Fore stalled

[Skip Henderson]

October 21, 10:36
Here's a mystery:

Trying to replace fore and aft stays: After striking a bridge, knocking off the mast head fitting, snapping the forestay and suffering a deck tear at the mast base, I re-build the mast base [process photos to be sent at later time] re-stepped the mast and proceeded to fasten the shrouds and stays. the new fore stay came up 18 1/4 " short! I ordered and received new stays based on the original Pearson specs and the 1984 maintenance manual. These call for a headstay of 31' 4 3/4" and backstay of 34' 6". [ The 2000 manual's specs are fore or jib stay 31' 5 3/4" and backstay of 34' 7" - the difference - only a twist or so using the turnbuckle]

What's wrong? According to my measures I now need a fore stay of 32' 11". The mast appears perpendicular; the back stay at 34' 6" fits.

As I am dangling in my bos'n's chair, hanging tight, at the same time scratching my head and slapping my forehead - any suggestions would be welcome even a phone call to (415) 461-3718 or cell (415) 246-1511. The yard clock ticks...
Thanks, Skip Henderson, Bartaut #222

[Tony G]

Who ever said that bridges were one of the engineering milestones that forever changed the face of society and benefited mankind was surely not a sailor. I'm starting to not trust them again.

So, a longer forestay with the right(?) length backstay should indicate that you have a taller mast that is stepped farther back. You must have overlooked that minor wrinkle along the way:D

Have you measured the replacement forestay yourself yet? Why assume the rigging shop is infalable? Could be an honest mistake that has negative monetary significance for you. I don't have my manual here at work with me( yah, I know. My bad) but those numbers sound right familiar to me. And I really hope you are right, Skip, because I had my fore sail made based off of the manual dimensions. I know. I do stupid stuff all the time...

[Skip Henderson]

[I thought the pole was moved further aft for dancing.]

On comparing the old and new as best I can, given the torn apart old stay, I find that the new one I received is 369 1/4 inches or 30' 9 1/4" as opposed to the old of 379 1/4 inches, each measured excluding the turnbuckle. So there is a 10 inch difference.
My order, accompanied by a copy of the standing and runninhg rigging page in the original Ariel Manual called for a Forestay of 31' 4 3/4" or 376 3/4". The rigger did not want the old that I had in hand as the new replacement aft stay was to exclude a fancy adjustor that long ago had been bent out of practicle use as an adjustor; and the fore stay was torn and difficult to measure. I'm not sure how the riggers measuring protocol deals with the turnbuckle or swage fitting length. The manual gives the measure, then 'SSW' which may mean 'wire only.'
Even though this morning friends found me butt up in the dumpster looking for the broken forestay, I can swallow the cost of a replacement, I can't, however, stomach another mis-order.
I guess my best approach is to find out how the turnbuckle measurments fit in to the picture then re-order accordingly.
Thanks, Skip

[Bill]

Skip,

In the latest edition of the manual, there is a warning NOT to use the factory measurements when ordering shrouds and stays.

The recommended method is to MEASURE the actual length. Dropping a measuring line or tape is how I've seen riggers doing it. It will, of course, mean a trip up the mast :eek:

[Skip Henderson]

Ah! the trick is going up the mast that is down. I'll report the rigger's response on Monday.

[dasein668]

A good rigger should be willing to come to the boat and fit the stay in place. Many riggers around here will install a half-completed stay to the mast head, then cut to fit the actual dimensions.

[Theis]

When I replaced the shouds on my Ariel, I sent the shrouds, with turnbuckles attached, and left the measurement issue to the rigger.

[mrgnstrn]

By the way, SSW means "stainless steel wire" as opposed to galvanized, or rod rigging.