2 minute read
Forestay Modification
A most beneficial way to improve the forestay tension system on your Wanderer
John Renouf provides directions: A common problem with self-furling gear on the Wanderer is preventing the jib tangling with the slack forestay during furling. There are different solutions to this problem that can Short Forestay be seen when walking around the boat park at a Wanderer event; spreaders, spacers, CDs, some even purport to remove the forestay altogether - not recommended. Shackle The method described here is rather more 'high-tech' and requires some expenditure but is worth the effort in Trapeze Cleat terms of reliability and providing an alternative way of tensioning the Highfield lever that requires less effort and is kinder to the fingers. This is not the author's original idea and has been described in Wanderer publications in times past. This article re-vists the solution and provides
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Plastic Loop photographs of an actual set-up that has served me well:(supplied with cleat) Parts you will need: 1. Cam cleats CL253 “Trapeze and Vang Cleat” 2. Small shackle 5mm rope 3. Sea Sure SKU 00.07 “OO 25mm single block with clevis pin” or similar (clevis pin not required) 4. About 1.25 metres of 5mm plaited rope 5. Forestay, overall length about 4.3 metres
Sea Sure block
Setup:
1. Attach the Sea Sure block to the bow fitting using the clevis pin of the bow fitting (if present)
2. Splice the 5mm rope onto the trapeze cleat ensuring the plastic loop is captured in the splice:
3. The shortened forestay is attached to the mast in place of the original. The Trapeze Cleat is attached to the lower end of the forestay using an appropriately-sized shackle. 4. The mast is raised. The rope is fed through the block on the bow fitting then up through the black plastic loop then into the back of the cleat. It leads out through the jaws so that it jams under load. A stopper knot provides security against the mast falling after the large mast pin is removed. 5. When rigging the Wanderer, attach the jib to the furling drum and the jib halyard. Place the Highfield lever in its lowest position and rise the jib until the soft eye in the jib halyard can be looped over the hook of the lever.Pull down hard on the free end of the forestay rope and jam it in the cleat so that it tensions the rigging. The set the Highfield lever to the desired position. With the rigging load temporarily being taken by the forestay setting the Highfield lever is much easier.When the Highfield lever is set, slacken the forestay rope until the rigging tension is taken up by the jib halyard. The forestay should be straight (i.e. not slack) but not under tension. 6. When de-rigging the jib, take up the rig tension on the forestay before releasing the Highfield lever. This reduces the required effort and the risk of damage, e.g. to fingers!
In the next edition an article about the cascade system is planned which to replace the Highfield. Until then good luck with this and any other additions you might want to make - JR
Pictured top left: Gentle Joy, John and Jenny Renouf’s boat, afloat at the “Try-a-Wanderer” event in 2019 - Jenny Renouf
