Crazy Dave (and/or Hunter 19 (93-96) aficionados)

[Leif Arneson]

Please respond to the following:Why does my Hunter 19 (93-96) not have a backstay? The mast pumps (wildly in heavy head seas) and headstay tension is almost impossible to achieve/maintain. I am now in the process of installing a backstay on my boat to alleviate the above-mentioned problems; does anyone have any advice, tips or most importantly, any reason(s) not to?Why are the rudder and tiller over dimensioned relative to the size of my boat. All that weight, so far aft, makes it almost impossible to trim the boat to its designed waterline and the length of the tiller creates and ergonomic nightmare in the cockpit if there are more than two adults on board. I have a suspicion that the whole shebang has been “borrowed” from the 23.5, please confirm if this is indeed the case. I am also in the process of making a new, shorter tiller for my boat (and this winter a new rudder); does anyone have any advice, tips or most importantly, any reason(s) not to?Thanks,Leif Arneson

 

[crazy dave]

no to backstay

You will reduce the sail area or your main will always get caught on a backstay. YOu mention the mast is pumping. Sounds like you will need to retune your mast and you may have to much sail up in strong winds. You mention heavy seas. Folks, remember a 19 foot sailboat is not an ocean going vessel and to be out in the big salt pond with small craft warnings is not smart./I do not have enough information from you as to the conditions but I suspect that you could have loosed rigging and/or out in conditions not conducive for that boat.Crazy Dave Condon