Re: Solent stay

[unabated]

I just got back “online” as I am in Little Creek Va.
I have a Solent stay, and so far my only issue is where to put the wire when not in use. I haven’t found a good spot for it so that it does not clang on the spreaders. Also it tends to become a hand hold when going forward. It’s a little scary to grab on to it and it flops around a little bit.
Paul, something we need to take care of before we leave.
alan

— On Wed, 10/21/09, John Stevenson <> wrote:

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[RichCarter]

I started installing one a few years back and haven’t finished yet. I’ve read this with interest. I’ve already cut a hole in the deck for a chainplate and I’ve cut the plate to fit. I stopped there because my rigger advised me that the forward bulkhead isn’t strong enough to take the load. He recommended reinforcing it. After reading this thread I’ve decided to see if I can move it forward and attach to the existing stemhead fitting. I’m not sure there is room to clear the headsail furler, but it looks like it might. I’m also not convinced that the existing stemhead fitting will take the load. I’ll have to climb into the anchor locker and see what’s under there.

I plan to cut the solent stay short. When not in use, it will attach to a pad eye on the toe-rail just forward of the port lowers. When in use I plan to attach a short piece of appropriate length. This will prevent sail slides from sliding all the way down to the stemhead, but they will be low enough to reach. It raises the headsail a few feet, but in bad weather this is the custom anyway.

The nice thing about using a hanked on storm sail is that its bullet-proof. I’d rather deal with a hanked on sail in bad weather than wrestle with a sail in a head foil. When you drop a hanked on sail, it remains attached to the headstay.

Rich

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[quent]

Hi Rich-
I think that you are right that the stemhead fitting is too close to the furler to fit a Solent stay, at least for our Harken #2 furler, It is also putting a lot of faith in some old stainless steel.
We found that the base for a Hyfield lever assembly would just fit aft of the stemhead. Using fiberglass laminate, we built a backing plate extending across both hull flanges and about an inch thick. I’m confident that this base is at least as strong as the mast tang. The hull/deck is very strong at this location.
I like your idea of a two piece stay. The stay banging on the spreader is annoying at best.
Quent

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