Prout Owners Association

I shredded the genny in high winds and have not been happy with the continuous line furler installed. Looking at options for re-rigging and would like others experiences and expertise before contacting riggers and sailmakers.

I am thinking of adding struts and diamond stays to the mast and putting the present babystay on a removable adjuster to use with the hanked on storm jib.

For the forestay I am thinking of adding a solent stay. The working jib/genoa would be on a furler on the aft stay and the asymmetrical spinnaker or something else on the forward stay on a top down furler.

My questions (the ones I've thought of so far):
Do diamond stays work to keep the mast in line? Is there a better option, such as forward lower shrouds?
Would it be better to add a bowsprit for the second forestay or place it aft of the present?
What sail would be most useful on the forward forestay?

Walkabout is an Event 34 (no. 10, 1990) located in Tampa Bay, FL. I normally sail solo and want to get back to fulltime cruising in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Thanks in advance for any help.

John

Hi John,
I am always on the lookout for how to keep it simple. I like the idea of all lines to the cockpit and it is one of the reason's I like the Prout mast aft rig. I too shredded a Genny and had a new one made. I've never been really happy with the new one though. I liked the really large previous Genny and our sailmaker just didn't get it. So we are stuck with a less than huge Genny. I like having a higher cut so we can see underneath when close hauled , and the new one sweeps the deck! The only time I go forward is when rigging the asymmetrical spinnaker or my hank on staysail. I wouldn't mind a code zero type furling for the spinnaker but I do like being able to rig a bridle to the tack so I can raise and lower the foot as I want, so a sock would be better for me!

I've just been looking at pictures online of how the Event is rigged (assuming it is like the pictures) and it looks just like my Quest. I have one forestay, twin aft stays, one lower forestay (babystay) and twin lower aft stays and the cap shrouds. If you want a permanent addition, I would add a stay forward for the asymmetrical. When gybing you let it fly forward and pull to the other side and don't have to thread the sail through the rigging. I thought that the solent sail (hanked on 90-100% jib) was on an additional stay just aft the roller and under the masthead rigging of the Genoa that is rigged only when needed and released and pulled aft when not in use. It is fitted just aft of the roller Genoa. Some have used Dyneema, not wire for the rig.


I'm NOT a rigger or have lots of experience making rigging choices but it would seem to me that adding diamond stays, etc is just adding complexity to a very simple rig. As long as the forces on the mast are similar, my understanding is that you can add a solent rig easily, the deck fitting may need to have a backing plate but the mast rigging should easily take the additional placement. (again only what I have read online from others)

My preference would be a curved track on the bow for an asymmetrical sail with a sock or roller screecher (like some later Gemini's, they called it a roller drifter or screecher it is a 200%), a reefing Genoa on a permanent roller as existing and a high cut (yankee) Solent rig available as needed. And two staysails ;a storm and a lighter full cut. That is a lot of sails!

Let us know what you decide to do.
Terry

Terry, thanks for the reply and knowledge. You explained the asymmetrical rig so that I now understand what others were trying to say. I agree with you that a sock that can be moved from one side to the other is better than a top-down furler at the center.

I want to convert the staysail stay to one that can be moved out of the way when not being used, to make tacking easier. I'm looking for a smaller jib to mount on the added Solent stay. I have decided this will be aft of the present forestay. The boat came to me with an apparently unused No. 1 jib. I'll see if that will work. I want it to be reefing as well as furling so will need to have foam added to the luff. The replacement sail to go on the existing forestay can then maybe be even larger than the original genoa. Or not; the original was difficult for me to handle, but that may have been the fault of the furler.

So for going to windward I will have a large genoa, change down to the full working jib, reef it as needed until switching to the staysail. Downwind there are all those plus the asymmetrical spinnaker.

Hopefully Monday I'll start talking to sailmakers and riggers.

John