Saw a photo of a boat for sale with an interesting double forestay arrangement - see
http://65.249.65.166/media/yacht_ima...agn_38_012.jpg
The specs for the boat refer to it as a "Balanced Double Headstay" The photo shows a triangular metal plate attached to the forestay toggle with the wide base of the triangle at the top, transverse to the boat's centerline. This allows the attachment of a roller furler to port and a wire forestay to starboard. Presumably, there is something similar at the masthead.
We currently have hank-on sails and would like to add a roller furler for a genoa. However, I like the idea of having a forestay that I can set a smaller jib on - for example, our storm jib is hank-on.
There could also be an advantage of setting twin headsails each boomed out on poles for downwind cruising.
I've considered a removable inner forestay but the deck fitting and reinforcement is a problem. In addition, it might require running backs to counter the tug of the inner forestay. The arrangement in the photo eliminates those problems.
A few problems I would worry about - Would the plate tend to twist when using one sail or the other since the loading is eccentric? How do the halyards lead at the masthend since this might be wider than the spacing of the masthead sheaves for twin genoa halyards?
Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on this setup?
Any thoughs, comments, experience?
-Alan
Paragon, Morgan 382
Lake Lanier, GA