Forestay & Sail Connection Suggestions

[RonRock]

I'm getting closer to getting this V25 in the water. Mast raising system nearly complete. Received Butyl from Maine Sail for windows. Fast shipping BTW.

So now I need to clean up and make my connections up front. I plan on ordering a Johnson Lever for the Forestay. Need to know which one I should order. Right now I have OEM rigging but may step up if I replace. From what I have read the Johnson could be between either of two. Also need ideas on what other pieces I need to go from the stock Mac chainplates to the Johnson then Forestay. Seems like a lot of different ways to do it, so what works for those in the know?

Next up is the foresail connection. Right now I have a Jib, and Geneoa. No rolling furller at this time. So what works for the chainplate to sail connection?

As it is what I have is a collection of crap that eventually gets the job done. I'd like to clean it up and make it work as nicely as it should.

Also need to consider the mast raising system connection at the chainplate.

 

[Sumner]

I have what we did up front here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-24.html

...and the part number of the....

..... Johnson Lever we used and why. So far it has all worked very well. Note that we did end up moving...

... the forestay and shrouds up the mast some to accomplish the above. That was no big deal as I was making up new shrouds at the time.

It also has the benefit of still having the old forestay in a position that it could still be used with our old hank-on sails. Haven't tried that though at this point, but expect it to work.

One possible option if you don't go to a furler now is to replace the turnbuckle with the Johnson lever if you are trying to keep the forestay close to the same lenght. It has a couple adjustment points that would allow close enough to proper tension. I think Bob Hussey did this.

If you only moved the forestay up the mast a short ways (I'm guessing a foot or less) I think you wouldn't have to move the shrouds. More than that and I'd want all the forces on the mast at the same point as the upper shrouds are tensioning the forestay.

Good luck,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[RonRock]

Thanks again Sumner, as usual you come up with a very good explanation of what works and how you did it. I'll study your pages and see what I can come up with that works for now and will work when I step up to a rolling furller.

As a bit of side info, I received the Swaging tool and was able to use it to make "Baby Stays" for the mast raising system. It worked as expected, so I feel confident that I will be able to make my own cables when needed.

 

[RonRock]

Well I ordered the 14-205 Johnson Lever. I figure I will stay with the rigging that I have, at least for now. It all looks OK, and I am certainly not going for performance at this time. And the fact that I live in Iowa, nothing but small lakes for me to play in.

So how do I go about setting the tension in the forestay with the Johnson? I can see that I will need to cut some out of the forestay cable to put the Johnson in, but do I also need a turnbuckle? Seems like it will be impossible to get the correct tension with such a small amount of adjustment available with the Johnson alone. Maybe I am wrong about that.

Oops. Just went up and re-read Sumners post. Still seems like hard to get correct tension without turnbuckle. Any input on this?

 

[RonRock]

Who is Bob Hussey?

 

[Sumner]

Who is Bob Hussey?

Bob is in Canada, when not in Florida now, and had a Mac Classic then a 26 Hunter and now a big Hunter. I think this is his...

...and there is no turnbuckle in the drum if I remember right. Bob checks in here at times so hopefully if he sees this he will comment. Here are some more pictures of his boat that I have...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/misc-pics-10.html

One of the nicest Macs out there.

If I was going to rig without a turnbuckle I'd get a loos gauge and tension all the rigging how I wanted it with the gauge. Then measure the length of the turnbuckle at that setting and replicate it with the Lever if you could find one of the adjustment holes on the lever that was close. If it is still too short add a toggle or other hardware and maybe a couple pieces of the SS plate that have the holes in them (WM has them).

On Bob's, pictured above, he also had the option of moving the bottom of the forestay back or forward on the anchor roller. Get imaginative or maybe the best bet is to see what you need and then order a new forstay for less than $50 from riggingonly.com. Might be a good time to replace it anyway. If you have a furler please add the toggles top and bottom per CDI's instructions.

Since we now have a furler I used the gauge with the lever, drum and forestay without the foil extrusion on the stay to get the turnbuckle set right. Then marked it and put the foil and sail on and put the turnbuckle back to the marks and now don't touch it as I have the lever.

Hope that helps some,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[RonRock]

So, do I understand that you do have a turnbuckle as well as the Johnson Lever?

 

[RonRock]

OK, I finally got smart and went to CDI web site. There is a drawing of a cut away of an FF2. It shows a turnbuckle inside the furller housing. So I now see that I would assemble the forestay with the Johnson Lever, and turnbuckle.

Thanks Again,
Ron

 

[Sumner]

OK, I finally got smart and went to CDI web site. There is a drawing of a cut away of an FF2. It shows a turnbuckle inside the furller housing. So I now see that I would assemble the forestay with the Johnson Lever, and turnbuckle.

Thanks Again,
Ron

Yep we have both, but the toggles, Johnson Lever, furler drum and room at the top of the forestay for the furler foil to rotate on the forestay and not the fitting there all can/will add length which might make the whole works too long to attach at the hounds up the mast at the same place. As I mentioned I moved mine up. I think Bob avoided that by getting rid of the turnbuckle and its length but I think he didn't have a new forestay made up.

I think he went with the little shorter Johnson Lever as you plan on. I considered it, but since I was increasing the forestay to 5/32 and all the pins to 5/16 the Lever then would of been the 'weak link', so I went to the next larger/stronger one. This is a mod that I wanted considering I didn't know how we were going to use the boat or under what conditions we might find ourselves in at some point on a longer trip. I think staying with the 1/8 and smaller lever is just fine if things are kept in good working order,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Lots of ways to do it

 

[RonRock]

Yes I also considered going up in size with my rigging. But I am in Iowa and doubt that this boat will ever see any weather or hard use as with most ocean or large lake boats commonly do. So I've decided at least for the time being that I will stay with stock size rigging and make sure that it is all in good order and set up and tensioned properly.

If things get too dicey in the lake I will use 99% of the time, I can just get out of the boat and walk to shore. Well not really, but pretty close. Another reason for the Mac and it's pivoting keel.


The turnbuckle is inside of the furller. That is what was throwing me off. It all makes sense once I see the drawing.