Tacking with a Baby Stay

[Paul]

Looking a boats at the recent Atlantic City Sailboat Expo, I liked the Hunter 356, Catalina 350, Beneteau 331 and Jeanneau SO 35. The latter two have a baby stay. I have never sailed with a baby stay on the foredeck. How much more difficult is it to tack a jib or a genny with the baby stay? Do you have to walk the foresail around the stay?

 

[Tim]

Don't worry about it!

My Beneteau 361 also has a babystay. All I can say is that I have never noticed that the babystay is there when it comes to sail handling (I have banged into it a few times while washing the deck, but that's another whole story!). It's a non-issue in my humble opinion. Good luck.

 

[David Walters]

Ditto what Tim says

I have a Beneteau First 235 and the only thing I've done to help in tacking around the babystay, is add a piece of thin wall pvc tubing about 4' long around it. This has helped keep the sheet knots from hanging up on the stay.