Inner forestays on 44

[nwnordic44]

Happy New Year all. Have not seen anything here for months, it’s winter in the northern hemisphere and I’m thinking ahead about some summer projects.

If anyone is still checking in here and has some knowledge or experience adding an inner forestay to the Nordic 44 I’d be interested in hearing about it.

The masts have a tang (tab) just below the second spreaders. I’ve only seen one with an actual stay intended to carry sails and it penetrated the deck just aft of the anchor locker. It was visible in the v-berth where it appeared to continue down into bow. I wasn’t curious enough at the time to look at the details so I don’t know what was done structurally.

I would like something removable as it will be for heavy weather sails only. There is also the need for another halyard in the mast.

I’ve seen 44’s with inner forestays installed for what must be rig stability reasons as they are terminated aft of the forward hatch. When used with the check stays this makes sense but I’ve never noticed any mast pumping with just the check stays.

[richtully]

My Nordic 44 had an inner forestay with furler on it when I bought it a decade ago. I’ve got a storm staysail, which is very easy to deploy with the furler. When the wind picks up you can merely furl in the genoa and unfurl the storm staysail. My mainsail has single line reefs that run back to the cockpit - making it easy to shorten the main as you switch to the staysail.

I found the inner stay created interference with the genoa when tacking, so I made a modification a couple of years ago. I shortened the length of the inner stay (and furler foil) so that I could move it to a tang I added just inside the forward, lower shroud on the starboard side. When the base of the inner stay is attached to this new tang the genoa is free to tack without fighting to get past the inner stay. Since I shortened the inner stay to accommodate this method of storing the inner stay out of the way when not in use, I had to make a short extension (about a foot long) in order to attach the inner stay to its original tang on the foredeck. The extension is a solid stainless steel bar that does not twist (so the furler can function properly).

I’m happy with the new set up on my inner stay. I usually keep the inner stay stored out of the way on the new tang for everyday coastal cruising. If I expect to sail in heavier winds or am going offshore, I attach the inner stay to its original tang on the foredeck.

I’m attaching a photo where you can observe the inner stay (with furler) stored inside the forward, lower shroud (on the tang I installed).

Rich Tully
Bonspiel

[Diva]

My staysail stay, or inner stay as it is frequently called, is removable and has no furler. It is connected to an old Highfield lever. It usually is out of the way and tied off to a chainplate base. I never use the staysail coastal sailing or in the Bay. The stay ends in a threaded pin which screws into a female threaded end on the lever.

The deck fitting is an L shaped bracket with a web for strength. That is located below deck and bolted to the bulkhead which supports the aft end of the anchor locker. On deck there is the top plate bolted thru the deck to the L bracket below.

[nwnordic44]

Hey Rich, thanks for the reply and pic. Good to hear that you find the use of that combination of sail works on the 44.

I have one question about your setup. Where does it attach to the deck when in use?

What is the sheeting angle like for the storm jib assuming you are leading aft to the existing tracks?

[nwnordic44]

Diva, just replied to Rich when your reply popped up. Thank you. The details about how it is attached to aft side of the anchor locker are good to know. That is one thing I thought might be an option if the attachment is done well.

I have the same question for you, how is the sheeting angle for you with this setup?

I have a short section of track inside the shrouds I use for #3 and #4 jibs. They provide a good sheeting angle for the small jibs and I set up inhauls to keep the sheets off the forward shrouds. I’m thinking the inner stay might use these tracks instead of aft genoa tracks but the clew height might be wrong.

You can just see the forward port track in the bottom center of the pic here.

[Diva]

Also, you probably have a sheve in the mast head for the halyard. It will be tricky to run a stay halyard with the mast up. I might have pics of that on my computer.
Mike Pitzer.
Diva

[Diva]

Here is a pic showing my inner track located on the cabin top. I just haven’t used my staysail on a regular basis. So I can’t give you any opinion on the angles.

[nwnordic44]

Ah, OK on the track position. That looks like it would provide good sheeting angles.

I’m planning to pull the mast this summer for paint and some minor repairs so it would be the time to do it. There is a topping lift there that could be used as a halyard with a fairlead added but I need that for the whisker pole. I will ask the rigger if maybe it can be converted to a double. It will be easier when the mast is down.

Thanks Mike for the extra pics.

[richtully]

The tang for the inner stay is immediately aft of the anchor locker (as depicted in the photo shared by Diva in this discussion thread).

In terms of sheeting the staysail, the previous owner added jib track cars at the most forward end of the genoa lead track for the staysail (in addition to genoa lead cars that are further aft on the same track). The location of the track is probably too far outboard if you were using the staysail close-hauled. However, I am not usually sailing close-hauled in weather where I would deploy the staysail - which is why I do not intend to add a separate jib lead track for the staysail.

It is worth noting that I also have jackstays at the same level on the mast as the inner stay - which I attach to the toe rails aft of the mast when using the staysail. These jackstays effectively serve as a backstay for the staysail - keeping proper mast shape and minimizing mast pump.

[nwnordic44]

So I suspect some Nordics were setup with the deck attachment when they left Bellingham. Maybe an option.

Having the sheets lead outside the shrouds has the advantage of being able to ease off without worrying about the sheet pressing up against the rigging. It’s the reason I had to rig the inhaullers because easing off the #3 or #4 results in the sheets hitting the forward shroud. Not good in 35-40k.

My boat has jackstays (I’ve always called them checkstays) as well. They were run to the rail but I moved them to a fixed track car at the forward end of the genoa track. They were in the way too often.

Again, thanks for the confirmation on the deck attachment. I suspect a little surgery will be required to access the back of that anchor locker properly.

[IanMoore2468]

Mystic’s inner stay is terminated in a pelican-hook style fitting with integral screw tensioner. It attaches to a folding D ring deck fitting - fastened through to the anchor locker bulkhead as others said. I’ve used it twice in four years of coastal sailing, mostly it’s fastened back, running through a slotted, curved tube attached at the forward lower chain plate and tensioned back to a loop on the aft lower chain plate. That makes tacking the Genoa easy. Sorry I can’t send photos, the mast is out for the winter. The tracks are on the cabin top about 6" inboard of the handrails behind the dorade boxes. This is just far enough inboard to sail close hauled on the staysail. Running backs are normally cinched down to loops on the aft lower chain plates and easily deployed to the toe rail if needed. If I ever have to run with the staysail I’ll rig a second sheet outboard of the stays and through a car on the Genoa tracks. I have never gone to the storm jib, we’ve been pretty happy with second reef and staysail beating into 30kn. It will be a serious day when I go to the storm jib!

[nwnordic44]

Appreciate the reply Ian. The inner stay is definitely for the times you didn’t expect. I’ve been sailing in fairly protected waters here in the PNW for the past 10 years. I’m hoping to venture further in the coming years and having the option to forereach or heave-to in serious winds seems like an option the boat should provide me. I’d be happy to never need it though.