Tensioning the forestay

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K

Kim Adams

I have a Hood Seafurl foil on the forestay and have just purchased a tensioning gauge. Question is how do I get to the forestay to tension it?
 
B

Bill O'Donovan

Take it off

Which is a cumbersome idea. I labored over just this question and others for years, until I finally paid the yard $400 to do the entire rig right. Boy, that was the best $400 I ever spent, because I picked up speed in the bargain.
 
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Kim

That's what I was hoping for

That is exactly what I was hoping for (more speed). I purchased two rig tensioning tools from West Marine. My shrouds and stays range from 3/16 to 9/16. One tool will handle up to 1/4 and the other 1/4 and up. Anyway all the shroud tension was way out of adjustment. I have been able to tension all but the forestay, that where I need some direction.
 
D

David

So how did the yard do it???

Seems the only way you could do it would be to take the foil off. reassemble to proper tension, mark the turnbuckles, disassemble, reinstall the foil, reassemble to the marks. Kim which Victoria are you from? TX or BC? David
 
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Kim

I was hoping it was a little simpler than that, I mean surely you don't have to take the foil off each time you want to check the tension. David, I sail out of Sidney BC, with the Canoe Bay sailing club.
 
Jun 4, 2004
108
Kokomo Beach
Hood SeaFlex - Forestay Adjustment

To access (and adjust)the forestay turnbuckle residing within my Hood SeaFlex furler, according to the installation manual with the forestay remaining pinned to the stem head it is necessary to disassemble the furler drive housing. That means: disconnect the jib tack at the shackle; remove the furling line; take apart the top snd bottom drum covers (they're split in halves and form the spool for the furling line); then un-bolt the 10 bolts that hold the two halves of the furler drive housing, upon which the flexible foil will come sliding down the forestay, stopping at the turnbuckle body. It would be best to do all of this while the boat is on the hard, as there seems to be many opportunities to loose parts overboard.
 
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Kim

Thanks

Jon Thanks, I will give this a try on Thursday and post the results.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
Backstays.

Unless you have changed boats I think that you have backstays. That is how you tension the forestay. Not by taking the furler apart. Maybe you could buy or borrow a Brion Toss video or book on rig tuning. I mention that because he does almost all the rig tuning at the shrouds. The backstay is where I check fore/aft tension. I have a solid rod furler, the furler is the forestay. No way to get a Loos gauge on it. It is possible that the boat was rigged with the furler incorrectly installed. In that case it might be necessary to tighten something in the front.
 
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John Olson

Head stay ADJ

I set head stay tension when sailing.Let your tension go slack by lousening your backstay, get it good and sloppppy then sailing to wind ward in 15 kts + -of wind start tighting the backstays 1/4 turn at a time untill the second 1/4 turn dose not seem to straighten the headstay anty more then check backstay tension with losse gauge .Take note of reading so you can bring it back to speck with gauge.As far as I no frount stay is to ADJ mast rake only.John Olson
 
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