Forestay sheared twice on F32

[RonBarr]

In the space of two years we have had our forestay shear at the deck turnbuckle twice. Both times when not actually on the boat - we just came back to find it broken. I realize that this stay is kept slightly slack and that the camber boom exerts some lateral pressure. The rigger is at a loss to explain it - has anyone experienced this? Suggestions?

Ron B
F32 Newport RI

[Craig]

Is the sheave on your camber spar worn? I lost 2 headstays because of excessive wear from a worn sheave.

[GeoffSchultz]

Can you see any wear where it broke? Corrosion? There must be some sign of fatigue or one of the former. How old were the forestays? Do you check it on a regular basis? After having lost 2, I think that I would.

-- Geoff (sorry for all of the questions and no answers...)

[Castaway]

If the stay is not taut, perhaps it moves back & forth with the wind when no sails are set, enough to flex at the point where it joins the turnbuckle (? a swaged joint) to cause failure due to metal fatigue. Do you have a picture of the break? Two forestays broken suggests some systematic failure, rather than a duff wire.

Regards,
Gerald

[Rick Simonds]

2 ideas:

1) The top and bottom of the forestay really should both have toggles in them, but the original didn’t have them. The toggles act as universal joints and allow the wire to remain as a straight line, axial pull on the swedge fitting as the wire is deflected sideways when the sail is up. Without it there is an un-fair sideways load on the wire where it exits the swedge fitting.
2) Cut and install a piece of 2” PVC pipe over the bottom of the forestay (hardware store pipe is fine.) It should be long enough to hold the fitting that’s on the forward end of the Camberspar above the bottom forestay swedge fitting when the sail is down. When the sail is up the pipe does nothing. When the sail is down it prevents the Camberspar fitting from kinking the wire as it enters the swedge or damaging the swedge itself.