Etap 26i backstay

[Boomshanka]

Slowly homing in on boat of choice. I have one question regarding the Etap26i... looking at photos and the owner's manual online, there doesn't appear to be any backstay (the early Etap 21i was the same, but Etap later added one). Should the lack of a backstay (as per the original design) be a cause for concern? Is it something that could be added retrospectively if need be?

My planned usage is general cruising (no interest at all in racing or stretching the limits), maybe a channel hop - and a big maybe - a Jester challenge in 2012 (but I'm not even seriously thinking about that until I know I have enough experience to make a rational decision).

 

[Twister_Ken]

Retrofit shouldn't be a problem providing the mast has a suitable tang, and the transom is beefy enough to take a chain plate. If not, talk to your financial controller before ordering the boat.

 

[dombuckley]

The main is fully battened and has quite a big roach, which would foul a backstay. If you fitted one, you would need to alter the sail accordingly.

FWIW, the rig only has a small, non-over-lapping fractional jib, so the luff tension will be far less than that necessary for a masthead genoa, and the current arrangement should be perfectly OK.

On the other hand, if you want to do the Jester, you can never have too many wires holding the mast up!

 

[cjepearson]

No backstay usually means swept back spreaders, which means you will have difficulty easing the mainsail out very far when running downwind, as the sail will foul the spreaders.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Just read the Etap site on the 28i (is it the same?) which describe it as having a Bergstrom rig. Effectively, this means the rig is triangulated between forestay and shrouds over spreaders swept back at 60 degrees, thus making three points of support sufficient. The downside is it makes it very difficult to get enough forestay tension to allow the genoa luff not to sag like Norah Battie's stockings, and as Bellatrix says, you can't free off the mainsail on a run, which consigns you to reach-gybe-reach on a downwind leg. The upside is that without a backstay the main can carry a hefty roach, giving a very nice aerodynamic shape.

One answer, if you do want more support, but don't want to kybosh the mainsail shape, would be running backstays.

 

[Boomshanka]

Thanks for all the replies. Just got back from viewing a fine specimen and your thoughts on the limited scope for letting the main out on a downwind run are spot on. I guess it's one of those 'no boat is perfect' situations with a compromise being made somewhere in the setup. If anyone here has experienced sailing an Etap26i I'd be grateful to know their views on performance in general. I've had an Etap21i before and I (personally) value the 'unsinkability' and quality of the build of an Etap... so decisions, decisions...

 

[Boomshanka]

One other thing... the boat I saw today has been on the market for over a year... is that unusual or should that put me off?... I couldn't really get an answer for why it has been up for sale for that length of time (I'd get a survey done before buying in any case - but surely machines are best when used frequently). Sorry for the basic questions, but for us this is a big decision and this forum is my main source of views and advice.

 

[misterg]

If it is being sold through a broker, ask them directly whether any prospective purchasers have had surveys carried out. If they have, and the boat is still for sale, then you need to dig deeper. (Also look for the tell-tale scrapped off patches of antifoul).

I would guess the killer blow for this design would be indications of moisture in the foam core.

Go and look at a few others and compare what you'd get for the money - factor in things like the age of the sails, rigging, instruments, evidence of t.l.c., etc. It's far cheaper to buy a boat with the kit you want than to add it later.

If everything else rang true, it wouldn't worry me too much that the boat had been up for a year (or longer) but given the current climate (all types!), you should be able to drive a very hard bargain if that is the case. Try doing a search for the same model on yachtworld.com and see how the asking prices compare. Is there an explanation for any differences?

Don't go in too high with your first offer - you can always raise a low one /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Andy