Took Tropicbird out in 20 knot breeze yesterday and she did well with the genny rolled up to a jib and the main reefed. I was conservative because the admiral asked me to make it a "calm" outing. Hard on the wind she would swing through the usual 100 degree tacking angle and manage 4-5 knots to windward in almost flat seas. Off the wind and reaching she hit 7.4kts. Really a "calm" and well mannered ship. I think some gusts were higher-25+ and then she wanted to round up. That got me wondering about a storm jib. There is a hound just below the masthead, but no deck fitting for detachable inner stay (some call a Solent). Has anyone successfully rigged an inner stay? I have a massive ABI highfeild lever so all I would need is the deck attachment point. Riggers say no running backstays are required if the masthound is mounted within a foot or so of the masthead.
What have others done to address the need for a storm jib?
I added a removable solent stay about a foot below the headstay and it attaches to a fitting I had made that mounts just behind the anchor sprit. I don't have any close-ups of the details though.
http://www.pearson365.com/forum/index.php?topic=1150.msg6113#msg6113 (http://www.pearson365.com/forum/index.php?topic=1150.msg6113#msg6113)