mast stay lengths

[Michael Mellor]

I purchased a Daysailer last week and I'm not sure the mast stays are correct for the boat. Does anyone know what the lengths of the side and fore stays should be for a Daysailer 11?

[Roger]

I have replied to Michael directly, but for the benefit of the wider audience and future audiences (archives), here are the forestay and shroud lengths.

More important than length is the thickness which should be 1/8” ss. Original equipment was 3/32” which is not adequate. For replacement purposes lengths are given below:

Headstay: 15’ 11 ½”

Shrouds 15’ 11”

All standing rigging lengths are with turnbuckle (where applicable) closed from eye to eye.

[jeadstx]

I also am replacing the stays on my DS2. I'm using the 1/8" stays from D&R Marine so I know they are the right length. The problem I'm having tho is that the turnbuckle are all the way out to just get the mast up, I know this is not right. The previous owner of the boat told me he had to replace the mast at some point. He told me that he replaced the mast with a mast from a DS1. I'm assuming at this point that the DS1 mast used was one that went thru the cuddy cabin and was cut for use with the tabernacle on the DS2 and was cut a little too long.

My question is, what is suppose to be the length from the stay attachment point to the base of the mast where the tabernacle plate is attached?

Currently I plan to start by cutting off 1/4" to 3/8" off the base of the mast and try to start making adjustments from there. But, if someone could provide a measurement, it would be a big help. Any help would appreciated in helping get this right.

Thanks, John

[WIL M]

Jed: STOP! Before you start cutting on mast, take a minute to evaluate other possibilities. Is it the Forestay that is giving you trouble? Have you tried using the trailer winch attached to the Jib Halyard trick to get the mast in place to pin the Forestay? Are your Turnbuckles loosened all the way out to start? Have you checked the Archives here for other viewpoints? Had the P/O been able to get the standing rigging in place? I'd hate to see a fellow shorten a mast ( a permenant adjustment) when less drastic measures might suffice.

[Roger]

New shrouds will stretch, so I would attach a winch to the forestay and give it a bit of stretch to see if you can get it into place. If not step two, get longer turnbuckles or if not turnbuckles shroud adjusters, (you should still maintain a turnbuckle on the forestay for adjustment.) Step three, before cutting the mast, I would be cutting the jackpost that supports the tabernacle, bringing it down a bit closer to the deck. That would be a less drastic measure.

As for your original question, although the distance between the tack and the head of the sail is regulated by the class (15' 3") the distance from the goosneck down to the deck is regulated at 24", the distance from the deck top to the bottom of the mastsupport post is not controlled. BTW the top of the deck is referred to the mast datum and according to the class regulations is referred to as band 1. Band 2 is 24" up (gooseneck) and band 3 is an additonal 20' 6" above band 2. The shrouds attach at 15' 3" above mast datum. The spreader attachement is 7' 8" above mast datum. All measurements are maximums allowed.

[jeadstx]

Thanks for the responses Roger and WIL M. Before posting this I used the search function and looked up the class regulation dimensions, but several of the dimensions are the maximum allowed dimensions. I'm asking the questions here because I know cutting on the mast is not something that I really want to do. I know that the stays will stretch over time and took that into consideration. I got the fore stay to pin into place, but only by loosening the turnbuckles all the way out (only a few threads engaged) and even with that the stays were very tight. In looking at the old 3/32" stays (original) which were very streched, their turnbuckles were nearly all the way out.

As stated originally, the previous owner told me the mast was from a DS1. He told me that he made it "fit" the DS2. Didn't think much about it when I bought the boat, but now believe it may have been a DS1 mast that went through the cuddy cabin and was cut down by the previous owner. If that is the case, it would explain the length problem and is why I was asking for a measurement from the stay attachment point to the bottom of the mast (tabernackle plate). Roger thanks for the suggestion on cutting the jackpost instead of the mast, something to consider. Still, a measurment from the stay attachment point to base of the mast would be helpfull.

I've had to correct several problems on this boat from the previous owner such as he sewed the batten sleeves shut without the battens in them. New sails fixed that tho.

Any additional help would be appreciated to get this right. Might as well work on the boat, there is no water in the lake I sail on. Well that's not exactly true, the lake is down 44 feet and there are no operable boat ramps.

Thanks, John

[Roger]

My apologies for burying the answer in a long winded response. The stays attach at a pont that is 15' 3" above the base of the mast which is at deck level.

[jeadstx]

Thank you for the dimension. That gives me a reference dimension to find the problem and fix it.

John