Wilson,

I've been puzzled all day about your problem with your forestay.  I assume the 'challenge' you mention was getting the forestay connected to its chainplate at the bow.  What had me scratching my head was your mention of shortening the chains.  Shortening the chains shouldn't have any effect on being able to get the top of the mast far enough forward to make the forestay connection, unless...

By any chance, do you have the chains connected to the mast crane?

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)

> On 2021-10-18, at 07:57:46 EDT, Wilson Cook wrote:
>
> So I erected my mast for the first time yesterday. I hope there is a short 
> learning curve. Took a while but I was single handed  Biggest challenge was the 
> headstay. Took everything I had after shortening chains twice. Once it was 
> finally up and I was tensioning backstays something “popped” at the masthead and 
> then forestay was looser. 
> 
> Related question- there is a block and tackle across the backstays but there is 
> no cleat? 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
>