How tight on the Backstay?

[Michael Shomate]

I've been searching without much success to find out how to PROPERLY tension the backstay. I know that there are some devices to adjust tension under sail, so I figure it must be pretty important.How about educating this newbe sailor!

 

[Doug Rodrigues]

Same as the side stays

Since no one has given you an answer yet, I'll throw my two cents in. On my 25, as well as with my previous V2-22, I first adjusted the side stays equally to have the mainsail halyard hanging approximately 3 inches behind the mast. Then I would take-up the slack on the backstay. Lastly, I would adjust the forestay to be equal in tendion to the sidestays. Then recheck the tension of the backstay. If the tension is correctly set, the downwind sidestay will have just a bit of slack when the boat is heeled. No science involved...just trial and error.

 

[Guest]

back stay tension is different than stay tension

I am not an expert on sailing or MacGregors but the general rule of thumb is the stays should be tensioned just enought to take up the slack completely with not much more tension than that (any more then that and you will just be adding extra and unnecessary compression). The sails will tension them enough while sailing. The back stay tension, which directly affects the head stay tension should take up all of the slack too but the back on many boats is adjustable under sail to tune the rig and load or un-load the luff of the mainsail and Genoa depending on conditions. Unless you are running a 175% gen or really into racing I wouldn't play with the tension .

 

[Guest]

correction

I am not an expert on sailing or MacGregors but the general rule of thumb is the side stays (called shrouds) should be tensioned just enought to take up the slack completely with not much more tension than that (any more then that and you will just be adding extra and unnecessary compression).