26M Owners - Ever lose your forestay while sailing?

[Idiotfool]

Howdy. Now that I've had my E-Tec repaired, I've finally been able to take my new-to-me Mac 26M out. Yesterday, I went out with a buddy who has never been on a motorboat, let alone a sailboat. We were tooling about in Biscayne National Park as I'm teaching him how to sail with just the jib (didn't even bring the main) and, when we tried the furl in the jib, the furler popped off the plate and the whole sail and forestay was lost. Fortunately, there was basically no wind and I jumped on deck and held the mast up and talked him through hooking up the mast raising system and we reattached everything but, man, what a crazy thing to happen.

My furler just has a detent pin on a chain to hold it in place. The detent pin is secured on a small chain leading to the front plate and all of the chain sheared and turned into open staples. I never felt super confident with that pin and will definitely move to something more secure, now, but I'm curious if anyone else had this insanity occur for them, too.

[Jimmyt]

I was actually afraid to open this topic and see what happened. Glad it wasn't as bad as I imagined.

No. This is among my biggest concerns while sailing. Never had it happen. Hope it never happens. It can be catastrophic. You literally dodged a bullet. Thank goodness!

If you have pics of the failure, I'd be interested to see what happened. You're description doesn't sound like what I have.

[NiceAft]

If you have pics of the failure, I'd be interested to see what happened. You're description doesn't sound like what I have.

Ditto, and you did dodge a bullet. I’m sure I speak for many when I say I’m very glad there were no injuries.

[Idiotfool]

I was actually afraid to open this topic and see what happened. Glad it wasn't as bad as I imagined.

No. This is among my biggest concerns while sailing. Never had it happen. Hope it never happens. It can be catastrophic. You literally dodged a bullet. Thank goodness!

If you have pics of the failure, I'd be interested to see what happened. You're description doesn't sound like what I have.

The furler attaches to the deck with a pin like this:

The pin was on a chain attached to the attachment plate. Seemed very suspect, but I was provided no other pins.

Now that I'm digging and looking into the CDI furler, it looks like it probably came with a clevis pin with a ring ding. Is that how yours connects?

On a related note: do you have any chafing on your furler? I think the first fairlead was poorly placed on my boat and the furling line doesn't feed very well. The fairlead is held to the bow pulpit with a pipe clamp. Super sketch. It looks like the fairlead should have been attached to the deck, but I don't have any of that.

[NiceAft]

A clevis pin with a ring ding preventing it from sliding out is what I have.

My furling line does not go through a fair lead. It leaves the furling drum and passes outside of the first vertical brace of the bow pulpit, and back to the cockpit where it is tied on a cleat. Been that way for seventeen years. Never a problem.

[Jimmyt]

Yikes! That pin has no place in your rigging. It came stock with a pin and ring ding. I ordered the pin from BWYachts that is easier to handle.

[Jimmyt]

This is my Furler line fairlead.

[jimmy alonso]

Sorry that happened.
Very much the wrong pin for the forestay.

The BWY pin is easier to put in because the forestay should not be too loose and the large end on the pin makes it easier.
I have a backup line tied to the top of the mast to the pulpit.

Wondering why the furler was was lost? I also keep the furler line locked in the clam cleat with a stopper knot on the end.

Had a lower shroud break once while motoring = no fun. Now I replace all standing rigging every 4 or 5 years and upgraded forestay to 5/32 with a toggle at the top.

[Russ]

I have a backup line tied to the top of the mast to the pulpit.

Same here. As a backup to the forestay.

My furler also uses the BIG BWY pin.

[chipveres]

+1 for the clevis pin and ring-ding. The pin the OP showed is for the "gates" in the lifeline beside the cockpit.
Chip V.

[NiceAft]

Not trying to start a tangent thread, but I did want to tell Jimmy Alonso that it’s good to see any post by him. Mis saludos a Rosa y David.

[Idiotfool]

Here is my wonderful setup for the roller furler.



For those of you with a second line as a backup forestay, what kind of line and how did you attach it?

[Jimmyt]

The furling line should come in to the center of the drum, perpendicular to the drum. Without seeing your drum, I can only guess based on mine. Yours appears to be too far aft.

[kurz]

I made this very long pin, sharpened it.

So it is a lot easier to put the pin in and tighten the forestay.

So see Pic here :

https://postimg.cc/R6xGCqdG

[NiceAft]

Here is my wonderful setup for the roller furler.

If it works for you fine, but it does appear to be too far aft.

As I posted earlier, I was told by my dealer(17 years ago) to run the line from the drum, to outside of the bow pulpit, and then straight back (but inside) to the cleat in front of the port winch. It has worked fine.

I am telling you this because what you have might be causing the abrasion on your furler line, and instead of doing drilling in your deck to reposition the fairlead, it might be easier to just have your furler line match the setup I have been using; not that the systems others have pointed out are bad, which they are not, it’s just that you may not wish to drill more holes in the boat.