'77 Hunter 25 Backstay

[DASK]

I keep my boat in a dry dock. We use the boat as often as possible and now my daughter and her girl friends are also sailing during the week. In order to use the loading crane the backstay has to be off.

All stays are now evenly adjusted to the lightest setting with my sail gauge.

Currently I have a through push pin buckle to disconnect it. My daughter is unable to connect it back once in the water. I am looking for some sort of scissor adjuster or other mechanism that will make this an easy process.

Suggestions?

 

[Ed Schenck]

Could you use a halyard, maybe with an extension, along with the mast winch to pull the mast back? The other option would be to install a backstay tensioner(http://www.harken.com/rigtips/BackstayAdjuster.php ). An expensive option however. I'd be concerned that the rig is too loose if you are able to secure it by hand.

Is there no way to modify the crane so that you can leave the rig properly tensioned?

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

You could use a lever-action connector like that used for cutter rigs to disconnect the inner forestay; but it is heavy and expensive. If you do go with something like this, be sure it has a place for a positive-locking pin to prohibit inadvertent disengagement. For a boat the size of the H25 (250 sq ft) something like for a Hunter 37 or Cherubini 44 stays'l should be adequate-- I don't mean in strength, because it'd be overkill, but in its ability to hold tension. For regular use like this, you want to be able to detach and reattach the backstay with its tension intact, and that calls for some significant leverage.

Another option is to keep using the backstay as you have been (taking care to use a positive-locking pin in it) but to tension the backstay with either a separate tackle, like a running backstay, or a regular backstay adjuster. The tensioner will take up the load; the wire will then really be only a safety measure (don't leave the dock without it!).

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

Your other option is to have it reengineered as a Begstrom rig with no backstay, like that on the H24; but I don't think you'd want to pay my fee to coerce me into drawing that!

 

[sandpiper10471]

Or you could shorten the backstay and install a hyfield lever. Keep the turnbuckle for finer adjustments. The great thing about the hyfield is you can open and close it under load.
Another option would be to redesign the backstay with a split and then use a block and tackle tensioning devise. But then there would be two release points for the lift each time.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

The over-center lever-action connector I was referring to is also known as a Hyfield lever. We have used them on C44 inner forestays. For the H25 I would look for one scaled for up to about 3/8" or 5/16" wire-- they are not likely to come for much less than that. It is a heavy hunk of SS or bronze; but if it does the trick for you the weight will be a secondary concern.

I just saw one in an older copy of SAIL magazine the other day (forget who made it; but at least you can find it) and saw that it did include a secondary pin-type 'lock' as I hoped it would. The pin shown was just a Faspin or quick-release pin, but it would provide a secondary backup to the lever's own pin itself.

 

[SamLust]

CS Johnson makes exactly what you are looking for. Page 32 in their catalog. http://www.csjohnson.com/marinecatalog/00032.htm There! click on that! Among other things it is used as original on the head stay on the Com Pac Horizon cat. Several guys here have used them on the furling head stays on trailer sailers to make life easier.Or you might want to consider setting up a backstay adjuster set-up. You can go from full floppy to full tight with a moderate pull on a string. Easier than explaining how to re set a turnbuckle.