backstay redundancy

[Rockter]

My olde Union 36 Polaris has the facility for another backstay on the stern plate.

It has always made me nervous running downwind with that huge main up with the single backstay.

Often we run downwind on mainsail alone in order to keep the ship off balance. It really does reduce the roll, but glancing upward it really make me think about the utter dependence on that single line. At that moment, there is very little load on the forestay.

Would it be worthwhile fitting a dual backstay, with one line in reserve, somewhat slacker?

I saw a boat in Houston that had a dual arrangement. I think it was a Southern Cross??

I am going to re-rig my ship in the Spring with what I believe are Norseman fittings, and it seems a good time to think about it.

I mean I simply cannot afford what happens here at 00.51....

Sailing in Heavy Weather - wiping out and getting into trouble - YouTube

I never push her that hard, but she'd be written off by such an event, assuming I don't kill somebody.

I simply could not afford another rig if it dropped. Despite her modest length, the Polaris 36 has one brutal mast and the thought of having to reach for the bolt cutters turns me to stone.
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[CaptainForce]

'doesn't sound unreasonable, but I would share the tension equally instead of having a slacker back-up. A pair of shared-load backstays are a common practice on many split rigs so that the backstays clear the mizzen. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[sailingfool]

Better put the money into testing and updating all of your existing standing rigging. Failure of any one of your stays or shrouds would be equally capable of dropping the mast, I'd guess that you are focusing on the backstay only because you look at it all the time...

[Rockter]

sailingfool :

So with just a main up, running downwind, a forestay failure will drop the mast?

I have trouble figuring that one.
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[killarney_sailor]

No, the forestay or a shroud wil let go in some other situation and the mast will come down. If it makes you feel better to have twin backstays then go for it and I would tension both - might as well share the load rather than putting all the load on one. Just remember that you have only added redundancy on one of the many pieces of wire holding things up.

I have used Hayn HiMod fittings and quite like them.

[Rockter]

Killarner_sailor :

Thanks.

I plan to re-rig. It has been some time since it was re-rigged, perhaps 20 years.

It is likely to get expensive, methinks.
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[bubb2]

My boat has twin back stays and I sleep better knowing that. In order for twins to be effective they must have separate attachment points at the mast. Leading two stays to one terminal fitting is false security.

[Rockter]

bubb :

If the terminal pin has a strength greater than the sum of the two lines, is it false security?

The pins are so much thicker than those braided cables.

[knothead]

You're absolutely right Bubb. It's just like upsizing the wire and using the same tangs and chainplates. You're not gaining anything except weight and a false sense of security.

Rock, All I can tell you is that there were some pretty smart people that designed your boat. They determined the sizes of the shrouds and stays based on science. Let me ask you this, how long has it been working now?
Why do you have this feeling that the backstay is more vulnerable to failure than a shroud? The angle of a backstay is really a lot better. If you lose an upper shroud while sailing on a reach in a brisk wind, you're probably a lot more likely to lose your rig than running.
If you lose your backstay, you still have the sail and sheet. If you lose a shroud you have..... nothing.


The best thing you can do is make sure that every component of your rigging is sound. From the tangs to the leaky chainplates.

[bubb2]

Originally Posted by Rockter

bubb :

If the terminal pin has a strength greater than the sum of the two lines, is it false security?

The pins are so much thicker than those braided cables.

the system is only as strong as the cotter pin holding the terminal pin in place.