Fore-stay tension and pointing ability?

[Marsupial]

Normans is a Jeanneau SO45.2 mine is a SO43 they are both "simple" Masthead rigs with swept back spreaders and a split backstay, a baby stay is optional - I dont have one. Some have a hydraulic back stay tensioner, but these still need the shrouds to be correctly set or the mast will have a tendancy to look like a piece of spaggetti when viewed from the bow or stern with tension applied (or not in my case before it was sorted out). BAVs have a fractional rig but I dont recal seeing one with a running backstay - others may know different.

 

[BAtoo]

I would be careful of just shortening the forestay as that wii tip the mast foreward which will affect the centre of effort and pointing ability; BUT you must stop forestay sag or you wont point. Look at mast rake first - assuming it's laterally vertical - & there should be some rake aft - I think 3% of mast height is about where to start - then adjust stays to give that. If poss go for some form of backstay tensioner - can be a bottle screw with a wheel or handle to adjust or something more fancy with blocks etc. .
Whatever you do you need to get the forestay tight and correct rake.
Plenty of guides about on the net - Z-spars have a good one.

 

[Norman_E]

Thank you. Perhaps I did not fully explain. The rigger did a quick job for me in correctly tensioning the shrouds. This has pulled the mast back so that fore-stay sag is reduced, but the split back-stay now feels pretty slack and has little or no adjustment left. His opinion is that the fore-stay needs to be shortened so that the mast will return to its original position and allow the back-stay to be correctly tensioned. When the fore-stay is removed we can decide whether to shorten it or simply replace it.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Quick and dirty - put a tackle across the two legs of the backstay and heave it down.

That's something you could organise with a few snatch blocks to see whether the tightened b/s makes a difference.

 

[BAtoo]

I agree with Twister Ken - if you have a split backstay a tensioner is easy - a block on each leg of the split with some means of pulling them down & together will work well - once you have the correct rake.....

 

[Norman_E]

Good idea. I am not going out again till September (too hot in July/August), and I will try it if the rigger does not do the planned job before I go out.