Hello BWCC Fleet,
Input regarding snug and proper stowing of inner forestay and (Heavy) lever when removed for downwind running?
Thank you,
Kendal
Apologies for taking so long to reply, Kendal. I meant to take a photo, but forgot. So then I had to search for a photo that could almost do the job.
Zygote has an ABI Highfield lever on her forestay. That allows us to remove the forestay so we can tack the 135% genoa. With the forestay in place, the only way to tack the overlapping genoa is to roller-reef the genoa, then tack the boat, then unroll the genoa. Z’s genoa is a lightwind sail, 3.9 oz Dacron, that I aim to use in winds less than 12 knots.
On a downwind run, we usually use a whisker pole with the jib top. I’ve not tried to tack the pole: I bring it in and reset it on the other side.
To answer your question directly:-
Zygote has one of many Roger Olson’s innovations: a deck niche on deck, to port, in which we store her small bower or secondary anchor and the bulk of that anchor’s chain pendant. The deck niche is a simple thing, just a board attached to the inner faces of the wooden stanchions holding the bulwarks. You’ll see part of it in the attached photo, Portside small bower niche.gif. The small bower, a Danforth, and its chain pendant is there. The idea being to have the mass of the anchor aft, but also ready after minor preparation.
After releasing the Highfield lever, which as you note is a heavy thing, I put it in the forward portion of that niche: it’s pretty close to just the right size to hold the Highfield lever snugly. I slip a fabric cover over the Highfield lever, to stop the lever chafing against the bulwarks, cover board, and so on. Since I’m usually flying the genoa in light winds and calm seas, I often don’t bother lashing the stay to the nearby lifeline - but it’s an option.
Bil
A Savage 46’ berthed in our home marina, just a few slips along. And it had a right interesting wrinkle on a removable forestay.
The boat, Bilyana, had a open frame turnbuckle on its forestay. And a screw terminal had been added to one (or both port and starboard, I’ve forgotten) forward shroud chainplate.
The deal being that to take the forestay out of the forward triangle, the crew just unscrewed the turnbuckle. To stow the forestay, the turnbuckle was then made to the additional forward chainplate, with light tension.
I thought the idea wonderful. So I checked, on Zygote, whether the idea was applicable to the geometry of a BCC and its chainplate. It didn’t, but I did think that if I hadn’t invested in the wonderful ABI Highfield lever, the turnbuckle idea could be made to work by installing a screw thread terminal on a plate bolted to the bulwarks at just the right spot.
Bil
That niche is a fantastic idea. Thank you for the image.
Regards,
Kendal