Hi guys,
I haven’t been around for a while. But now I am back thinking and thinkering.
Problem: It is time to do some major refitting to the jibs. Problem is that my number one Genoa is more or less 6 meters at the lower end sweeping the deck. Getting it down and secured is a major job. Changing from number 1 to number 2 is at best a challenge. I hoist number 2, tack and get the number one on deck. But if it is really blowing and waves are building in the North Sea while you are trying to master the damned large sail – which is not fastened other than in the forestay profile, tack and sheet – two arms are not enough. The only way to get rid of the beast is to get it down the hatch unpacked – which will make everything wet down below.
There must be a better way to handle this!
Solution: As I said – I have been thinking. I have come to the conclusion that hank on sails must be much better and safer. So this is what I am going to do; I will fit two forestays, not fore and aft but parallel. I will fit a stainless steel triangle at the bottom and top of the two forestays. The triangles will make them parallel with no more space between them than enough to avoid letting the hanks twist into another while hoisting or taking down a jib.
The big deal about having two forestays is to let me hank on two sails at once. I will hank the number one on starboard and number two on port. If it is blowing too much for the number 2 I will hank on the number 3 on top of the packed and secured number one. This requires sail bags easily secured too the guard wires, big enough to contain each sail and sheets, with an opening for the hanks in front.
Safer, faster, better: Point is that parallel forestays will make it easier to change sails, to secure them and keep them on deck. This will save space, time and foremost make it possible to sail for a shorter time with the wrong sails set.
So – why don’t I just do like everybody else and go for a wrap around furling jib? Because roller furling always look and feel wrong on an old 70’s masthead with huge genoas. In light conditions you need a light number one, as soon as it blows you need a flat and low number two and so on. You will never need a furling jib half way up the forestay.
Why worry? Parallel – not cutter rig – but parallel forestays was coming into fashion at the time somebody found out that roller furling was the thing to have. So it was all forgotten. However, as far as I can tell nobody really has any negative experiences with the parallel system.
This really bother me – I came up with this grand idea all by my selves and found out that it went out of fashion decades ago. If it is such a grand idea – how come nobody uses it? I can’t be that smart. So please come on – give me some advice? What’s the catch?
9 comments
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Monday, January 3, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Bastian
hi there,
we have been sailing two parallel forestays for 30 years now on our 1959-built 6,5 kr cruiser, built by abeking & rasmussen. works perfectly – the only disadvantage is that you have half the tension on the double forestay, so in strong weather you have to put more pressure on your backstay to straighten things out.
regards and happy sailing!
bastian
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:51 am
reiss
One more thing Bastian – thinking about it – why would two parallel forestays slack more than one?
Even one more thing – do you have any photos showing your setup? Have you used triangels to separat the forestays?
Yours best Espen
Monday, January 3, 2011 at 10:17 pm
reiss
Bastian,
thanks! Is that really it? The catch is to tension the backstay in windy weather? I use the backstay tensioner all the time, so this is not a catch at all.
Wow!
Espen
Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Jelle Sonnevelt
Hi Espen,
as a almost Kaskelot-owner, just love to look at your page.
But at this topic I don’t really understand (not that you don’t like furling jibs, me neither…) why don’t you simply put a reef in your Genua 1 to make it an 2? Saves at least one big sail on the deck…
Maybe it is to old fashioned too!
best regards,
Jelle
Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 10:03 pm
reiss
Jelle,
I have never sailed with a reefed genoa for two reasons. First – I don´t need to reef it to reduce sail going downwind. Tath normally works out fine. However, I need a flatter and more heavy number two above 14-16 knots going upwind. Second, when in heavy wind and seas I need a genoa cut higher to clear the deck and avoid heavy water in the sails.
You know what – this answer does not feel right. I will follow your thoughts and look into genoa reefing. It might work out. Let me think about it.
Jelle – as almost Kaskelot owner … what does this mean? Are you buying one or share life with a Kaskelot owner?
Best and good winds to you – Espen
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Andreas Kleiberg
WOW! It is, in my eyes, the perfect solution!
I remember racing SALT around kvitsøy, we had as many sailshifts as possible. Bruced and bloody we were discussing the same thing.
I can not imagine any problems with the double parallel forestay!
Keep away from the roller furl. Even with Saphirs new genoa, it is really hard to get the perfect “fit”.
Im looking foreward to read more!
By the way, good page!
Good reading:-)
Fair winds and good sailing!
Andreas
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 4:22 pm
reiss
Hi Andreas,
Andreas,
it really looked promising for a while. Howver, I am a little down right now about the double forestay. The problem is as follows – if you have two forestays divided on top and deck – the hardening of the forestay will be devided by two. So – with two forestays the sagging will be double. And as you know the up-wind performace of Salt will be seriously worsened by added sagging. And on top of this it will be even worse on Salt than most other sailboats as she has these hughe genoas. I have been pondering this problem for a month without finding a sollution.
Nice to hear from you Andreas. Hope all is well.
Yours Espen
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:20 pm
Andreas Kleiberg
True. I did not think of that one.
We schould stick our heads together over a cup of tea some time!
I am teaching in stavanger the rest of this week, so let me know if you are up for tea.
Andi
Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at 8:27 pm
Matthieu
I have a boat with two parralel forestays which is nice to keep two sails hooked on. But the unused sail gets wet and i dont succeed in getting enough tension on to keep the sail in shape: the forestay hangs. I don’t have a means to adjust the tension on the backstay.