Critique my running backstays thoughts.

[GILow]

Hi all,

A while back I got rid of the highfield levers on my running backstays and replaced them with a four to one block and cam cleat setup. It works ok, but I still had the original 10 mm wire stays and eye ends which are stiff, awkward, heavy and a bit too long for the whole setup to work well.

Now I am ready to replace those wire stays with dyneema.

I was thinking of replacing things pretty much as they are, but I've read about the idea of using a single block on the end of the stay, and having a 2:1 rough adjustment system combined with the 4:1 block for getting the tension on. (Plus a tricing line to bring the unused stay forward when not in use by releasing the cam on the 2:1 adjustment.)

This all appeals, because it seems I could easily rig it all so that it can be managed without leaving the cockpit.

The 2:1 setup means no piles of unused line for the 4:1 blocks when the stay is in use too.

So, with all of this, I started to think maybe a low friction ring on the end of the stay, because I really like the idea of not having something heavy like a block swinging around on the end of the stay.

How does all this sound?

The boat is a pretty conservatively rigged cutter, the running backstays are used any time I use the staysail to get a good shape on the staysail luff.

The mast and rigging are both pretty solid so the running backstays are not needed to keep the mast standing upright, just to keep the staysail drawing well.

Matt