Do I need Turnbuckles

[dylanwinter]

The Minstrel high peaked gaff rig has not been on the boat for 15 years or more

that means the sails are immaculate - but it also means that several bits of the rig are missing

no forestay, two sidestays but one of them is fraying

no sign of any turnbuckles

I wondered if I needed them

could I use several turns of dynema or some sort of strong thin cords wrapped around a pair of decent sized shackles

Dylan

 

[Lakesailor]

The Seahawk 17 was designed to use cord bindings instead of rigging screws. It's a bermudan so loads are a bit higher than a gaff, but on the other hand is a smaller boat.
Quite a few Seahawk owners use Dynema for the shrouds.
Can't see that huge tension is needed on a gaff rigged boat.

Same question of the Swallow Boats Forum

 

[sarabande]

shackles might be too tight a turn; there are dyneema specific deadeyes.

 

[prv]

My forestay, on a 24-footer, uses a lashing.

Of course, while actually sailing, the luff of the jib is what really takes the tension. The forestay is only working when moored.

I do have bottlescrews for the shrouds.

My gut feeling is that bottlescrews would be better on your boat, but lashings would do the job if you don't want to spend the money.

Pete

 

[Twister_Ken]

Join the big boys. Try and freeze frame about 1m18s.

 

[VicS]

Join the big boys. Try and freeze frame about 1m18s.

What am I looking at ?

 

[Vara]

What am I looking at ?

The mast is held up with bits of very expensive string.

 

[VicS]

The mast is held up with bits of very expensive string.

Dylan wont wont "very expensive", but you can get cheap string in B&Q etc

 

[Twister_Ken]

Yep, shroud is tied on, just above the C in Oracle.

All the rage.

Lower tech version

 

[dylanwinter]

what string

what string

and around what

is a shackle good enough

what should the shackle be made of.

I fancy two bits of string with separate knots.

I bit of string eight times up and down

or

two bits of string four times up and down

Dylan

 

[prv]

what string

and around what

Mine is just ratty old polyester 3-strand. Somewhere around 4-6mm at a guess. Bottom part is around a stainless steel bail welded to the top of the gammon iron, top is a moderate-sized bow shackle at the bottom of the forestay. I keep adding turns till I run out of rope (or rather, have just enough left for the half-hitches around the whole lot); there's probably five or six complete turns. After the half-hitches I run the end in and out between the turns a few times to additionally secure it; a spike is needed to prise the turns apart for this.

Pete

 

[Yantlet]

The Minstrel high peaked gaff rig has not been on the boat for 15 years or more

that means the sails are immaculate - but it also means that several bits of the rig are missing

no forestay, two sidestays but one of them is fraying

no sign of any turnbuckles

I wondered if I needed them

could I use several turns of dynema or some sort of strong thin cords wrapped around a pair of decent sized shackles

Dylan

I would probably opt for turnbuckles for side stays but have no problem with dynema for the forestay as the jib will take most of the strain when rigged.
And after all how much for a couple of turnbuckles ?

 

[dylanwinter]

not much

I would probably opt for turnbuckles for side stays but have no problem with dynema for the forestay as the jib will take most of the strain when rigged.
And after all how much for a couple of turnbuckles ?

not much.....

but they need ordering to the right size

they cannot be cut away with a knife

as for the forestay - it has the roller reefing on it

so that will probably need a turnbuckle


PRV - remind me what boat you sail

 

[srp]

Lashings are cheap and cheerful, and just as strong. Have a look at this page for a comparison http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/Articles/back.htm
Loads of other useful info as well.

 

[prv]

PRV - remind me what boat you sail

This.

(In case you missed it earlier, the lashing I describe is only on my forestay, the shrouds have bottlescrews.)

Pete

 

[jwilson]

I would probably opt for turnbuckles for side stays but have no problem with dynema for the forestay as the jib will take most of the strain when rigged.
And after all how much for a couple of turnbuckles ?

On a small boat lashings are in my view better than turnbuckles: cheaper, you can make them yourself, no need for toggles or danger of small rigging screws getting bent, which they do easily. No need for Dyneema, use decent quality polyester and change every other year.

 

[dylanwinter]

the value

On a small boat lashings are in my view better than turnbuckles: cheaper, you can make them yourself, no need for toggles or danger of small rigging screws getting bent, which they do easily. No need for Dyneema, use decent quality polyester and change every other year.

the value of your answer hinges upon your definition of small

Dylan

 

[prv]

the value of your answer hinges upon your definition of small

A certain Mr Cunliffe's 45-footer used them...

Agree with the scope for bending small bottlescrews while raising a mast though - I did just that last year on KS and had to urgently source one the right size on a Sunday afternoon, which wasn't easy. You might find yourself in the same situation on some godforsaken slipway.

Pete

 

[Lakesailor]

Of course if you continue your inland forays and need to step and unstep the mast a lot you'll curse using lashings when a simple pin would have disconnected the shrouds.

 

[wklein]

I would use 3mm dyneema, its about a pound a meter so no real price advantage over polyester and better in every way. I would go for about 5 complete passes. When you get new rigging made get lacing eyes (similar to those used on guardrails but without the thread) and learn to to do a marlinspike hitch to tension. If your dropping the mast it will last better.