Forestay, Backstay. Are they the same???

[Pete]

I'm a new sailor and would like to know if the Forestay and Backstay on my H22 is the same animal. I was just about to step my mast when I started thiking about these two words and then noticed a ring type attachment at the masthead and wondered what that was for. Thanks, Pete

 

[Jeff Prideaux]

definitions

A forestay is a piece of standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling backwards. A backstay is a piece of standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling forwards.Shrouds are pieces of standing rigging which hold the mast up from side to side.Some boats don't have a backstay. Instead, the shrouds are located slighty aft to keep the mast from falling forward. There is also a topping lift (not involved in mast support) which is a line from the top of the mast to the aft of the boom to hold the aft of the boom up. I'm not sure if the H22 has a backstay or not. My H216 doesn't.

 

[Pete]

Correction, I meant to say Forestay

Sorry, but I meant to say Headstay

 

[Jeff Prideaux]

headstay

The headstay refers to the most forward of the stays. Its typically from the top of the mast to the most forward part of the bow.A forestay would refer to another stay that is attached a ways down from the top of the mast. Not all boats have both forestays and headstays.On some boats (like my H216), the forestay is integral to the gib and the forestay/gib combo connects to the mast a ways down from the top. My gib furls around the forestay. My boat doesn't have an additional headstay.I'm not sure of the configuration of the H22...but I doubt if it has both a forestay and a headstay. Its possible that a manual could use forestay and headstay interchangeably if your boat only has one stay forward in the boat...