DaySailer.org Forum

Just purchased Daysailer I & II Forestay w/ New Quick Release Lever from DR Marine. Anyone have any firsthand experience to share?

Thank you Eric

Hello Eric and welcome to the forum.

What type of DS do you have? Is the mast stepped on deck or keel stepped? What kind of stays were you replacing?

What information are you looking for, in particular? Apparently, you already made the purchase. I assume that means you have questions on installing them?

Enkeay wrote:Just purchased Daysailer I & II Forestay w/ New Quick Release Lever from DR Marine. Anyone have any firsthand experience to share?

Thank you Eric

Love mine! I got the lever elsewhere (if it hadn't been a gift, I would have bought it from Rudy). If you want the max aft rake you can get, use the top hole in the lever, and set your sidestays such that you can *just* close the lever. Badda Bing! Perfect rig tension every time. If you have hanks on your jib, put a piece of PVC over the lever, as the bottom hank will tend to catch on the top of it.

Thank you for the warm welcome and the first hand experience from each of you. I have an 84 DSII with a deck stepped mast. I'm replacing all the rigging both standing and running this spring. I made the head stay purchase as an impulse buy because I want a little consistency and ease of rigging. Other projects include raising, freeing and re rigging the centerboard controls. Currently she's on the trailer with the board stuck in a down position so I cannot float her off the trailer or careen her in the yard until the board is up. I also purchased some replacement chain plates to accompany the new rigging.

Tim I'm glad to hear the stay is working well for you. You have validated my impulse buy. So far I'm confident I can replace the rigging so I was only seeking personal validation not advice...yet. I'm sure it's a matter of time also Tim, what diameter pvc did you use? See I could use some advice after all

It's 1-7/8" OD, 1-5/8" ID, 10-1/4" long. I'll refrain from giving any more "advice" ... ;-P

Let me throw in a question from ignorance, because the mast on my DS isn't desk stepped.

What's the normal mode of setting up rig tension for a desk-stepped mast if you do not have a lever?

I do have another boat, of a different model, and it came with levers for the side stays and uses the jib halyard for forestay tension (luff wire acts as forestay). That's a system that I do understand, but I can't picture a desk-stepped mast without it somehow.

I don't have a fore stay lever, but have thought about maybe getting one. My side stays stay attached when raising the mast, I use the fore stay to tension the rig. Sometimes I have to adjust the side stays to adjust rake. But for the most part, I don't mess with the side stays much once I have a setup I like.

John

John, you keep the shrouds attached, and then how do you work the forestay?

Do you run a halyard and tension it and then connect a forestay that you have set to the desired length? Or do you have a turnbuckle on the forestay to be able to connect it when slack and then tighten it? I know you showed me once, but I can't remember?

Obviously with a setup like yours (shrouds remain connected) a lever would be really convenient.

Before I got the lever, I used the forestay turnbuckle to tension the rig, but ever since installing the hinge, I've been able to leave the side stays connected and use the jib halyard to hold up/pre-tension the mast while connecting the forestay. I have an eyebolt on the forward mast support of the trailer to which I connect the shackle. Raise mast, tighten halyard, connect forestay, tighten turnbuckle/close lever, done.

Greenlake, the fore stay has a turnbuckle. It gets opened up when the mast is down, gets tightened after attaching when the mast is up. Since I rarely mess with the side stays, the amount I tighten the turnbuckle on the fore stay will provide rig tension. In Tim's case, his fore stay is already adjusted to the correct tension, but with the lever open he can attach the fore stay. Lever closed, he gets his rig tension without the need for further adjustment.

I think I may go with the lever a some point when I decide to replace the fore stay again. When I got my fore stay the lever option was not available.

John