Merits of Dual Backstays (Non-Running)

[pressuredrop]

im not going to lie i like the idea of having dual (non running) backstays, as i currently do, simply for redundancy, i am going to tackle the rig this summer and am thinking about making some serious changes...

namely adding boomkin, go to single backstay, which will allow me to add a longer boom, and move the mainsheet track from right in front of the companionway, to aft above the tiller, which will really open up the cockpit

the new boom is going to be a cut down tanzer 22 mast, going to leave the winch on near the mast connection so i can use it for reefing...

really excited to make the changes, so no harm in going from 2 wires in back to 1? right...

[SkiprJohn]

As long as your boom will clear the single backstay and you have proper attachement points on your boomkin.
Lots of boats are rigged that way.
regards,

[pressuredrop]

that what i figured, if its good enough for a BCC, its good enough for me, any ideas on where to find a boomkin fitting?

[poseidon]

Having a mainsheet behind the helmsman can be dangerous. Becareful during jibing. I had a Thomas Gilmer ketch ( a wood version of the Aries) which was a precurser to the Allied Seawind, it had beautiful ash boomkins.

[tager]

I am going to go ahead and commit a logical fallacy here: Brion Toss doesn't like dual backstays, so they can't be a good idea!

[pressuredrop]

poseidon, got any pictures of the old girl? i just inherited a mass of angelique, so that is what i will make the boomkin from, appreciate the heads up about jybing, like everything its a compromise, and i think this is the best compromise.

if you click on my avatar you can see a bigger picture of how its currently layed out. it is a heavily modified seawind, now pilothouse cutter rig, and i will continue to modify it extensively, maybe the only one with a boomkin. i am also going to ditch the roller furling and go with hank ons

[pressuredrop]

tager - most interesting, do you know what the logic behind his opinion is?

[tager]

Pieces of String Too Short to Save

[conachair]

Originally Posted by tager

Pieces of String Too Short to Save

" They impose unnecessary loads on the mast and hull"
I can see all of his arguments but not the load on the mast. Can anyone explain?

[SkiprJohn]

I remember my friends Juno by Buehler had a boomkin. I think if you just took a look at the book you might find a diagram. Library should have it. I think the title is "Backyard Boatbuilder."
regards,

[Sailmonkey]

That's going to be a hell of a thing to balance!!!
unless you have a tendency to fall off as it is now.

[poseidon]

Originally Posted by poseidon

Having a mainsheet behind the helmsman can be dangerous. Becareful during jibing. I had a Thomas Gilmer ketch ( a wood version of the Aries) which was a precurser to the Allied Seawind, it had beautiful ash boomkins.

Oops, the boomkin was for the mizzen sheet, the back stay was split and came down either side of the mizzen mast.
cheers, poseidon

[barnakiel]

No problem to move on, just make sure the material/parts are up to the job. Check the upper (mast) fitting too - if you have a single one then you might have too much free play if you put only one terminal into it. And remember the fatter now single wire will take a fatter terminal that will call for fatter pins - so you might have to do some drilling up there. Probably easiest done when the stick is out.

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[wolfenzee]

My boat was originally built with no backstay and running backs. The second owner shortened the boom (moving center of effort forward) added a permanet backstay which splits about 8' feet off the deck and connects to two points close to the corners, wouldn't this achieve the same purpose as double back stays to a certain degree.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

My boat was originally built with no backstay and running backs. The second owner shortened the boom (moving center of effort forward) added a permanet backstay which splits about 8' feet off the deck and connects to two points close to the corners, wouldn't this achieve the same purpose as double back stays to a certain degree.

Now define the purpose. If getting extra safety margin then no. If allowing for tiller/boom/etc then yes.

Then again I have never seen a single backstay fail either. So the extra safety thing is much hype.

I like by doubles though - very easy to hang things there (e.g. solars) and very easy to tension - just a tackle, not an expensive and failure prone hydraulics.

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