Checkstays

[30boat]

In order to keep my forestay taught in windy conditions I came to the conclusion that I need checkstays.My Fulmar has a much thinner section mast than all the other Fulmars I've seen so far,and the standard rig just isn't up to the job of keeping it straight fore and aft.Caps and lowers tension is as recommended for this type of fractional rig, that is 25% of breaking strength.I'd like less tension not more.
I used to sail a racer with checkstays that would keep everything nice and tight.
So my idea is to connect a line (spectra) each side, to a point at the hounds and another to a point just above the spreaders that would meet more or less halfway down and then be taken to blocks at the stern.A small winch or a couple of block and tackles would do the tensioning.
Any suggestions?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Short of changing the mast it seems like a workable solution. I have sailed a few Fulmars and 'normal' their rigs are robust and workmanlike. In fact they are all round excellent sea-boats in my experience. I wonder how yours got a different mast to the rest of the Fulmar Fleet.

I would be saving up for a new mast of the 'normal' section in the long run, but I appreciate that its a bit of a pricy option.

 

[jerryat]

Hi 30boat,

Your idea sounds like a sensible solution though, as I'm sure you realise, it will make single-handing a bit more stressful, especially when tacking as you'll effectively have running backstays.

Block and tackles should be fine, and frankly I doubt if, without a crew, winches would be fast enough!

Have you checked with a rigging company to ascertain whether you actually do have to go this route, and that your current mast section really is too 'thin'?

You probably know that the mast shouldn't actually be straight fore and aft, but be set up with a pre-bend and the correct degree of aft rake. It might be worth getting an opinion on this from the riggers at the same time.

If you do go ahead, do post some pictures on here when it's all in place.

 

[William_H]

This reminds me of looking at the maxi racers in Hobart in the new year. Typically with running backstays to 5 points on the mast and no regular fixed backstay. But they do have power winches and huge crews.

Regarding your boat you are perhaps expecting too much straightness in a forestay. With a big jib pulling on the middle of the forestay you can't expect it to be bar straight. If like me you use proper individual jibs then the smaller jibs should have some concave cut in the luff to account for forestay sag.

Finally I bent a mast on my fractional rig at one stage. Caught on a marker post. I fitted forward swept diamond spreaders at the top of the forestay the 2 wires running between the top of the mast and the junction of the inner shrouds. The spreaders (if you call them that ) were for a 27ft mast about 1 ft long spaced about 80 degrees apart braced to one another with small bottle screws at the bottom of the wires so I could tighten it all.
This rig of 2 wires and the spreaders stiffened up the top of the mast above the forestay so that pressure on the adjustable backstay would translate more to tension on the forestay. (without bending the top of the mast so much) You adjust with the bottle screws the amount of mast bend you want. In my case it removed the permanent bend of the top of the mast.

This spreader rig has now gone as yet another fight with a marker left the mast demolished so new mast was stiff enough. (lousy steering yes and it happened yet again 2 years later) (not me actually helming but skipper just the same.)
If you are interested I could dig he spreader out for a photo. It is made of 1bout 10mm diameter SS tubing welded to a plate that riveted to the front of the mast. I suggest you do anything to avoid running backstays. (check stays) olewill

 

[oldsaltoz]

A good friend of mine was invited on board Brindabella as the local knowledge giver, he had a go at the winch on the running back stay, rope splices to wire.

He's no wimp and manged to crank it on to a number 6 (markers on the wire) and they were calling for more, this was just a cruise out of Hamilton Island Marina. He tells me he gave all he had and managed an almost 9 and the wire was singing.

He asked one of the regular crew what it was cranked to in heavy race conditions and was advised around 12.

I can hardly imagine the stresses involved.

A couple of years later I was racing a 24 foot Masram with running backstays that had dedicated winches with 10 inch handles, very exciting under kite, sailing 10 degrees by the lee at times and climbing over waves to be rushed head long into the back of the next one and praying the 2 inches of free board at the bow was enough to get her and us all over the wave and into the next one without end for ending.

Good luck if you go for the rig change.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[30boat]

Hi Jerryat

I keep an adequate prebend on the mast when the boat is stationary.
The problem is that once going the babystay goes wimp and the forestay sags too much for my taste.I'm sure this wouldn't happen to the same degree with a bigger section mast.I have reasons to believe that my rig came from a Sigma 33.I've been told it is the same size only lighter,and I've seen those sporting checksatys.
The backstays won't a have structural role and won't interfere too much with the manoeuvres.
A good thing with runners is that they get the job done without compressing the rig because the angle is so wide.
Anyway I will have a talk with someone at Z Spars and see what they think.

 

[30boat]

Hi William H
I also thought of something like diamond spreaders.It would certainly stiffen up the top bit of the mast and that would transfer the backsay tension to the forestay.Worth considering.If it's not too much trouble I'd like to see that photo.

 

[flaming]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Jerryat

I keep an adequate prebend on the mast when the boat is stationary.
The problem is that once going the babystay goes wimp and the forestay sags too much for my taste.I'm sure this wouldn't happen to the same degree with a bigger section mast.I have reasons to believe that my rig came from a Sigma 33.I've been told it is the same size only lighter,and I've seen those sporting checksatys.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't recall ever seeing a sigma 33 with checkstays, the 38s do though.
A quick google image search pulled this pic up, which whilst not that clear does show no checkstays and no babystay either.

Whilst your idea does have merit, my first step would be to get a good independant rigger on the boat to have a look. The babystay going lack does suggest that it could benefit from some tuning.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Sigma 33's DON'T have checkstays although our mast had the tangs fitted for them when we had one. There are no deck fittings and I have never seen a Sigma 33 with them added.

 

[30boat]

There's one here in portugal that has them and I think I once saw a photo of one with them.
Did you have trouble with the forestay tension on your boat?

 

[john_morris_uk]

No. And we raced Cowes Week and Cork week against the Sigma 33 fleet and never saw checkstays on any of the other boats, so I speak from seeing a fair sample of the class.