[Alberg30] Twin Headstays

[Roger L. Kingsland]

Albergers,

Several "Pagers" have responded to inquiries about double head stays saying they are problematic because they necessitate doubling the head stay load.  I diligently went about designing a system to make the head stays independently adjustable which I thought was simple and elegant but probably would be expensive.

I made inquiries to both Mike Kaufman (the Annapolis N.A. that surveyed my boat) and the head rigger at West Marine.  Both indicated that, if the inactive (at rest) load on each stay is equal, the additional wind load placed on the active stay while sailing is sufficient to slack the inactive stay to the point where it essentially has no load on it.  This is true regardless wind speed.  The point seems to be that the length differential between full load and minimal load is so small that any additional load on the active stay increases its length sufficiently to cancel the load on the inactive one.

Of course, the problem is,  unless you want to rename your boat "Banana," it is not practical to set both stays (at rest) to the tension appropriate for a single stay loaded for heavy air conditions.  So, the issue boils down to being able to increase active head tension as the wind increases.  The solution suggested to me by the West guy seemed beautifully simple and inexpensive, adjust the back stay tension.  This will not only increase head stay tension but will create mast bend that will flatten the main as well.

I recall some past missives on back stay adjustment, particularly mast pumping.  My brief survey of past postings uncovered info on stay tension but nothing on mast pumping.  So, the three obvious questions are.  Does the above explanation make sense or am I missing something?   Are there any problems associated with increasing head stay tension by adjusting the back stay?  Lastly, what back stay adjustment hardware works on an A30.

Thanks,

Roger 


Roger Kingsland
Chief Financial Officer (AKA, check writer)
Mahina Manu, A30 #148
N40°  29.288'
W79°  54.228'
 
Author's Disclaimer; This email was produced exclusively by the sender and, in the interest of expediency, without the benefit of editing by others.  The sender, thank goodness, is a much better architect/sailor than speller/editor and, frankly, constantly laments an obvious flaw in "spell check," it does not know what the author is thinking.  Please accept the sender's sincere apologies for any "typos" that may appear in this document.  If present, they are certainly unintended and hopefully do not cloud the message, or spawn any unnecessary lawsuits.
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