The short peice of backstay that attaches to the diamond plate and the chain plate twists causing wires to break at the swage fitting. Has anyone come up with a fix/retrofit for the backstay/mainsheet attachment?
backstay/mainsheet atttachment
- Thread starter mike b.
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I did design, but never implemented, a traveler system to replace the backstay attachment. The location of the drawings and parts list I made up is lost in the mists of history, but the basics: a Harken traveler mounted on top of the pushpit railing. As best as I could figure, this was going to require mounting the traveler on top of a piece of Starboard or teak, then mounting that unit on top of the pushpit. The mounting board was required because the straight traveler could not be mounted directly on the curved pushpit. Also, I seem to recall that by moving the traveler about a half inch forward, it made clearance of the backstay a little easier. But perhaps the biggest pain was that the pushpit itself would need to be remounted with beefier nuts and bolts; I think it is secured with just screws at the base, and my rigging consultant thought that was inadequate to deal with the potential shock of an accidental jibe or similar load. And there was no way I could see how to remount that pushpit without resorting to extreme contortions or the installation of multiple inspection ports. So I decided to do without the traveler.
If your backstay tail is twisting, it sounds like it is at the end of its life. If its more than 10 years old, its time to replace it (and any other standing rigging of the same vintage) anyway.
If your backstay tail is twisting, it sounds like it is at the end of its life. If its more than 10 years old, its time to replace it (and any other standing rigging of the same vintage) anyway.
I had that set up on my O'Day 222 and I hated it so I went out and bought a traveler and mounted it in front of my companionway.
I talked to a rigging expert at Rig-Rite who was also the owner and he talked me into buying a used backstay adjuster called a Johnson Handy-Lock and he would eliminate that triangular plate by moving my turnbuckle higher and mounting the Handy-lock right under it. The reason for keeping the open turnbuckle is to be able to remove the backstay from the mast head fitting which fits into a hole.
This to me was the smartest move I ever made. I was trailer-sailing my boat back then and the Handy-Lock made it so easy to connect and disconnect my forestay without having to mess with my side stays. In fact, I started using a press button quick pin on my forestay which really added to the speed of setting up and breaking down the rig at the ramp.
Today I have a CDI Roller Furler and although I have a mooring now, I'm still using the Handy-Lock and the press button quick pin.
A press button quick pin should not be confused with a fast pin which is very unreliable. I wouldn't use a fast pin on anything.
Get a good name brand traveler like Harken or Garhaurer with the lines and sheaves. I bought a Nico Fico and I'm not all that fond of it.
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Mike,
I have a 222 also, and the tail piece on my backstay started fraying last Summer, rather quickly. D&R Marine carries original replacement parts here:
http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=163
(Apologies for posting to another vendor but I'm pretty sure SBO doesn't sell this.)
I have a 222 also, and the tail piece on my backstay started fraying last Summer, rather quickly. D&R Marine carries original replacement parts here:
http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=163
(Apologies for posting to another vendor but I'm pretty sure SBO doesn't sell this.)
Actually Mike, if you want to go with the same set up, all you have to do is disconnect that short piece of the stay in between the triangular plate and the backstay chainplate and take it to a rigger and have him make you up a new one with the swadged fittings on it to the same size. Your plate should be OK.
I still use my triangular plate. I had my son weld it to the end of my stainless steel Gin Pole several years ago.
WM also has the stay wire and fittings, but I'm pretty sure that Rudy can make you up what you need without the plate, a heck of a lot cheaper than "Worst Marine".
I still use my triangular plate. I had my son weld it to the end of my stainless steel Gin Pole several years ago.
WM also has the stay wire and fittings, but I'm pretty sure that Rudy can make you up what you need without the plate, a heck of a lot cheaper than "Worst Marine".
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Mike, I have the exact same setup that Joe has. Since I know longer have the boat (23' O Day), I would like to part with the traveler (Harken), car, and control lines, and teak mount. If you are interested in it please contact me at my email. George
Heck George, I wouldn't mind having your Harken traveler myself. Do you have any pics of it? Send them to me at, sailtrinkka1986@verizon.net
I also need the track length and width.
Joe
Thanks George,
I went on an overnighter yesterday with Penny on the River and today when I motored back to the club I called my wife on a borrowed cell phone and she told me that your traveler arrived yesterday via UPS at about 5 PM.
I asked her to bring it down to the club so I could install it and she did. I had brought all my tools with me that I needed to remove the old traveler and Teak mount, just in case it arrived.
She brought it down at noon and it took me a couple of hours to set it up on my Teak mount and install it.
I'm very happy with it George. Thank you for getting it to me as quick as you did. I'll probably trip on it a couple of times until I get used to it but that's OK. I'm happy to have it.
It looks pretty good on the Trinkka if I do say so myself.
Joe
I went on an overnighter yesterday with Penny on the River and today when I motored back to the club I called my wife on a borrowed cell phone and she told me that your traveler arrived yesterday via UPS at about 5 PM.
I asked her to bring it down to the club so I could install it and she did. I had brought all my tools with me that I needed to remove the old traveler and Teak mount, just in case it arrived.
She brought it down at noon and it took me a couple of hours to set it up on my Teak mount and install it.
I'm very happy with it George. Thank you for getting it to me as quick as you did. I'll probably trip on it a couple of times until I get used to it but that's OK. I'm happy to have it.
It looks pretty good on the Trinkka if I do say so myself.
Joe
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I'm really glad that it worked out for you Joe, I know that you will be happy with it.
well done Joe. As good as that looks, I still can't bring myself to go from end boom to mid-boom sheeting. Although I must admit that I find myself less concerned than before about putting the main sheet blocks smack in the middle of the companionway. And, even though I have installed a boom vang, there are times when I really wish I had a traveller. On a more positive note, I finally got fed up with my jiffy reefing system; I had two separate lines: one for the aft end of the main, and one for the gooseneck. On Saturday, I installed some new hardware on the boom, and now I have a single line jiffy reefing system! Maybe I'll remember to take pictures next time on the boat.
Mike
Please do take some pics of that when you can Mike. I was just cursing that two line set up yesterday.
I can understand why you would rather have end of boom sheeting. Stepping over a traveler each time you walk in and out of the cabin isn't too appealing to some. My wife used to sit in the Port corner with her back up against the cabin bulkhead before I mounted the traveler there and she wasn't very happy with it after I mounted it.
I've grown used to having the traveler in that spot through the years. Some guys mount them right in the middle of the cockpit and I don't think I could favor that for long.
I think you'll like the single line jiffy reefing. Did you mount Ram's horns under the goose neck fitting? I've heard of single line reefing where one line pulls both the tack and clew of the sail at the same time. Is this the one that you installed?
You see,--I can't have a reefing set up like that because I need to remove one sail slide from my mast. It's just as easy for me to do that and insert the luff grommet into the horn after I've lowered the Main sail. My halyard and topping lift control line is right at the mast.
If you can take some pics of it and upload them I'd be interested in seeing them.
I had installed the hardware for my boom break but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet.
Today I went down to the club and cleaned my traveler and lubed it. My outboard head cover won't stay latched and I wanted to find out what is going on with that. I think I'm going have to replace the latch on the back of the engine that fits into the cover. It's always something.
Also, I had bought a new fuel line hose at Wal-Mart and after using it, I decided that I'm going to continue using the original OMC fuel line which is longer than the new hose. You really don't get the same quality in the merchandise that you buy these days. Wayne was telling me that those new hoses only last about two seasons. I think I'll use the new fuel for a siphoning hose and keep using my old rubber fuel line.
Indy and Joe: I will take pictures of my new reefing "system" next time I am at the boat.
And I too have found that the new fuel lines seem to last no longer than two seasons. I started my engine for the first time on Saturday, and it fired right up. She ran for about 10 seconds, then died. I couldn't get it started again for love or money. I had thought about buying a new line anyway because this one would have been on its third season, so.... I had to go to West Marine anyway to get a new reefing line, so I plunked down some more cash for a new fuel line too (glad I had a gift certificate from my kids). After installation of the new line, the engine started right up and ran fine. My first fuel line lasted a good six or seven years, and that was with leaving it hooked up and outside 24/7. Since then, I have started unhooking it every time and storing it in the fuel locker out of the sun. Even so, they still seem to last only two years max. My dockmate changes his every year. I guess I will start doing that too. Its not too bad if you can keep the same end fittings.
And I too have found that the new fuel lines seem to last no longer than two seasons. I started my engine for the first time on Saturday, and it fired right up. She ran for about 10 seconds, then died. I couldn't get it started again for love or money. I had thought about buying a new line anyway because this one would have been on its third season, so.... I had to go to West Marine anyway to get a new reefing line, so I plunked down some more cash for a new fuel line too (glad I had a gift certificate from my kids). After installation of the new line, the engine started right up and ran fine. My first fuel line lasted a good six or seven years, and that was with leaving it hooked up and outside 24/7. Since then, I have started unhooking it every time and storing it in the fuel locker out of the sun. Even so, they still seem to last only two years max. My dockmate changes his every year. I guess I will start doing that too. Its not too bad if you can keep the same end fittings.
Hey joe, I bought a handy lock off a buddy at the club. Can you show me what the press button is vs a fast pin?
Thanks,
Keith
Hi Keith,
The link below shows a fast pin. Personally, I wouldn't use one on my boat unless I drilled a hole through it and added a cotter ring to keep it from pulling out and I have done this in the past by puching out the metal balls and drill a small hole in it's place for a cotter ring. My boom is held on with one of these pins.
http://www.twinsrecreation.com/cat-fs14454.html
The marine press button quick pin engages the tiny metal balls that secure it.
http://www.reidsupply.com/products/...s-accessories/push-button-pins/?fl=4294895436
This pin will work great for you provided that the hole in which you insert it into isn't worn to where it will pull out. I've been using the same pin for many years and have never had a problem with it.
Keith,
If I think of it, I'll take a picture of my Handy-Lock and open turn buckle on my backstay tomorrow so you can get an idea on how to set it up.
The reason why I have my open turnbuckle above my Handy-Lock is so I can unscrew the back stay bolt out of the top of the turnbuckle in order to get the stay through the small hole in the top of the mast head.
The nuts on the Handy-Lock are adhered with thread cement and you really don't want to mess with it each time you want to take your stay off your mast.
I remove all my stays from my mast each season and stow them down in my cellar with the spreaders attached to them. My mast is then wrapped with polytarp and used as a ridge pole for my winter tarp.
The link below shows a fast pin. Personally, I wouldn't use one on my boat unless I drilled a hole through it and added a cotter ring to keep it from pulling out and I have done this in the past by puching out the metal balls and drill a small hole in it's place for a cotter ring. My boom is held on with one of these pins.
http://www.twinsrecreation.com/cat-fs14454.html
The marine press button quick pin engages the tiny metal balls that secure it.
http://www.reidsupply.com/products/...s-accessories/push-button-pins/?fl=4294895436
This pin will work great for you provided that the hole in which you insert it into isn't worn to where it will pull out. I've been using the same pin for many years and have never had a problem with it.
Keith,
If I think of it, I'll take a picture of my Handy-Lock and open turn buckle on my backstay tomorrow so you can get an idea on how to set it up.
The reason why I have my open turnbuckle above my Handy-Lock is so I can unscrew the back stay bolt out of the top of the turnbuckle in order to get the stay through the small hole in the top of the mast head.
The nuts on the Handy-Lock are adhered with thread cement and you really don't want to mess with it each time you want to take your stay off your mast.
I remove all my stays from my mast each season and stow them down in my cellar with the spreaders attached to them. My mast is then wrapped with polytarp and used as a ridge pole for my winter tarp.
Keith,
Here's how the guy at Rig-Rite set up my Handy-Lock. As you can see in the pics, he made up the Handy-Lock with a short piece of stay and a swaged marine eye fitting for a toggle strap connection to the open turnbuckle.
I hope the Handy-Lock works out as well on your boat as it has on mine.
All I can suggest to anyone who is interested in installing one of these, is to just loosen your back stay turnbuckle and see if there is enough slack in the fore stay to remove it without having to back it off or back off any of the other stays. Of course it goes without saying, this is only good for people who raise/lower their masts from the stern.
Here's how the guy at Rig-Rite set up my Handy-Lock. As you can see in the pics, he made up the Handy-Lock with a short piece of stay and a swaged marine eye fitting for a toggle strap connection to the open turnbuckle.
I hope the Handy-Lock works out as well on your boat as it has on mine.
All I can suggest to anyone who is interested in installing one of these, is to just loosen your back stay turnbuckle and see if there is enough slack in the fore stay to remove it without having to back it off or back off any of the other stays. Of course it goes without saying, this is only good for people who raise/lower their masts from the stern.
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Keith,
I'd have never thought about why the open turnbuckle should be left connected to the backstay above the Handy-Lock until the rigger pointed it out to me.
It wouldn't be impossible to remove the backstay from the hole in the mast head if you didn't have the open turnbuckle, but you would need to remove the cemented nut in the HL to do it. Then you would need to cement it back on again. It's easier and cheaper to just disconnect the HL from the chainplate and remove a cotter pin from the swadged bolt in the open turnbuckle, and just unscrew the whole affair. The old guy who owned Rig-Rite in RI was pretty smart when it came to sailboat rigging. He seemed to know what I needed on my boat as a trailer sailor, more than I did at the time.
Well, I finally got around to taking some pictures of my new jiffy reefing lines. I was sailing solo last evening, and managed to snap these two pics with my phone. The aft end of the line is secured around the boom with a bowline, it goes up the port side of the sail and then through the aft reefing cringle, down the starboard side of the sail to a turning block on the boom. This aft turning block was on the boat when I bought her. Formerly, this line then terminated at a cleat on the starboard side of the boom a couple of feet from the aft turning block. Under the new set up, the line continues past the now disused cleat to a new turning block I just installed near the gooseneck. The line is then directed up to a new block that is attached (via a shackle) to a ring that is sewn to the sail. The line runs through the block, then down to a new cleat attached to the boom in between the new turning block and the gooseneck. To furl, I put some slack in the halyard and pull on the one reefing line. Much better than having the two separate lines, one aft and one forward. Sweet!
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