Re: [AlbinVega] Re: Heaving-to in Lake Michigan

[Brian Hofler]

On a week's get-a-way here I found myself out in 30kt + sustained winds
under double reefed main and about half furled jib. My Vega heaved-to well
but made a bit too much headway, for-reaching, at 3 to 4kt. Nonetheless,
the motion of the boat was slowed and the tiller was self-tending. As you
know that Vega handles extemely well in these conditions. Unlike my former
boat, a well regarded 23' trailer-sailer, you feel in perfect control of the
boat. One dis-advantage of both storm jib and trysail is that they have to
be set during rough conditions and these weather systems often seem to sneak
up on us. I, like Walt do have a storm jib which I purchased second hand at
a very reasonable price and also rigged and reinforced the deck for an inner
forestay for it.
Problem is that single handed with the boat rolling in 8' seas and with lots
of spray you don't feel much like getting on deck to hoist it. I believe it
would have been necessary however if the wind had been much stronger.
Double reefed main and tad of an unfurled jib and I would close reach at
hull speed. Any stronger wind and you'd definitely want to reduce sail
more.

Incidentally, a spray dodger is almost a necessity if your going to be out
in those conditions much. It was comfortable and enjoyable tiller steering
under the dodger(never would I have a boat with a steering wheel) but would
have been a totally different story if exposed to frequent dousing of spray
as well as wind.

Steve, V710, "Windhover"

 

[reefmagnet]

Steve and Walt,

How did you mount the top of your added inner forestay (or babystay) at
the masthead? Is it all the way up, or fractional? (I read somewhere
that if an inner forestay is added below the masthead, then running
backstays have to be added to counterbalance the pull -- but that seems
unnecessary on a boat this size.) Many books describe how to mount and
reinforce the deck fitting to which the removable inner forestay is
attached, and the fittings that can be used to easily connect and
disconnect it, but I have not seen a good description where to attach
this stay at the top. I have a furling jib, so any attachment near the
top must be far enough away to avoid being in the way of the furler, the
halyards, etc. Thanks.
Tom

steve wrote:

 

[reefmagnet]

Tom,

I added the babystay about two thirds of the way up the mast. I used a
tang I purchased from JSI (Johnson Sails Inc). There are attachment points
on the tang for running backs and a halyard block. The end of the stay
secures with a piece of line to the foot of the mast when not in use. To use
it the end is taken to a Wichard folding padeye on the foredeck. It is
attached by a device consisting of a turnbuckle with carabiner on one end
and a short piece of chain with a carabiner on the other. The chain end
attaches at the pad eye, the other end attaches to the stay. There is a
large backing piece under the deck with another Wichard padeye. The two
padeyes are throught bolted to each other. I can run a piece of Spectra line
from the inside padeye to a ring bolt mounted down by the waterline and
through the stem. by passing this line through the padeye and the bolt
several times and hand tightening the turnbuckle a very secure attachment
point is made. The running backs are 1/4" Kevlar single braid. Thimbles on
each end. They attach to ring bolts at the amidships stanchion bases (also
by way of Spectra line). We have adjustable sail track cleats on the genoa
track. The line passes from the ring bolt to the lower thimble of the stay
to the cleat, back up to the thimble, down to the ring bolt. this repeats
several times with the line ending up cleated off. When not in use the stays
attach to the downslope of the forward ens of the maincabin by way of a
short piece of line and small padeyes. By Stanchion bases are not standard
for the Vega and are very well substantial backing plates. I probably
overkilled everything. !/4" Kevlar is Stronger than the 3/16" wire on the
standing rigging. I too have heard that running backs are not neccesary on
smaller masts. I don't know. If I was running away from a storm in hurricane
winds I think I'd want them. I don't think I'll ever be in that situation.
If I am I'll probably be trying out the sea anchor while lashed to the
duffel bag containing the raft and the EPIRB! I went to Google and did a
search for JSI and found a hardware store. Further searching sent me to
www.sailnet.com for the store site. I looked in their electronic catalog and
didn't see the tang. They might be a good place to start though. Hope I've
explained every thing, it sounds more complicated than it is.
Walt, Lyric #120

 

[reefmagnet]

I used the quite substantial bail on the mast intended for a spinniker pole
topping lift or staysail(according to Per Brohall's Vega Handbook). I
located a padeye in the deck approximately parallel to forstay aligning
athwartship with 2 large added large alumimun mooring cleats. Epoxied in
scrap 1x8 solid oak board underneath clear to gunwales and thru-bolted both
cleats and padeye.
I know books say your supposed to tie padeye to hull w/link cable but what I
have is very strong and distributes loading out well along the deck. I
think your right about baby backstays on mast. The forces just aren't that
great from a small storm jib, the mast is quite stout for it's size, and
comes with triple shrouds which somewhat counteract inner forstay load. The
padeye also provides a strong point to tie off a safety harness to as well
as boom preventer.

As for the inner forestay itself, I was going to use cable from my replaced
wire halyards and affix a pelican hook for removability. Removability and
easy storeability on the mast are important because most times you don't
want it in the way. Seeing that the storm jib had a very heavy wire luff in
it, I decided to try just no stretch high strength Vectran line(available
@Sailnet &West). Easy to install thimbled eye splices in ends. Used 3/16"
for both halyard and forstay which can be tensioned very tight using your
mast winch then cleated. Works well; the storm jib will sheet very flat.
Easier storage on mast than cable. Shackled a fiddle block to the mast
bail which serves both forstay and halyard. As for a storm jib, got mine
through Minney's in Ca. for about $140. Some stains buts very strong and
can double as a riding sail when at anchor. Minneys and Atlantic Sail
Traders in Fl. are both good sources for inexpensive used sails. Low(er)
price though high quality blocks are available @ www.garhauer.com. They
also produce an inexpensive rigid vang, about $200 that works very well:
good mainsail control, you don't have to use the topping lift while reefing
and furling main.

Best Wishes,
Steve V710, "Windhover"