Help with CD 25 Forestay

[Dan & Pat]

Ok folks, now the fun is beginning. Patty and I have made real progress on stripping bottom paint and blister repairs. Pictures will go up on our site presently.. We're getting closer and closer to getting this old gal wet!

We're getting ready to put the mast back up now. I figure at least one or two practice runs in the back yard on the trailer will make it easier when the time comes. I wisely labelled the stays and lines that I took off, and for the most part know where they go back on. Unfortunately, when "Sam" was hauled out, the yardbirds just started taking stuff off without labelling. Now I find, we're missing the forestay! I don't know if it was there or not when we got the boat, but its not there now.

I have a bunch of contacts in the chandlery business that can get me a replacement, but I need to know the length... exactly, not just approximately. Does anyone have this dimension, or does anyone have a CD25 with the mast off right now that can measure it for me?

I have been enjoying this site tremendously, and look forward to learning more and more about the little sailboat that could!

[Steve Laume]

This may be a silly question on my part but do you have a roller furling jib? The head stay may have been taken off and wrapped up with the jib. Just a thought. There almost had to be a head stay there if the mast was standing when you got the boat. It's always the yard guys fault, Steve.

[tartansailor]

Hello Dan & Pat
I measured all of my standing rigging with a view toward replacing with new. My forestay is 335" hole center to hole center when eased just enough to remove. As I recall there was room for a bit (say 1") more in the turnbuckle.

Now my mast height is 318 &1/2" plus a shackle plate under the hinge.

You are better off being slightly short because you can always add a tang, rather than being over and have an unwanted rake.

Another way of looking at it:
a squared plus b squared = c squared.
With a J of 81" and a mast height of 318&1/2" I get 336"

Dick

[Dan & Pat]

Thanks Dick, that's what I needed. The mast is original, but I'm going to measure that against the dimensions you gave me. Funny, it never occurred to me to use the "A squared plus B squared" formula.

Steve,
I looked at the pictures of the boat as it was being towed to the marina, and it appears as though the forward-most starboard stay was "jury-rigged" to hold the mast upright. It was connected to the prow where the forestay should have been. There's no roller furling (I wish!).

This boat had been blown onto the beach during Hurricane Wilma last October, and then simply pushed back into the water with a back-hoe/bucket loader and towed back to her slip where it sat, sadly awaiting our adoption in March. Much of the lines, halyards, sheets, etc.. were cut off with a knife and the pieces were used to tie her off the dock to pilings . Not having seen how the running gear is supposed to look puts me at a disadvantage to say the least.

I've inspected the rest of the stays, and two more need replacing where they had been chafed against the bucket loader that was used to unceremoniously push her back into the water.

[Dan & Pat]

I checked the math... it isn't all that precise!

With the mast height of 318 1/2", 318.5 squared = 101442.25

Your "J" dimension of 81", 81 squared = 6561

The sum of these two is: 108003.25, and the square root of which is 328.6384792 (I checked it in Excel!) Simply doing the math didn't cut it! (Rub it in to those math teachers!)

Now, if I consider that the cabin top, where the base of the mast actually sits, is roughly 8" higher than where the forestay attaches, that would make it just over 336"

Dick, I'm going with your actual measurement... 335" and if there's some to be made up, I'll add a 'tang'.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Dan

[Steve Darwin]

Hi Dan and Pat,

You might look at the sail plan and advertised rig dimensions in the CD 25 owner's manual (from the home page, select Cape Dory Info, Manufacturing History, model 25, and Owner's Manual (pdf file) - the CD 25 sail plan is on page 69, the rig data on page 74) . Here's what happened when I played with the numbers:

The I dimension (Height of the foretriangle measured from the top of the highest sheave to the sheerline) is given as 27.6 ft.. The J dimension (Base of the foretriangle measured from the front of the mast to the intersection of the forestay and deck) is given as 8.95 ft. The length of the forestay should be square root of (I sqared + J squared), or square root of 841.8625 ft. = 29.015 ft. This makes sense, as the sail plan shows the luff of the largest genoa jib as 27'6", leaving a masthead clearance of a foot and a half.

Unfortunately, this does not jibe with the 335" (27.9') length that Dick measured from his forestay, a length which also makes sense vis-a-vis the published genoa luff length of 27.5'. Perhaps my calculation is off because the I dimension is masthead straight down to the sheerline, and doesn't accound for the rising sheer toward the bow.

My 25D Owner's Manual has a supplementary page that gives the specifics for that model, including the actual lengths and sizes of all standing and running rigging. Perhaps a CD25 owner has this information and could report back...

Steve

[Jim Davis]

If in doubt you could also have a wire made up with a swage fitting on the upper end and bare on the lower. Have it made two feet longer than you think you need and use a Norseman for the lower end. Just put the upper end on, raise the mast, stretch the wire and cut to length. Too easy.

[GLutzow]

I purchased a CD25 in roughly the same condition...except that mine sat immersed for a time. All of the standing rigging was either missing, damaged or cut. Probably the most expidicious methode of removal in the given conditions.

[Mike Johnson]

I have a near new one that I wont use if you would like it. I have a roller furler on mine.

[Dan & Pat]

Thanks Mike, it sure would be easier than having a new one made up and taking the chance that it is too long or too short.

PM me and we'll come to terms!

Dan