Installing a removable forestay Increase your headsail options by adding a second stay
The evolution of bluewater sailboats has gradually come to favor sloop and cutter-rigs over the once-predominant two-masters. It is true that ketches, yawls and schooners, with the great versatility in sail combinations they offer, can be fully canvassed in lighter airs, or the sailplan shortened with many options available as winds build in strength. The problem, however, is that spars on these boats are usually shorter than today’s sloops, and fail to capture wind that’s higher up in light breezes.
Since much of offshore sailing is done in winds of 15 knots or less, the taller spars provide superior sailing speeds most of the time. This, combined with the development of stronger spars and standing rigging, better sail materials with superior hull technology and materials has led to the rise of single-masted sailboats. The rig often preferred now is the cutter rig, or sloop with an additional inner forestay.
The removable inner forestay permits the greatest sail flexibility on a sloop-rigged sailboat. While providing a platform for a regular staysail to be flown in light to moderate breezes, the inner forestay is also perfect for deploying a storm staysail when the genoa is taken down or furled in more severe weather. When conditions call for tacking or jibing the genoa or flying a spinnaker, the removable inner forestay can be detached from the deck and stored at the mast, leaving the foredeck clear.
When going to install a removable forestay begin with an examination of the deck to locate the optimum position for the deck plate. The boat manufacturer may also have a recommendation for the location and configuration of the deck plate and reinforcement below.
The next important consideration is the mast attachment point. The inner forestay usually maintains an approximately parallel run with the primary forestay. Any mast attachment point that is more than three feet below the masthead usually requires running backstays to counter the forward pull of the inner forestay. Most non-racing sailors prefer to avoid running backstays, and therefore locate the mast attachment point nearer to the masthead. This means the deck plate is usually located not more than about three feet aft of the stem. Also, be certain that the site is clear of opening hatches, the anchor well lid, or other such features.
The deck attachment has to be unquestionably strong. The deck plate should be situated in an area that allows for solid support belowdecks: a main structural element such as a bulkhead, the IGU (Internal Glass Unit), a stringer or the keel. This can involve a variety of configurations, depending on the interior layout. The stay attaches to a plate on deck that is either integral with a brace extending through the deck (Figure 1), or is bolted to such a brace below (Figure 2). This brace is connected, by the most convenient means, to a structural element below.
Notice in Figure 1 that the deck plate and support bracket are fabricated as one unit. The bracket is then bolted securely to a bulkhead for strength. The arrangement in Figure 2 differs in that the deck plate, with its two welded rings, is separate from the L-shaped bracket below. These units are bolted together and the bracket is bolted to the bulkhead.
When having the deck plate fabricated, make certain to allow for two attachment points—one for the stay and one for the sail tack or pendent to the tack. The plate should be built from high-grade, 316 stainless steel, with the deck portion highly polished.
The inner forestay is usually installed near an anchor well or sail locker, which commonly coincides with the position of a bulkhead below. For this reason, the above configurations are often used. If no bulkhead is present, a ring can be welded to the bracket belowdecks, and then attached by wire and turnbuckle assembly to an internal structure, such as the IGU, stringer, or a keel bolt.
Wire for the inner forestay is usually two sizes smaller than the primary forestay, since it doesn’t withstand the same forces. All hardware should be corrosion-resistant 316 stainless steel. The photographs on page 41 show the stay configuration on Voyager, a Beneteau Oceanis 46. A toggle connects the stay to the deck plate ring. A forestay release lever from ABI Marine, complete with turnbuckle, is then swaged onto the stay wire. The wire is cut to the appropriate length, depending on the distance to the mast connection. There, a terminal fitting is swaged onto the wire to attach the stay to the appropriate mast attachment.
I chose to make the release lever itself removable, since it’s an expensive piece of hardware. This was accomplished by using fast pins at its attachment to the deck plate and to an eye at the stay terminal. Using the fast pin, instead of the normal clevis pin, allows for quick removal of the pin by pushing a button on the assembly. It doesn’t release without pushing the button, preventing it from accidentally detaching. Further, a length of wire is installed between the release lever and the upper stay terminal toggle. This is to make sure that the stay stores neatly at the mast base or shrouds with no slack.
The mast attachment can be the trickiest part of the job. Possible methods of mast attachment can include a fitting welded to the mast (only if the mast is removed from the boat), a “box” containing a stay attachment and halyard sheave that is bolted to the mast, or a mast hound. These methods assume the mast is aluminum. The terminal stay fitting is most commonly a thimble that attaches the stay to the mast with a clevis pin. Another option, if the mast is strong enough in the desired location, is to make a cutout, and to place an appropriate fitting into it. A stem ball that fits into the cutout vertically, and then holds securely when moved to the horizontal position, is the method I used on Voyager. This was an easy choice, since I simply used the stem ball fitting from the baby stay that was removed in favor of the inner forestay.
One last thing to consider is the fatigue factor that affects standing rigging. Much of the failure seen in rigging stems from the motion of the stays. There is pressure from both fore-and-aft and sideways directions, and if the top and bottom of the system are not toggled to allow for these motions, undue stress is placed on the attachment points at both ends. The best situation is to provide motion in both directions to avoid metal fatigue. A swivel and toggle, or two toggles in opposite directions, provide the best protection against failure. This is particularly important in the forestay, which is longer and carries a much larger sail.
A new, dedicated halyard, emanating from the mast just above the mast stay terminal, can be installed, or a cheek block will allow use of another halyard. Some masts are constructed with an opening provided for an inner forestay. As I mentioned, the mast box from spar manufacturers provides a sheave along with stay attachment point.
The storm staysail can be hanked onto the inner forestay, or roller reefing can be installed if the stay is permanent. Installing a removable inner forestay, with hanked staysail and storm staysail, makes the arrangement the most versatile. The inner stay can be removed for downwind spinnaker sailing and tacking situations upwind, or deployed to increase drive with the staysail or use a storm staysail when the weather deteriorates.
For best results, consult a qualified rigger and spar manufacturer for advice and assistance in implementing the inner forestay and any other changes to the stock rigging.
The evolution of bluewater sailboats has gradually come to favor sloop and cutter-rigs over the once-predominant two-masters. It is true that ketches, yawls and schooners, with the great versatility in sail combinations they offer, can be fully canvassed in lighter airs, or the sailplan shortened with many options available as winds build in strength. The problem, however, is that spars on these boats are usually shorter than today’s sloops, and fail to capture wind that’s higher up in light breezes. 
The removable inner forestay permits the greatest sail flexibility on a sloop-rigged sailboat. While providing a platform for a regular staysail to be flown in light to moderate breezes, the inner forestay is also perfect for deploying a storm staysail when the genoa is taken down or furled in more severe weather. When conditions call for tacking or jibing the genoa or flying a spinnaker, the removable inner forestay can be detached from the deck and stored at the mast, leaving the foredeck clear.