TRIMMING OUT, my 35 foot Chris Craft Sail Yacht (yes, that's the model's designation) was originally rigged as a sloop. Along the way someone added an industrial strength bowsprit with bobstay, and a very nice roller furling 130 genny. According to the previous owner, he had new sails made, the mast painted, and new standing rigging installed. The rigger was pretty good as he also made up an inner stay that runs from about 6 feet above the spreaders down to the the stem head where the original forestay was attached.
But when I bought the boat the inner stay wasn't rigged. In fact, it wasn't until I was going through the myriad lockers in the aft cabin that I found a beautifully crafted stainless wire piece of rigging with turnbuckles attached that I realized I may have an innerstay after all. But did it fit?
I have steps attached to the mast...those triangular pieces of metal you see advertised. I didn't know if they could support my aging 220 lbs, but the best way to find out was to head up the mast. I had bought an ascender from the local REI store, and attached that to an offshore harness to that I could have free hands if I made it as far as the spreaders. And then into my pockets I stuffed pliers and shackle, clevis and cotter pins, tied a line to the new stay, tied the line with the stay to the harness, attached the ascender to the jib halyard. So far so good. Then up the mast I went....sliding the ascender up and then testing it to make sure it held. Amazing device. Made it to the spreaders and realized I had to disengage the ascender and reattach it above the spreader, which I did. Finally, standing on the the base of the spreaders I was able to reach up to the tang and luckily the clevis and shackle fit just right. So I hauled up the inner stay with the line I had attached to my harness. The upper fitting went right on the clevis pin, the cotter key was inserted, and down the mast I came. Breathless. Very very confident feeling.
But, the question was, was this indeed the inner stay? I led the turnbuckle forward to the stemhead, and Eureka...it was the inner stay. The rigger had made it up with a spring loaded clevis pin and it slipped right over the fitting on the stemhead. Then came the really cool part. The rigger had attached cotter pins to some velcro nylon straps with epoxy. The object was then to tighten up the turnbuckle, insert the cotter keys into the holes, and rewrap with the nylons strap. Easy peasy lemon squeasy.
Next challenge was the staysail halyard. Same drill. Up the mast, find the appropriate tang, install block, reeve the halyard (attached to my harness for trip up the mast) and that was that.
Now the DELTA BELLE contributed a staysail that I had stored ashore when she went down. Would it fit?
And what's more, would the foot clear the dinghy I store on the foredeck. Yes and yes.
So today's job is to set up the running backstays, (Spectra with spliced eyes....very nice), and rig the sheets for the staysail. TRIMMING OUT is shaping up.
More anon....and with photographs if I can pull that off.
