Has Anyone Rigged an Adjustable Backstay On A H30T. If so could you explain. Thanks in advance. Our's is a 1993.
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I did it
On my H33.5 I rigged one up from spare parts that I had, but you can buy a kit from WM or any marine parts outlet. Basicalloy they are two blocks that run on the split backstay and squeeze them together, effectively tightening the backstay.
On my H33.5 I rigged one up from spare parts that I had, but you can buy a kit from WM or any marine parts outlet. Basicalloy they are two blocks that run on the split backstay and squeeze them together, effectively tightening the backstay.
does it work?
Steve, I just bought my H30 in July. PO had a backstay adjustor rigged but just hanging loose. I haven't played with it yet, but PO said it was worthless; he never used it. I think he told me that it was fine for tightening, but you couldn't get the blocks to slide back up the backstays to loosen it - had to push it up with a boat hook or something? At this point, I'm not even sure where/how to connect it; right now I just have a mass of lines loosely hanging from the stern rail. What suggestions do you have, and what has your experience been?
Steve, I just bought my H30 in July. PO had a backstay adjustor rigged but just hanging loose. I haven't played with it yet, but PO said it was worthless; he never used it. I think he told me that it was fine for tightening, but you couldn't get the blocks to slide back up the backstays to loosen it - had to push it up with a boat hook or something? At this point, I'm not even sure where/how to connect it; right now I just have a mass of lines loosely hanging from the stern rail. What suggestions do you have, and what has your experience been?
A good vang is better
I bought a Johnson Marine adjuster, then learned more about the rig and how to sail it, and have never installed it. Your '93 H30 is a fractional rig. A backstay adjuster will affect only the very top portion of the mast, and won't affect the shape of the sail all that much. Backstay adjusters are more affective on a masthead rig, like a Catilina. You'll read in the archives that some people use them for increasing forestay tension, but most people have too much forestay tension. The jib is cut for some sag in the forestay. Easing the halyard slightly in light winds and tightening in higher winds will do the job, though most people neglect this adjustment. You'll notice there is not that much tension on your backstay, at least there shouldn't be on a B & R rig like this. Most of the back tension is in the shrouds, which are swept back. The rake (backward lean) and bend in the mast are placed and held there by the shrouds; the backstay is an afterthought and primarily a safety feature (Hunter eventually did away with backstay completely by sweeping the spreaders just a little more in later years). Your sailmaker knew this, and cut the sail accordingly. Again, bending the very top part of the mast won't affect this type of main very much. A good solid vang, like a Garhauer, with control lines rigged to the cockpit, will be much more useful and effective for altering sail shape, especially flattening (depowering) the main in higher winds, which is what you would use a backstay adjuster for. With a good vang, you can really flattend the sail and change the angle of attack by dropping the mainsheet traveler to leeward. People say to reef early on a Hunter of this vintage, but if you learn to sail it this way, you won't have to. See the archives for tuning and sailing this rig.
I bought a Johnson Marine adjuster, then learned more about the rig and how to sail it, and have never installed it. Your '93 H30 is a fractional rig. A backstay adjuster will affect only the very top portion of the mast, and won't affect the shape of the sail all that much. Backstay adjusters are more affective on a masthead rig, like a Catilina. You'll read in the archives that some people use them for increasing forestay tension, but most people have too much forestay tension. The jib is cut for some sag in the forestay. Easing the halyard slightly in light winds and tightening in higher winds will do the job, though most people neglect this adjustment. You'll notice there is not that much tension on your backstay, at least there shouldn't be on a B & R rig like this. Most of the back tension is in the shrouds, which are swept back. The rake (backward lean) and bend in the mast are placed and held there by the shrouds; the backstay is an afterthought and primarily a safety feature (Hunter eventually did away with backstay completely by sweeping the spreaders just a little more in later years). Your sailmaker knew this, and cut the sail accordingly. Again, bending the very top part of the mast won't affect this type of main very much. A good solid vang, like a Garhauer, with control lines rigged to the cockpit, will be much more useful and effective for altering sail shape, especially flattening (depowering) the main in higher winds, which is what you would use a backstay adjuster for. With a good vang, you can really flattend the sail and change the angle of attack by dropping the mainsheet traveler to leeward. People say to reef early on a Hunter of this vintage, but if you learn to sail it this way, you won't have to. See the archives for tuning and sailing this rig.
Thanks Dean
Just trying to get everything we can out her. We Race After 'Ours every Wedenesday Night for 18 weeks. Take a look at the link below. We took second in our section and seventh in the fleet. Not bad for a Hunter. By the way our mast is a Z-Spar not B&R. Thanks again.
Just trying to get everything we can out her. We Race After 'Ours every Wedenesday Night for 18 weeks. Take a look at the link below. We took second in our section and seventh in the fleet. Not bad for a Hunter. By the way our mast is a Z-Spar not B&R. Thanks again.
You're welcome, but....
If your boat is an H30 88-94 its a B&R rig. Z-Spar is a manufacturer (mine is by Isomat, now I think they are using Seldon), B & R is named for Bergstrom and R.....(can't remember) who designed this configuration of a Marconi sloop---A fractional rig, with about 5 degrees of rake and 1 degree of prebend in the mast that is held in place by swept back spreaders.....It is basically a racing design; you'll see it on J-24s. Harder to tune but faster to sail America's Cup Class is basically the same rig except they have running backstays since there is a lot more tension on the rig with all of that sail. It is also how they get all of that sail, with the very large roach that you normally can't get because a backstay is in the way....which is why Hunter got rid of the backstay. The only disadvantage is downwind because you can't ease the main fully because it will hit the spreaders sooner than a masthead rig. Which is another reason for the rigid vang, which will really flatten the main, so you can ease it further when going down wind. Get the Garhauer rigid vang first, learn to use it, then decide whether you need the backstay adjuster. You'll be smokin' that O'day (Do people really race Island Packets?)
If your boat is an H30 88-94 its a B&R rig. Z-Spar is a manufacturer (mine is by Isomat, now I think they are using Seldon), B & R is named for Bergstrom and R.....(can't remember) who designed this configuration of a Marconi sloop---A fractional rig, with about 5 degrees of rake and 1 degree of prebend in the mast that is held in place by swept back spreaders.....It is basically a racing design; you'll see it on J-24s. Harder to tune but faster to sail America's Cup Class is basically the same rig except they have running backstays since there is a lot more tension on the rig with all of that sail. It is also how they get all of that sail, with the very large roach that you normally can't get because a backstay is in the way....which is why Hunter got rid of the backstay. The only disadvantage is downwind because you can't ease the main fully because it will hit the spreaders sooner than a masthead rig. Which is another reason for the rigid vang, which will really flatten the main, so you can ease it further when going down wind. Get the Garhauer rigid vang first, learn to use it, then decide whether you need the backstay adjuster. You'll be smokin' that O'day (Do people really race Island Packets?)
Yes Dean, the Island Packet does race.
Yes, The Island Packet gets to start 30 Min. before Section One. Some times the School Boats with new student skippers start with it. Sometimes it finishes and sometimes it dosen't. The fleet also lets any new and timid skipper start that way. I also bought spare parts for our 1993 H30T from Rig-Rite. The J Bolt for the lower spreader and two turning blocks. They listed the mast as a Z-Spar.
Yes, The Island Packet gets to start 30 Min. before Section One. Some times the School Boats with new student skippers start with it. Sometimes it finishes and sometimes it dosen't. The fleet also lets any new and timid skipper start that way. I also bought spare parts for our 1993 H30T from Rig-Rite. The J Bolt for the lower spreader and two turning blocks. They listed the mast as a Z-Spar.
I Don't Use Mine
My '91 30T has a backstay adjuster, but I don't use it because it has such a small effect, I've never seen it as useful. If I were to start using it, I would redo how it is rigged first. The current setup on my boat has the lines going up and back from the lower block to the upper one running down the starboard leg of the split backstay. This means when I tighten it, I'm not just pulling back on the mast, but also bending it slightly to starboard. When he was tuning my rig last March, Brion Toss told me if I wanted to use the adjuster, I should run the line up one side and down the other so the tensioning load would be straight back. He also said to not give it any mechanical advantage, such as through a 3:1, because you want the adjustment to be as small as possible, and when it's too easy to tighten, you're more likely to over-adjust. - Jim
My '91 30T has a backstay adjuster, but I don't use it because it has such a small effect, I've never seen it as useful. If I were to start using it, I would redo how it is rigged first. The current setup on my boat has the lines going up and back from the lower block to the upper one running down the starboard leg of the split backstay. This means when I tighten it, I'm not just pulling back on the mast, but also bending it slightly to starboard. When he was tuning my rig last March, Brion Toss told me if I wanted to use the adjuster, I should run the line up one side and down the other so the tensioning load would be straight back. He also said to not give it any mechanical advantage, such as through a 3:1, because you want the adjustment to be as small as possible, and when it's too easy to tighten, you're more likely to over-adjust. - Jim
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