roller furling & trailering

[Sumner]

.........Another thing that I got this winter was a backstay adjuster. Not one of those very expensive hydraulic units, just a stainless lever with a locking mode. Costs about $65 but allows the mast to come several inches past proper to allow the roller furler pin to be installed. The, you push back on the mast and reef down on the lever until it closes, slide in the pin and the mast is secure and properly tensioned . . .in theory. I need to replace the fitting on the end of the backstay to accept it, but it supposed to make stepping the mast quicker, easier and safer.

A Johnson Lever.........I wasn't sure from your post, are you putting it on your forestay or backstay? I'm going to use one on the bottom of the forestay. I'll still have the turnbuckle in the drum to fine tune the tension with the Johnson Lever below it. If you use it like that I'd use a toggle below it at the attach point like Bob did.....

....here on his old Mac. It will take a lot of stress out of that connection. He recommended it to me and I'm going to do it also.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[sailingdog]

Sumner—

Just FYI, that's actually called a hyfield or highfield lever. The one you have is made by CS Johnson, but that isn't the name of it.

A Johnson Lever.........I wasn't sure from your post, are you putting it on your forestay or backstay? I'm going to use one on the bottom of the forestay. I'll still have the turnbuckle in the drum to fine tune the tension with the Johnson Lever below it. If you use it like that I'd use a toggle below it at the attach point like Bob did.....

....here on his old Mac. It will take a lot of stress out of that connection. He recommended it to me and I'm going to do it also.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[cephius (Dave)]

dscribner,
You might consider ABS over Plexiglass. You form it the same way, a short time in the oven at low temps, but it won't shatter from an impact like the Plexiglass.

We all know that at some point gear will smack the pavement when rigging.

If you can't find ABS pipe with a large enough diameter to go over the drum, get the largest you can find, cut it to fit the oven, make one cut down the length and heat. You now have an ABS plate to cut and shape. (Used to make armor for the SCA)

 

[Sumner]

Sumner—

Just FYI, that's actually called a hyfield or highfield lever. The one you have is made by CS Johnson, but that isn't the name of it.

Well learned something new, thanks.

Actually I won't have one for a week or so as I hope to order the new forestay and hardware this next week. That one is Bob's and my Mac won't ever look as nice as his ex-Mac, Watermark, ....

http://picasaweb.google.com/husseybob/Watermark9126S#

....did or his current Hunter :cry:.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[sailingdog]

Glad to help Sumner.

Well learned something new, thanks.

Actually I won't have one for a week or so as I hope to order the new forestay and hardware this next week. That one is Bob's and my Mac won't ever look as nice as his ex-Mac, Watermark, ....

http://picasaweb.google.com/husseybob/Watermark9126S#

....did or his current Hunter :cry:.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[dscribner]

I plan on putting the highfield lever on the backstay. That way I can step the mast forward, attach the furler, then crank the lever closed and I should be good. Best laid plans anyway.

Dave, the ABS sounds perfect so when the drum shatters, I'll keep that in mind. I can use Lexan too, which is more shatter resistant than acrylic . . . and still free. Hmmm... And the armour thing. My sister owns a . . . oh, heck, www.costumesofmaine.com. You'll find me in the pirate section, but I've also done the knight scene with battle ready swords, swinging and swashbuckling. You should have heard the girlscouts purr when my teen son walked out in maille, coiffe and nearly flowing blonde hair, grown for the occassion! It's a hoot!

Fair winds!

Don

Oh, and the docks FINALLY went in this week! EYYYYYYYHAAAAAAA!

 

[Joe11688]

A Johnson Lever.........I wasn't sure from your post, are you putting it on your forestay or backstay? I'm going to use one on the bottom of the forestay. I'll still have the turnbuckle in the drum to fine tune the tension with the Johnson Lever below it. If you use it like that I'd use a toggle below it at the attach point like Bob did.....

....here on his old Mac. It will take a lot of stress out of that connection. He recommended it to me and I'm going to do it also.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

Those are nice! I have a Johnson Handy-Lock that I bought used years ago for my backstay. I had the rigger move my open turnbuckle up a couple of feet and he made up a short piece of cable with the Handy-Lock to go right under it. When I back off the Handy-Lock, I'm able to remove my roller furler with a press button type quick pin. I would never trust a fast pin on a furler because it will work it's way out.
Joe

 

[Sumner]

I plan on putting the highfield lever on the backstay. That way I can step the mast forward, attach the furler, then crank the lever closed and I should be good. Best laid plans anyway..............

Don do you have two side-stays, shrouds, on both sides of the mast. Our boat is rigged that way and they work against the forestay. When the forestay is properly tensioned the side stays also are. The backstay isn't tensioned to near the degree of the forestay and shrouds. The way our rigging is we could never get the correct forstay tension via tensioning the backstay.

That is not to say that you can't mess with backstay tension to help with sail shape, just on our boat (Mac) what you want to do won't work, or at least I can't see it working. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Now saying that the way your boat's standing rigging works, might let you adjust the forestay with the backstay.

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[Joe11688]

Don do you have two side-stays, shrouds, on both sides of the mast. Our boat is rigged that way and they work against the forestay. When the forestay is properly tensioned the side stays also are. The backstay isn't tensioned to near the degree of the forestay and shrouds. The way our rigging is we could never get the correct forstay tension via tensioning the backstay.

That is not to say that you can't mess with backstay tension to help with sail shape, just on our boat (Mac) what you want to do won't work, or at least I can't see it working. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Now saying that the way your boat's standing rigging works, might let you adjust the forestay with the backstay.

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

I think that you're absolutely right about that Sum. I know for a fact that my particular model of O'Day will allow me to throw slack into my fore stay by loosening the Handy-Lock on the back stay, but it really depends on how the side stays are positioned on the boat. It may not work on other brand of sailboats. If a guy isn't really sure about this, he only needs to loosen his back stay and find out for sure. The adjustable lever on the fore stay is a great idea and you know it's going to work every time.
Joe