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sanibel sailor · 01-08-2015, 17:41

I'm hoping to put in an inner forestay at some point. I picked up an old tensioning lever. It looks like an ABI unit. The old wire has been cut off the swedged fitting. I need to replace the fitting with something, but it has a 9/16 thread. The thread pitch is the same as a five eights inch turnbuckle jaw and the fitting is marked with a number 10. A fine picture 9/16 inch not threads on to it easily. As far as I can tell, this is the only one on this planet. Any ideas?

sanibel sailor · 01-08-2015, 17:43

Close up

model 10 · 01-08-2015, 17:57

Couldn't you just replace the whole thing from where it pins to the lever? Not dissing your lever but you can get one with much better chrome and for not much money and with a regular 1/2" pin and turnbuckle.

pesarsten · 01-08-2015, 18:05

Guy, can you point me in the right direction , I am looking to add a foresail also.
Paul

CAELESTIS · 01-08-2015, 18:13

Check out the rachetting Wichard piece. Far more adjustability.

http://marine.wichard.com/fiche-A|WI...000000-ME.html

LeaseOnLife · 01-08-2015, 18:24

I went with the turn buckle idea, C. Sherman Johnson has one with handles for easy tightening and locking:

http://www.csjohnson.com/marinecatalog/z00034.htm

it does rust a bit, the stainless isn't great...

sanibel sailor · 01-08-2015, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

Check out the rachetting Wichard piece. Far more adjustability.

Adjusters / babystay adjusters / with ratchet / dia pin 14

Just a bit costly at close to 2k USD

sanibel sailor · 01-08-2015, 19:00

Well, I stumbled across it by going to a manufacturer's webpage. I did not see it at any retail or rigger's sites. I was hoping for a mechanical fitting, but there is a swage option out there.
Apparently it is a 10 mm wire which usually takes a 5/8" stud, but there is a 9/16"-18 stud made both for 10 mm and 3/8" wire.

Swage Studs by Hayn Marine

I was thinking of using 7x19 wire. Do not know if that construction will work with a swage fitting. 3/8 is pretty big for my little 35 footer. Another option is to have a 5/8 bronze turnbuckle jaw turned down to 9/16" diameter and go with low stretch line.

Alan Mighty · 01-08-2015, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

I'm hoping to put in an inner forestay at some point. I picked up an old tensioning lever. It looks like an ABI unit. The old wire has been cut off the swedged fitting. I need to replace the fitting with something, but it has a 9/16 thread. The thread pitch is the same as a five eights inch turnbuckle jaw and the fitting is marked with a number 10. A fine picture 9/16 inch not threads on to it easily. As far as I can tell, this is the only one on this planet. Any ideas?

Your ABI Highfield lever is not the only one on the planet. I have one on Led Myne and I know of two or three others.

Before ABI closed its doors, some thought that ABI had come close to designing the perfect Highfield lever.

Al

**roverhi** · 01-08-2015, 20:56

Your lever is for a larger boats and is/was really pricey new and not especially cheap used. Can you go with smaller wire attachments and just use smaller pins that fit the wire hardware??

model 10 · 01-08-2015, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Before ABI closed its doors, some thought that ABI had come close to designing the perfect Highfield lever.Al

These things might be called the wrong thing. I am pretty sure that Phillip Rhodes designed this style lever. It should be called a Rhodes Lever.

Alan Mighty · 01-08-2015, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy

These things might be called the wrong thing. I am pretty sure that Phillip Rhodes designed this style lever. It should be called a Rhodes Lever.

On the ABI Highfield Lever as one of best versions of a Highfield Lever, see this 2014 post by the Rigging Company of Annapolis:

The Highfield Lever | The Rigging Company

For Brion Toss giving a very different opinion, in 2009, see:

http://briontoss.com/spartalk/showthread.php?p=6886

On a potential problem with some ABI Highfield Levers, see:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...e-warning.html

On the Highfield Lever:

the name has been used since 1930, based on the experiences and invention of John Somerville Highfield, engineer and rear-commodore 1924-1935 of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. J.S Highfield made and installed such a lever on his 15 metre yacht Dorina so he could set and release a predetermined tension in a running backstay. Highfield held several patents, including two for tensioning yacht rigging. He was granted UK patent GB426,957 for his lever in 1936 (application dated October 1933).

Al

sanibel sailor · 02-08-2015, 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Your ABI Highfield lever is not the only one on the planet.

Al

I meant the only 9/16"-18 threaded stud, not the lever.

gjordan · 02-08-2015, 10:08

Sanibel, Two reasons not to use 7 by 19 wire, are the considerably greater stretch of the 7 by 19, and 7 by 19 eats up bronze hanks if your rig is working,vibrating,etc. A night in a gale could cause failure of your hanks. 1 by 19 is much smoother, and with a way to make a reasonably large bracket radius, will stow just fine. Somewhere I have seen a bracket that looked a lot like a bronze steering quadrant, that allowed the 1 by 19 to lay around it (under some tension) and be attached out of the way. Just my thoughts. Grant.