jbcoop Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 Following on from my first post about the DS Tang, when I tried to mount the mast to check things out on my new (old) 4.3 I couldn't raise the mast above the front beam because the jib stay was too short. Even though I know the front and side stays are the wrong length (5.2ish and 5.3ish metres) none of them had tightened up. It was the jib stay that was too short. The cable that attaches to the hounds, via a D shackle, is 480mm long from each thimble contact area. There is then the standard large swivel for rolling up the jib, and then the jib luff cable attaches directly to the furler with a D shackle. (The jib luff cable is only long enough for each thimble to protrude out each end of the jib and, from each thimble contact area, it is 4050mm.) My question is, am I missing something that would make the overall length of the jib stay longer? (I just had a thought, are the two cables attached from the front of each hull to the furler too short? They are each 920mm from each thimble contact area (or 950mm including the long D shackle at each hull end). Thank you John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointed Reply Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 Bridle length needs to be 1010 mm thimble to thimble. This bridle length is important as to not put too much inward compression on the hulls. If you have an old multicoloured sail then the mast will need to be fairly upright as the cut of the sail will not allow enough mainsheet tension if you have too much mast rack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darcy1945 Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 Some women have a nice "Rack", Maricats have mast " Rake" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbcoop Posted February 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2017 Thank you Pointed Reply, that was a timely response. I have just placed an order for new front and side stays to be made up for me, but won't be started until Friday at the earliest. So I have time to adjust the stay lengths. I have the multi coloured sails for my Mk1 4.3. Which will be better for my Maricat, making up the stay lengths at 5.5 and 5.0 metres and having a ring 15cm(?) up from the mainsail clew to attach to the boom, or making my new stay lengths to the original lengths for my Mk1 sloop rig? [What are the old stay lengths anyway, if that is the recomendation? My current ones are VERY approximately 5.3 and 5.2 metres.] Thank you John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darcy1945 Posted February 8, 2017 Report Share Posted February 8, 2017 Raking the mast improves the performance and greatly reduces the tendency to pitchpole, but, you must also remove 2-3mm off the rear of the mast step, to allow the mast to rotate, and tuck the rudders under the transom 30mm, to get rid of the weather helm, induced by mast rake. Nobody in our club sails with a standard rig. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobblyoldjimbo Posted February 9, 2017 Report Share Posted February 9, 2017 JB yes, the standard method of dealing with old sails is to have a patch with a D ring sewn about 150mm up from the clew as you describe. Older methods included lopping off the bottom part of the sail. I put my shackle through the upper D ring and also the clew D ring to keep them together. Then I bought a new sail ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbcoop Posted February 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2017 Ok, thanks all. I will make up the modern stay lengths and adjust the sail foot by putting in a ring. I'm not racing so I don't have to be too fussy. I have an angle grinder so I'm sure I can cope with the mast step problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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