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Temporary Backstay Removal

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
My stern railing has a bend/ding in the lower horizontal crossbar, due to an old trailering mishap.

I'm finally tackling having it repaired. I just recently noticed that the backstay runs between the upper and lower crossbars and thus, would have to be removed to pull the railing off the boat.

Can I simply remove and later re-tension the backstay without slackening the shrouds or will it throw my existing rig tension out of whack?
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
Yes. obviously you'd want to set up a temporary backstay using the main halyard attached to some solid point (I used the aft mooring cleat) and snugged up.

But the inline spreaders on your rig mean the tune of the shrouds is not affected (or dependent) on the backstay.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
There will be a surprising amount of tension (pull) on the backstay even after you ease the turnbuckle all the way off - due to the weight of the forestay/roller-furled jib trying to pull the mast forward. This isn't much of an issue when disconnecting the backstay, but when you want to re-engage the backstay and the turnbuckle, you'll probably need some way to tension the backstay just in order to get the two threads close enough to engage with each other. Good luck!
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Thanks for the info Bruce and Neil. Maybe a good excuse to replace my old and worn wire-to-rope main halyard, too, before releasing the backstay.
 
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