, done that. I ran into a day marker hidden behind my genoa while I was having a too-fascinating discussion with my passenger. The forestay broke, and the genoa was damaged. I turned downwind, went forward, and brought the genoa down by hand, keeping tension on the halyard. I detached and stowed the genoa, clipped the jib halyard to the bow, hardened it, and headed home.

Obviously, that was before I installed my jib furler. If it happened now -- I guess I would use the unused jib halyard shackled to the whisker pole ring as an emergency forestay again. That's one of the advantages of a CDI furler -- it has its own halyard, so you can use the unused jib halyard as a spinnaker halyard or for the aforementioned crisis.

Edited by - Even Chance on 01/29/2009 07:09:51

swanny
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2009 : 08:25:41

There was something to be said for a hank on jib, I lost my forestay flying a storm jib on my Pearson 26 in cruddy weather. The jib and halyard acted as a forestay long enough for me to notice the the excessive mast movement as I gazed at the Windex. Rigged a spare halyard and limped into the closest port. With a roller...who knows?
I do like the idea of running a halyard to the pulpt....hadn't thought of it, I think I'll try...what could it hurt?

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2009 : 08:44:27

Anybody use a Shaeffer(?) brand furler. My brother has one on his Macgregor 26D, came with the boat. It uses the boat's original jib halyard to raise and lower the sail. Attach halyard to top of swivel car, head of sail to bottom of car, and the car slides up the foil as you raise the sail. No messenger lines needed. That system might provide some extra margin of safety?

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2009 : 10:21:23

David... That's the way just about all furlers except CDI work.

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