Moving the backstay

[dwgifford]

I have a 1978 H33 with a split backstay that is taking up way too much room in my cockpit. I am 6'-3" and I am really tired of running into them.
I want to add a hard bimini over my cockpit and am thinking of having an arch made that would have the same angle from the deck to where I would like to attach the backstay's after the hard top is on. That way I could have the protection of the bimini and the convenience of not having the backstay's in the cockpit. High and dry and no interference in the cockpit. I want to stress that the design would not change the angle of the backstay from the mast, it would just shorten it on the same line. Of course then I would have a qualified rigger tune the entire rig.
Anyone see any problems with this?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

To state the obvious, the only problem is the uncertainty of how much stress both the arch and it's attachment points can take = both are considerations best entrusted to a marine architect as typical mechanical engineering can't account of the various simultaneous competing stresses. Then again, many folks wild-ass guess and survive (for a while anyway).

 

[Ed Schenck]

Don is right on with his concern about backstay stresses. I wonder if you could call one or two of the major arch builders? Ask them if they have ever designed an arch for mounting the backstay. Wells and Kato come to mind. Certainly a novel idea.

P.S. Honeyman's post made me remember that newer Hunters with arches cannot be transported. The arch has to be removed. Your boat does not have as much freeboard so maybe you could stay under the limit.

 

[Honeyman]

Sounds like an awful lot of money to spend on a 78-H33. You going to leave this thing up when the next hurricane comes your way, lots of weight and windage up high. Seems the arch would be just about as "in the way" as the split stays...1"-1 1/4" framework vs wire stays, all within the "same angle to the mast". Are you going to try and move your traveller as well? Lots of redesigning going on here...

 

[Benny]

Seems like a high cost, small return modification. Anything that will cost as much as refrigeration, air conditioning or a propane stove conversion better have something more to offer than a few inches of shoulder room.

 

[Don12364]

Engineering and other considerations

The hull will have been designed to contain the stresses in the areas of the present two attachment points and it is unlikely that it will have been designed for them elsewhere - however it could be reinforced locally.
The present setup is rigid so that the forestay does not go slack when sailing on the wind and this would need to be replicated in the new design.

If the problem is simply one of headroom where the two stays join then why not use two individual stays from the masthead down to the existing fittings on the stern? They can pass through the proposed hard top with small rubber grommets for protection and prevention of water drips.
If necessary the hard top could contain a spreader bar to widen the space between the stays a little.

 

[Honeyman]

Good work Donalex, great idea from "across the pond"...why didn't we think of that? Use of individual stays is a great idea. Hardtop bimini, way too pricey for me and not something I want overhead all the time.

 

[dwgifford]

Thanks for all the good ideas and comments. I had a rigger come out and his suggestion was to move the junction point, where the single does the split to double, higher up and that would effectively move the lines almost out of the cockpit while retaining the original anchor points on the hull. That way I could stay with the bimini instead of the hard top for hurricane times. Both of these ideas were contained in all of your coments also. Thanks to everyone.