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Tartan 40 staysail?
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Thank you, Karl..  The 40 came with a baby stay.  This 40 also has the inner forestay.  Whether it's stock or custom I don't know, but there is a halyard rigged.  I have a call into Tartan Yachts to learn whether I need running backstays and what size/shape staysail to use, but so far no response.  I agree that my first job is to determine whether the attachment point is strong enough.  Also agree with your suggestion to have a 100% to use in heavy air with a reefed main.  

Thanks for your response,

James O'B.
James,

One key question I forgot to ask: is there a block installed on the mast to hoist a sail up the inner forestay. It is kind of a key question.  If there is, it was intended for a sail. If not, it is intended for something else.

Karl
James,

I hesitate to reply as I don't know the boat but since no one else has replied, I will give it a shot.  It appears as if the 40 came with a baby stay and my guess is the inner forestay is a retrofit.  Since the baby stay should have given all the mast stability required in a heavy seaway, my guess is the inner forestay was installed for a sail.

When you say two pad eyes, I want to confirm that they are fore and aft, and not offset left and right.  That would make a difference depending on the intended use.  I am not sure how you could get the tension right for both points on a fore and aft installation but the second pad eye could be for something else (specifically a spinnaker staysail)  which would make it kind of a red herring.

As for size of the staysail, that would depend on what you wanted to use it for.  Upwind, I would say 100% but if you only want it for reaching, then a 130 would be preferred.  Personally, I would opt for the 100% and use the sail for heavy air.  If it were blowing really hard, I could furl the Genoa completely and use the reefed main with just the staysail but this assumes that the installation is done correctly.  Look under the headliner and see how big the backing plate is.  For this application you need a big one as the loads will be high.

I haven't really answered your question but perhaps this helps a little.  As a matter of interest, did the boat come with storm sails, specifically a hank on storm jib?

Cheers,
Karl

My 1988 Tartan 40 has an inner forestay (not the baby stay) that connects to one of two padeyes on the foredeck with a mechanical, lever-operated piece of hardware.   Is that inner forestay designed to handle a staysail and, if so, what size staysail?  100%?  130%?

Anyone ever use one?

Jobrien
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