What is the advisable way of adding a staysail stay to the bow bowdeckview.jpg of my Edition Speciale Corbin? Branko Vukojevic (#175, H2OBO / Stargazer V)
a. Here are some guidelines: A staysail is a valuable addition to a boat; adds several combinations of sail plans, is a good jib to use for heavy weather, can be used for self-steering if windvane fails .
1. On whether to use a boom or not; Pros: requires only one sheet, is self-tending (can tack more easily), whisker pole is not needed when running, preventer can be added easily, requires only one winch, can be reefed easily, and in the desirable direction, saves on installation of two tracks and two sliding blocks; Cons: is very dangerous to crew in strong winds, requires installation of traveler with block and tackle, difficult to use with a roller furling sail, and prevents easy movement by crew across deck , the foot of the sail is shorter=less sail efficiency.
2. On where to place the staysail stay chainplate; A. If the bowsprit is less than 4′ long, then I’d put the stay well aft of the windlass, probably at the aft end of the bow deck lockers. You should add a bulkhead or a truss to oppose the staysail loads.
However, take a look at buildinggalene.com/ for some guidance. Galene has a short bowsprit with the windlass well aft and the staysail stay forward of the windlass. The two forestays are quite close to each other, which is why Collin Harty is planning to make the bottom of the stay removable. I do not recommend a removable stay attachnent because it is a nuisance to use, except on the high seas well offshore.. Nick Nicholson, Editor at Large for Practical Sailor detached his staysail stay rarely during his circumnavigation.
On the other hand, the Pardeys’ Talesin has a long bowsprit with the staysail chainplate at the stem, hank-on sail, no boom, AND A REMOVABLE STAY, because the Pardeys do a lot of short tacking as they have no engine. See Lin and Larry Pardey’s The Capable Cruiser, Chapter 9. B. If the bowsprit is 4′ or longer, then I would put a chainplate at the stem ahead of the windlass, make the non-removable staysail stay parallel to the headstay (although this not an absolute necessity), and use a boomless roller furler on the staysail. I would not attach the boom to the stay but would provide a independent support. Lester Helmus (s/v #010, Insouciance)