Installing a solent stay

[SVFayaway]

All,

I'm looking to install either a solent stay or an inner forestay on my 74 CD28. I've searched the forum and found some information on inner forestays, but I'm really curious if anyone has done a solent stay. It sounds like a solent has most of the advantages of an inner forestay without the complication of installing running backstays. I'm planning to consult a rigger before I do anything permanent to the boat but I was wondering if anyone had first hand experience with this arrangement on their boat and whether they liked it. I'm planning on taking the boat offshore in a couple years, first to Bermuda and then across the Atlantic and to the Caribbean. I have an Alado furler which I just installed and love, but I'd like to have the option to fly a working jib and a storm sail from a solent or inner forestay.

[hilbert]

I have been adding fittings for a solent stay, while overhauling the rig.
Yesterday, I completed the installation of a Wichards 9150 mast tang.



It mounts on the inside of the mast and is fabricated in two halves, to allow the insertion through a slot (and then to be held in position with rivets).



If I had been doing the installtion with the mast up or the masthead in place, then I would not have seen that the fitting was seated with the hard edges pressing into the mast.





This probably would be ok, except now I knew about it . . .
So, I inserted half-round aluminum stock to between the mast and fitting.
With everything exposed, I was able to use machine screws in place of rivets.
The inserts extend an extra inch on each end and increase the contact area from 8" (4" x 2) to 12" (6" x 2).



The most challenging part was determining where to drill the holes.
This required accurate measurements and some trigonometry.






On the deck, I added a Spartan bronze 3/8" staysail chainplate

[Sea Hunt Video]

Hilbert:

That is some very impressive quality workmanship

[JD-MDR]

It's gonna be down the line but I am also thinking of this. I definitely want a roller furler but I want to keep my club jib

[John Stone]

All,

I'm looking to install either a solent stay or an inner forestay on my 74 CD28. I've searched the forum and found some information on inner forestays, but I'm really curious if anyone has done a solent stay. It sounds like a solent has most of the advantages of an inner forestay without the complication of installing running backstays. I'm planning to consult a rigger before I do anything permanent to the boat but I was wondering if anyone had first hand experience with this arrangement on their boat and whether they liked it. I'm planning on taking the boat offshore in a couple years, first to Bermuda and then across the Atlantic and to the Caribbean. I have an Alado furler which I just installed and love, but I'd like to have the option to fly a working jib and a storm sail from a solent or inner forestay.

Regarding nomenclature— “inner forestay” is correctly a forestay—for the fore stays’l. The often referred to jibstay sometimes erroneously called forestay which is technically the headstay. Not sure what the Solent jib is is referred to—inner jib? Solent jib? It’s not a stays’l.

Solent rig. The pros are no requirement for runners and it opens up the foredeck...depending on how it is set up. The disadvantages, depending how it’s set up, you might not be able to tack with jib if the Solent stay is rigged. And it keeps the center of effort a little further forward than a stays’l. Not really practical unless the jib is on a roller furler.

Stays’l. When set up correctly you can tack the jib easily enough even with the forestay rigged. Center of effort more aligned with a reefed main. Will require runners unless the mast incorporates aft intermediates like the factory cutter rigged Cape Dories. No requirement for roller furler for either jib or stays’l. A simple bullet proof system.

Solent rig, IMO is a good set up. But do your home work. Be prepared to sacrifice the jib for tacking...most people roll it up, then tack, then unroll it. Or, roll up the jib and carry on tacking with the stays’l. More to go wrong as it normally flies on roller furlers. Also, more expensive as it relies on roller furlers.

The best argument for a Solent rig in my opinion is it eliminates the requirement for runners.

But...there’s always a but, having runners offshore is not a bad thing. More to back up the backstay. Redundancy.