thanks for the info. I will look up all the blocks you mentioned so I get a better idea of what goes where. I have not thought much about backstay tensioning but it does now seem to be worth the effort. I see from your picture that you have some sort of kick up rudder. Is that a type of "Idarudder". If so do you have one of those hydraulic cylinders things holding it down or do you use some sort of tensioning device like a rope or shock cord? I saw where ruddercraft sells shear pins for their old style rudder to hold the blade down until you hit something then you have to replace the pin, at three or four bucks a pop. Great picture. Still a ways for me to go with my craft before I can do that. Example, The aft cockpit drain stopped working. I tried to pick it clear but nothing doing. Finally I managed to crawl aft far enough to see just how it was configured. It looked like some kind of snake lying back there. Finally had to saw a hole (access port) in the aft cockpit wall to reach the hose clamps. When I finally got the thing out, after pulling out the cockpit end of the metal fitting the hose clamped onto, I realized that since 1977 when the boat was built the severe curves forced into the hose had finally managed to make the spring steel reinforcing inside the rubber migrate sideways so the hose just collapsed. A little dirt and leaves and voila, clogged for good. So I have decided to use a couple of inch and a half rubber sleeves held on with a couple of hose clamps on either end and make a simple "s" curve out of a piece of inch and a half pvc and two 90degree pvc elbows and just clamp the whole thing back together. No tight bends, no collapsing hose. I figure that since there is virtually no movement between the aft end of the cockpit and the aft end of the hull where it joins the transom that the rubber clamps will provide plenty of give should the need arise. Fairwinds, Tom B, Mont.17#258 On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 5:05 PM, <GILASAILR@aol.com> wrote:
Tom,
The 8:1 would be fine, I believe you could use dyneema or similar line for the cascade line instead of wire.If you change to line here use a bullet block at the lower "A" block.
The set-up on my own boat is a wire over a block at the end of the backstay attached to the block and tackle on the starboard side of transom attached to the chainplate. Works fine - the type shown on Harken page would be 'faster acting' and does not rely upon the running line for the backstay itself. The cleat and line matter nought per side of the boat as they are acting on lower "A" block - straight down.
GO
Photo of the version I have used for 12+ years attached. from MSOG - photo credit Sean Mulligan.
Harken info from their site:
8:1 Split Backstay A more powerful version of the split backstay adjuster uses a doubling wire running through a wire block for a purchase of 8:1.
Diagram Ref. Description Small Boat Part No. Midrange Part No. Big Boat Part No. A Single _304_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=304 ) _308_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=308) B Fiddle _2655_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2655) _2621_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2621) _2621_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2621) _1559_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=1559) C Fiddle _2658_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2658) _2624_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2624) _2624_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=2624) _1556_ (http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=1556)
In a message dated 9/11/2013 1:04:37 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com writes: