Cutter Rig on Sloop

[Bay Sailor]

Has anyone added this stay to their sloop? New attachment of the stay at the mast, a Highfield lever in the deck above v-berth, etc. How and where to attach the stay. What about stresses to the deck? Would the addition of the stay and use of the staysail require additional work on the hull-deck connection? If so, how does one do that? You see where I'm going with this.....

This seems like adding important flexibility to the sloop, particularly in poor conditions. If you have done this or know someone who has, please let me/us hear about it.

Thanks,

Mark

[Dale Tanski]

Mark,
We have the inner self tending staysail on our ketch and love it.  It adds much flexibility to the sail plan and when it pipes up we will use the staysail and a heavily reefed main or drop the main and go with the staysail and mizzen. 

There is a short stay under the deck up in the anchor locker.  A pad is mounted on the deck, a pad is mounted under the deck and the are through bolted to each other.  There is a connection to the hull and the stay links the two.  Without that you will rip the deck up. 

In addition to the deck equipment there are two check stays added that attach to the mast where the inner forestay attaches.  These check stays pull back to counter act the pull of the inner stay and keep the mast from bending forward.

Where it is...



What it looks like...



Top end...



Bottom end...



Dale

[Bay Sailor]

Mark,
We have the inner self tending staysail on our ketch and love it.  It adds much flexibility to the sail plan and when it pipes up we will use the staysail and a heavily reefed main or drop the main and go with the staysail and mizzen. 

There is a short stay under the deck up in the anchor locker.  A pad is mounted on the deck, a pad is mounted under the deck and the are through bolted to each other.  There is a connection to the hull and the stay links the two.  Without that you will rip the deck up. 

In addition to the deck equipment there are two check stays added that attach to the mast where the inner forestay attaches.  These check stays pull back to counter act the pull of the inner stay and keep the mast from bending forward.

Where it is...



What it looks like...



Top end...



Bottom end...



Dale

Dale, thanks, again. I'll be spending money on new standing rigging sometime in the next few months, and will now have an idea about what I'm asking for at the rigging shop. I'll also get some advice about how and where to mount check stays. In the meantime I'll do more "research" so that I've got it all in my head.

A couple of short questions:
-In the first photo, I see a small cover plate with 6 bolts. Is this part of the installation or something unrelated?
-Since you don't mention it, I assume there is no Highfield lever on deck. If this is true, is the baby stay rigged the same as the jib forestay as far as deck connection is concerned?

Thanks again for the benefit of all of your experience.

Mark

[Dale Tanski]

Mark,

The 6 bolts are for the self tending club foot staysail base.  It is a Forespar (no longer made) unit however it could be fabricated with out much of a problem.  My staysail is completly self tending which is wonderfull all on its own.

There is a highfield lever on deck.  On occasion I do release the inner forestay and tuck it back so that the forward headsail can pass easier on a tack.  This was much more important when I had a 150% but I found with the staysail I didn't need so much overlap.  This accomplished several things.  First the crank time is far less with my 130% headsail which is a big improvement.  I also had the new headsail cut much higher like a yankee so my forward visibility is much improved. A smaller point although much appreciated, the small headsail is lighter and easier to carry to and from the boat during the off season.  I guess cost would also be an issue as it is smaller.

I can give you all of the dimensions and pictures of each item when the time comes that you are going to proceed.  The cutter arrangement (staysail) is a beautyfull thing.
Dale

[Shacklepin]

Hey Mark
You may not be aware, but Pearson produced 50 cutter rigged boats called the Pearson 367 a sister ship based on the same hull design but with a repositioned mast and a deeper keel. She has the inner stay and two running back stays. I am lucky enough to own one of these; Ebb Tide, hull no 36. If I can furnish you with any photo's of the rigging arangement please drop me a line via Shacklepin@gmail.com

[Bay Sailor]

Good morning guys,

Thanks for the info, which goes into the file for this project. I'll need to put things off for a while though, since the marine electrician who is straightening out my electrical system is charging $72- p/h and the mechanic who is about to install my rebuilt engine will be getting $110- p/h!!!! This is very serious money as you know, so every other purchase is on hold. So, I'll just need to keep prioritizing (and doing without lots of things).

Mark

[Dale Tanski]

Mark,

See above post regarding the installation of staysail tracks and abandoning the selftending arrangement.  He is not going to use the Forespar mount.  If you can get him to sell you the mount and the underdeck hardware, the missing boom is an easy remake and I could help you with that, you would be good to go.

Dale

[P69]

Mark,

Dale is right, I do have a pedestal that I don't intend to use, but I wont' know until late this year, or January.

I  will install tracks  on the coach roof to manage the staysail sheeting. If that is an utter failure, I will revisit self-tending and will need the pedestal.  Check back with me in January 2013 for the pedestal. I should know by then if I 'm going to keep it.