Do you mean "swage"?The stay broke just above the top compression fitting.
Can you post a photo of the break, and is there a toggle at both ends of the forestay?Yes
A damned accurate fall!the boats still on the mooring ball with the mast laying in its crutch.
I think your boat is a fractional rig, tighten your backstay just until you see the mast start to bend, then slack until it barely straightens out. If you have backstay tensioners, make sure they are fully extended or opened for least working tension.Thanks for the replies. How much tension should be on the front stay?
The forestay is most likely breaking due to work hardening. The wire flexes, the metal gets brittle, a few wires break. Repeat until the last wire breaks and the forestay parts. That’s what’s happening to break two forestay sin a couple of years.The break is right above the first (top) swage on the looped end and there is a toggle only on the upper end and a threaded stud at the furler end.
It is a MacGregor 26M..lightly built for trailerin.My boat is 33' and I think the stay is 1/4". Your 1/8" seems much too small.
Dr Judy would this be a good situation to use a dyneema line?Your boat has a rotating mast, with the "jesus shackle" at the mast hound, righ?
Here's a picture from the Mac 26M owner's manual. Is this how your forestay is rigged?
When there is a lateral (non-axial) load on the forestay, the wire is flexing between the thimble and the sleeve, leading to work hardening. If you can rig it so that the lateral pressure is transferred to the top of the forestay, the cable won't flex repeatedly to the point of breaking individual wires.
I would recommend a couple of approaches to reduce wire bending
1. Figure out a way to limit the rotation of the mast when it's on the mooring. You could bolt a lever onto the mast near the foot, and attach lines to limit the rotation. Google "mast rotation control arm".
2. *** Very Important: add an extension plate (or a rigging toggle) to the top of the forestay, similar to the two upper shrouds. This will permit one more axis of rotation that will greatly reduce the degree to which the wire rope is being bent. (you will need to shorten the forestay to compensate for the added hardware).
View attachment 184461
Yes, rotating masts are great candidates for dyneema forestays because their forestays flex more. Rotating masts cause more flexing of the wire and require frequent inspection.Dr Judy would this be a good situation to use a dyneema line?