www.marinepartdepot.com is the source of many of the SS castings on my boat, cheap snap shackles I purchased 4 1/4 inch turnbuckles for my sidestays
Fisheries Supply in Seattle is my source for 1/8 inch lower sidestay wire amd 5/32 forestay and upper sidestay 1X19
Buy your nicopress ovals and thimbles from Fisheries as well
1X19 wire is difficult to form around a thimble properly. I used a second set of hands, a vise, and a plastic mallet to form the wire around the thimble before swaging. Make each eye formed a work of art: well formed and tight.
I'll get some mast measurements for hole location
If you find a longer mast, consider using the extra length. One great thing is to be able to move the boom up the mast and clear out the cockpit headroom. I squared off and shortened my mainsail to accomplish this. Moving the boom up 12 inches is awesome!
I installed a masthead stay that comes down to a 4 foot boom that attaches to my bowrail using the eyes that secure the mast there when trailering. The entire rig and boom is quickly removed- there is nothing visible when removed except for a tang on the front of the mast at the top. The boom is guyed to 2 deck cleats and down to the trailer eye. This setup allows me to fly a yankee cut foresail.
Here is a little information about our sailplan. Fractional rigs have their mast bases set forward of the position one would find a masthead rig mastbase located. On our fractional rigs, the main mast supporting wires end well below the masthead at the hounds. Only the backstay runs to the masthead. This creates a potential bending point above the intersection of the forestay and upper sidestays.
If you have the ability to tighten and loosen the backstay, you have the ability to bend and release the mast above the hounds. Tightening the backstay, and therefore bending the mast aft, flattens the main. This can help to adapt to increasing windspeeds, to put off reefing. Conversly, loosening the backstay allows the main to become fuller, adapting to lighter air.
One could make the case that if you are not using an adjustable backstay on a fractional rig, you are not sailing the boat to its best performance. A cruiser would say"who cares" but a racer would install the adjuster.
Today I measured my rig tension and straightened the mast as best as I can until in the water. the Johnson lever worked awesome- I was able to unpin the forestay after releasing the lever and without loosening the turnbuckle, something I have been doing for almost 10 years
