one trick is to use for jib halyard as a temporary forestay. not all of Jerry's boat have this, but most do have on the portside cabin top cheek blocks and winch for jib halyard to be lead to the cockpit. attach the jib halyard snap shackle (ie, end used at the head of the jib) to the jib tack shackle at the bow plate. once you have pushed the mast up tension the jib halyard with a good pull. if needed apply just a bit more tension using a winch handle. now the mast if 'forward' a bit and you can easily attach the forestay. the jib halyard can also be used to control the mast when lowering. on my M17 i always loosen the backstay so it is way slack (i have taped the threads of the turnbuckle so i know how much to turn the turnbuckle after raising the rig so the shrouds, forestay and backstay are all correctly tuned). the shrouds on SWEET PEA are _just_ at bit looser than most folks run so i can get the mast up without needing to slack the shrouds to get the mast up. i use 'velcro wrap pins' to easily re-cotter-key the backstay turnbuckle. -- :: Dave Scobie :: former M15 owner - www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred :: M17 #375 SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 8:09 AM, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Clevis pins, spring pins, etc. I started with pins of one sort of another and found that trying to hold tension on the forestay while trying to align the tiny holes for the pin to slide through the stemhead fitting as well as the ends of the turnbuckle was an exercise is frustration highlighted with the possibility of allowing the forestay to slip out of my hand altogether ending my sailing day with a mast bent double over the transom or the pin falling on the ground out of my reach unless I lowered the mast to retrieve it or that fatal "sploop" sound as it deep sixed itself. etc. etc. etc. What to do, what to do???? Stay home and drink pins coladas? No, find a way to make it so easy and fool proof and safe so that not even sitting on my patio with said pina colada would deter me from a day on the water. So....my placing a shackle through the holes on the stem head fitting I created a LARGE target to hit with whatever I was aiming with. Then I attached a three inch snap shackle to the end of the forestay. Voila! Now I had one hand for the forestay and ONE HAND to slip the pelican hook type end of the snap shackle through the large target shackle on the stem head fitting. My closing the snap shackle by simply squeezing it together I also tensioned the rig. The only thing easier is falling off the proverbial log, unless you prefer falling off the bow of your boat trying to align pins with holes while juggling a dancing forestay. Try it, you will like it.
Sailing in Rockport, Tom B, Mont 17 #258, '77