Adding an inner forestay - Part 5, in which Igor goes diving.

Having completed the deck eye, we were only missing a tang to attach the upper end of the stay wire to. We chose a two-part stainless fabrication from Wichard that slots inside the mast for maximum strength.

Inner forestay tang

The unexpected problem? The tang needs inserting and removing repeatedly during the fitting process, all while hanging in a harness and balancing power tools on your lap. The expected outcome? I dropped both pieces, and one of them disappeared in the cold UK spring waters.
At this point, I will leave it to Giulia to describe the diving operation that ensued in the tiniest detail and support her story with photographic evidence, and jump ahead to the technical challenges following the successful retrieval.

The slot was cut using a dremel and a hand file. Next, I had to mark and drill the mounting holes. However, the mounting surfaces are angled, and some trigonometry was necessary to transfer the holes from the inside to the outside of the mast. I very nearly screwed up as the drill but kept skidding across the surface until I fixed the tang in place using a large jubilee clip and used it as a template. Finally, the tang was covered in Duralac and riveted in place, and the pre-fabricated stay wire attached via a pin.

Tang and halyard exit

Running backstay attachment above the tang

With the wire in place, we now need to figure out an efficient (and cheap) removable tensioning system at its lower end. All suggestions are welcome!