Potentially dangerous forestay situation

[artboas]

Ok, sorry to post something worrysome, but I felt it was the most responsible thing to do.
I just had my rig pulled on my 49.
I haven’t had it off the deck since purchase, and couldn’t put it off any longer in good conscience.
Please understand, that is fortunate fresh water sailors get a little complacent on rigging, as it always looks like new.
So, decided to do a major overhaul on the rig, including all new halyards, lighting, wiring, etc.
At the same time, I wanted to have the forestay furler stripped down, just to make sure it was all 100%. The gentleman who did this is a professional rigger, and really knows his stuff.
One of the things I’ve noticed over the last 2 seasons was mast rocking, and it appeared that the rigging needed to be tightened. I thought that a full rig service would figure all this out.
Well… an almost-disaster in the making, and I suggest people thing about putting this on an inspection list.
The Selden forestay furler on my boat was installed by Hunter, which I assume is the situation with most boats out there; irrespective of brand.
Installation of the furler to the forestay is identical to a Norseman fitting: where strands are unwound, formed over a cone, bent inwards, and then a compression nut it tightened down.
So, the first photos show the unwound strands over the ferrule , but that’s all they did before winding down the compression nut.
They missed the MOST crucial step, which is imparting a slight bend in the strands, which locks the wire in place.
Without doing this, the strands can, and will, start to slip backwards. In my case, I did indeed notice forestay slack, and the mast pumping on made this progressively worse.
At some point, this could have been disastrous, with the forestay pulling clean out.
I’m suggesting that people find a way to ensure their forestay attachment complies with Selden’s procedure of bending the wires past the ferrule.
I hope this is helpful

 

[jviss]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[jssailem]

The issue you discuss is the very reason I elected to use the Hayn Marine Hi-Mod fitting.

The description of the fitting and the parts image explain the issue and solution.

The Hi-MOD mechanical terminal is the latest approach in swageless fittings. The terminal design includes a unique crown ring that arranges the wire strands for even spacing around the fitting. This ensures that each strand experiences an even load. The design also eliminates the need to bend the wires around the cone, which ensures the cone is in the proper location, and keeps the strands from dropping into the cone slots. These advantages,combined with a longer cone with a more shallow angle, give you the most secure and efficient swageless terminal on the market today. Both the cone and crown ring are fully re-usable allowing for easy inspection and re-use without having to replace anything. Note: Application of sealants is not recommended for use with Hi-MOD fittings.​

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That said there are plenty of Norseman fittings in use on the water. I understand they require cone replacement and bent wires. The issue I have heard is the replacement product is harder to find. Fisheries Supply in Seattle, as an example no longer carries the Norseman fittings.

One the other hand Practical Sailor printed a report in 2019 that complemented the Norseman fittings after 10 years of use.

A Decade-long Norseman Fitting Sea Trial - Practical Sailor

Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.

www.practical-sailor.com

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Agree Standign Rigging and all fittings are a regular inspection item that should be on your spring checklist.

 

[Hello Below]

Crazy Don Condon will definitely weigh in here but I would think it would be the dealer that ultimately rigs the boat at destination. The forestay is threaded through the foil and this could not happen with the end fitting in place. Irregardless kudos to your rigger.

 

[artboas]

The issue you discuss is the very reason I elected to use the Hayn Marine Hi-Mod fitting.

The description of the fitting and the parts image explain the issue and solution.

​

The Hi-MOD mechanical terminal is the latest approach in swageless fittings. The terminal design includes a unique crown ring that arranges the wire strands for even spacing around the fitting. This ensures that each strand experiences an even load. The design also eliminates the need to bend the wires around the cone, which ensures the cone is in the proper location, and keeps the strands from dropping into the cone slots. These advantages,combined with a longer cone with a more shallow angle, give you the most secure and efficient swageless terminal on the market today. Both the cone and crown ring are fully re-usable allowing for easy inspection and re-use without having to replace anything. Note: Application of sealants is not recommended for use with Hi-MOD fittings.​

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View attachment 204783​

That said there are plenty of Norseman fittings in use on the water. I understand they require cone replacement and bent wires. The issue I have heard is the replacement product is harder to find. Fisheries Supply in Seattle, as an example no longer carries the Norseman fittings.

One the other hand Practical Sailor printed a report in 2019 that complemented the Norseman fittings after 10 years of use.

A Decade-long Norseman Fitting Sea Trial - Practical Sailor

Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.

www.practical-sailor.com

​

Agree Standign Rigging and all fittings are a regular inspection item that should be on your spring checklist.

Thanks for this.
Did you use this fitting on your forestay furler? Just wondering what application you found for it?
Yes, I believe that this situation is something that warrants an inspection. I’m sure that the person who installed my furler thought they were doing an adequate job, but clearly not., it’s all about training.
I honestly feel that, considering the noticeable pumping in my rig, that if I’d left this one more season,,, there would have been consequences
As everyone on this forum knows, I’m a fanatic for preventative maintenance. Pulling the rig on the 49 is a massive job, especially because I have so many electronics toys on the rig.
So, glad I bit the bullet this year, and feel very good about that decision

 

[artboas]

Crazy Don Condon will definitely weigh in here but I would think it would be the dealer that ultimately rigs the boat at destination. The forestay is threaded through the foil and this could not happen with the end fitting in place. Irregardless kudos to your rigger.

I checked in this with one of the guys who was on the commissioning team at the dealer.
The boats came with the furlers installed.
Frankly, this makes sense.
You’re shipping the rig, so to have the forestay rod strapped to it makes sense.
But the real reason is that you want the furler install to be done perfectly.
Leaving this to a transient commissioning crew is a recipie for disaster.
These very critical operations are “ideally” left to expert riggers at the builder, who have taken full responsibility for the rig prior to shipping the boat.
As said, this was bad training, and obviously no follow up inspection.
I’m not trying to be disrespectful of Hunter, as they treated me very well.
I just want this to be on everyone’s list to inspect when practical .

 

[jssailem]

When I refit the mast in 2016, I uses Hi-Mod fittings for all the deck side of the shrouds (stays). I used machine Swage fittings for the Mast ends. My thinking is based on the problem of water standing on stainless. The swaged ends all shed water down the shroud. The Hi-Mods are more easily inspected and shed water by design. If needed I can cut a shroud a little shorter, refit with the Hi-Mod, and add a link to the deck chainplate or have created a longer chainplate too address he link. I is about options too repair the shroud away from marina resources. The Hi-Mods are easier to work in the field than a swage fitting.