Forestay

Forestay

On a sailing vessel, a forestay, sometimes just called a stay, is a piece of standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling backwards. It is attached either at the very top of the mast, or in fractional rigs between about 1/8 and 1/4 from the top of the mast. The other end of the forestay is attached to the bow of the boat.

Often a sail is attached to the forestay. This sail may be a jib or a genoa. In a cutter rig, the jib or jibs are flown from stays in front of the forestay, perhaps going from the masthead to a bowsprit. The sail on the forestay is then referred to as the staysail or stays'l.

A forestay might be made from stainless steel wire on a modern yacht, solid stainless steel rod, carbon rod, or Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (such as Spectra or Dyneema) on a high-performance racing boat, and galvanised wire or natural fibers on an older cutter or square-rigged ship.

Contrast with backstay and shrouds.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Forestay — Fore stay , n. (Naut.) A large, strong rope, reaching from the foremast head to the bowsprit, to support the mast. See Illust. under {Ship}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • forestay — [fôr′stā΄] n. [ME forstay: see FORE & STAY1] a rope or cable reaching from the head of a ship s foremast to the bowsprit, for supporting the foremast …   English World dictionary

  • forestay sail — /ˈfɔsteɪ seɪl/ (say fawstay sayl), /səl/ (say suhl) noun a triangular sail set on the forestay, being the first sail in front of the forward (or single) mast …  

  • forestay — noun Date: 13th century a stay from the foremast to the foredeck or bow of a ship …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • forestay — /fawr stay , fohr /, n. 1. a stay leading aft and upward from the stem or knightheads of a vessel to the head of the fore lower mast; the lowermost stay of a foremast. 2. a stay leading aft and upwards toward the mainmast of a sloop, knockabout,… …   Universalium

  • forestay — noun A stay that extends from the top of the foremast to the bow or bowsprit of a sailing ship …   Wiktionary

  • forestay — stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship Nautical Terms …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • forestay — n. front rope of a mast (on a ship) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • forestay — [ fɔ:steɪ] noun a rope supporting a ship s foremast, running from its top to the deck at the bow …   English new terms dictionary

  • forestay — fore•stay [[t]ˈfɔrˌsteɪ, ˈfoʊr [/t]] n. navig. the lowermost stay of a foremast …   From formal English to slang

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