Re: Shrouds

Lars S. Mulford (mulford@bellatlantic.net)
Wed, 19 May 1999 17:31:43 -0400


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Judy Blumhorst wrote:

> > The upper and lower shrouds are positioned so
> > you can tune a curve into the mast safely if you want to. (Most fractional
> > sloops have adjustable backstays, I'm assuming there's one in this
> > discussion)

Judy: I would be very hesitant to do this for all the reasons Bill describes.
We're not talking class boats here and accompanying rigging. These aren't
470's. Your comments seem to come straight from "This Is Boat Tuning For Speed",
and I would wonder if this is really wise to apply to a P19. If you look at the
470 for example, it utilizes spreaders to good effect to help attain that bend..
The mast is also designed to accommodate bending. Now if you have completely
rerigged your P19 to handle this, go for it. If I had a pretty much stock P19
though, this is not something I would be trying.

Bill Combs wrote:

> I wonder if it wouldn't take entirely too much
> stay tension to effect an appreciable bend. Or at least way too much
> to be categorized as safe. Did your rigger take this into account?

I would ponder this as well. I would hesitate to place the stays under that much
tension and loading whereby you could get a desired bend in the mast. I'd fear
them ripping from the deck. Don't laugh - I've seen it happen twice.

You know, I knew a guy who took a Chevy Cavalier and had it painted in a
beautiful pearl color, just like the new Cadillacs of that year. He also had
some mods made to the outside of his Cavalier to make it look more "stately" and
whatnot. In the end, you know what he had? He still had a Chevy Cavalier.

--
"Sea" ya!

--Lars S. Mulford, President East Coast Potter Association (ECPA) Come visit us at http://members.tripod.com/~SpeedSailor "Forgive, and live. Life is worth the challenge of living." --LSSM s/v Aqua (sailing the greater Chesapeake region)