Do you have an adjustable forestay?

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Jwood1
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Do you have an adjustable forestay?

Post by Jwood1 »

I recently got new sails from Mack Sails, main, 120% genoa and spiniker. I also got a new roller furling. Of course, when they put the new roller furling on, they put on a new head stay. They matched the length with the old stay. This was done on the hard. Once in the water and testing the new sails, I realized the the head stay was pretty loose. She sailed pretty well, but on a beam or close reach, the head stay had quite a bow to leeward.

Reading the PDQ manual, they talk about the importance of adjusting the headstay turnbuckle to pull the mast forward such that it has a rake of about 12" aft of vertical. This is checked by hanging a weight on the main halyard and measuring the distance to the mast. On my boat the rake is twice that, about 24". Well, my boat did not have a turnbuckle on the headstay and so they didn't put one on the new stay either. So I can't do the adjustment they recommend. I'm wondering if my boat ever had an adjustable headstay. Perhaps PDQ stopped putting adjustable headstays after the manual was written. My boat was built after the manual was written. So, my question to other PDQ 32 owners is, does you rig have an adjustable headstay, and do you pay attention to mast rake as recommended in the manual?

Mack Sails have been great and they are coming out to my boat next week to get the rigging adjusted right. They will either install a turnbuckle on the headstay, or adjust in other ways. I'll give you an update next week.
Terrapin
1997 PDQ 32 LRC #26
Punta Gorda, FL

http://terrapinsailing.com/
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thinwater
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Re: Do you have an adjustable forestay?

Post by thinwater »

Did you look inside the furler? With some (most?) you have to lift the furler to access the turnbuckle. It's in there.

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Jwood1
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Re: Do you have an adjustable forestay?

Post by Jwood1 »

Well, I didn't watch when they (Mack Sails) removed the old furler, but I take their word for it that there wasn't one. The new furler they put on is a Harken ESP1. You can install it without a turnbuckle or with an adapter that allows the turnbuckle to be accessed under the furler. They installed it without the turnbuckle. When I then realized the forestay was too loose after sailing and the importance of being able to adjust the forestay, I talked to them about it. They sent two riggers out to my boat (a 21/2 hour drive) and installed the adapter and turnbuckle, and adjusted the rigging to spec. So, I am now a happy camper and very happy with Mack Sails. They bend over backwards to make the customer happy.
Terrapin
1997 PDQ 32 LRC #26
Punta Gorda, FL

http://terrapinsailing.com/
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