Gemini 3200 tie rods

[clockwork orange]

I have a Gemini 3000 on which i am installing the entire rig from a 3200, the rig is located 2ft further forward, needless to say there is much re engineering involved and one piece of information i am missing involves the location of the aft lower shroud tie rod as it passes through the cabin. I don't have a 3200 in the area that i can look at so i am hoping a 3200 or 3400 owner may be willing to set me straight. I have found a few pictures online that show the tie rod but what i cant tell is if the tie rod is vertical (plumb) in the fore and aft view or if it angles back to follow the line of the shroud. It looks to be plumb in the pictures but i really cant tell as they are not taken from the side. The geometry of this tie rod is less than ideal but there is no choice on these boats due to the layout. Any help would be much appreciated.

Steve.

[valhalla360]

It's about half way back along the dinnet bench seats. There is a backing plate under the seat. It comes down straight

This shroud is only snug normally.

[clockwork orange]

Thank you, that's what i needed to know. Are you saying that the tie rod just finishes on a backing plate under the settee top? I had assumed it would go to a properly tabbed knee on the hull side (which is what i plan on doing). I had taken a lot of measurements off of 3 different 3200s a couple of years ago, (none of them were exactly the same) so i do have the locations of the chainplates behind the cap shrouds and from the centerline. I just neglected to look at the inside structure.

Steve.

[valhalla360]

Let me make sure I'm clear:

There are 3 shrouds coming down on each side.

The two main shrouds come down at a 90 degree angle and attach at the main bulkhead right next to each other. These are the ones that hold the mast up (side to side).

The third angles back a bit and comes down thru the cabin and attaches to the seat base. This one is not supposed to have any significant loading. It is only there to limit pumping of the mast.

[clockwork orange]

Actually there are 4 per side (double spreader rig) the caps and intermediates plus the forward lower shrouds all terminate on the bulkhead and the aft lower in question which terminates on a U bolt about 3ft aft of the b/head and 88" apart, as mentioned these measuments are approximate as they were not the identical on any of the 3 boats i measured. I had guessed the aft lowers would only be set up snug to keep the lower panel centered due to the less than perfect geometry but, as a boatbuilder, i am somewhat surprised to learn there is no knee to carry what load there is back down into the hull.

Steve.

[valhalla360]

Your right, I should have gotten up and looked out the hatch.

The aft one though is pretty lightly installed but haven't heard of one failing. Also, I don't know how you would get it to a strong point on the hull without completely changing the layout.

[clockwork orange]

Its not that difficult to tie it in to the hull, there are several ways of doing this that i am considering at the moment. On my Gem 3000 it will pass down just behind the settee back and pass through settee top into the cabinet just inboard of the sliding door track, at that point i need to extend the tie rod as i am reusing the original ones from the cap shrouds of the 3000 rig. They will then pass through the bottom of the cabinet and be connected to a knee which will be glassed to the hull side. The tie rods are 1/2" ss rod and will pass inside a 1" ss tube from the cabintop to the settee top which will serve to add support to the rather large cabintop as well as be a more comfortable handhold. I realize that the aft lower is fairly lightly loaded but on every one of the 3200s I looked at there were stress cracks radiating out from the u bolts as well as the babystay u bolt.

Steve.