Very Loose Backstay on Typhoon

[jamie harrell]

I have those annoying closed turnbuckles on my 1974 Typhoon "Osprey". I didn't get to sail much this summer, but when I was out at the boat recently the backstay seemed pretty slack. I couldn't remember the proper way to tighten it and couldn't access the CD board.

The nuts were pretty much already at the bottom of their threading so I couldn't really back them off to tighten the barrel. In my attempts I've made things worse. The stay is now extremely loose. I'm afraid I've unlayed the stay and need to know what to do to get it back taunt. Any ideas would be appreciated as I'm missing nice late fall sailing on the Chesapeake till I get this figured out.

Jamie Harrell

[Steve Laume]

Check the headstay.

If the backstay was adjusted all the way to the end or it was right before and the check nuts were in place you might be messin with the wrong end of the boat.

Too loose is worst than too tight unless it is really excessive.

Check the headstay tension and see if adjusting that brings the backstay taunt.


I would take a very close look at that backstay if you unlayed the wire, Steve.

[Oswego John]

Jamie,

Also check to see if the cuddy roof has gone concave. This would allow sloppiness in the stays.

Good luck,
O J

[Charles Barranco]

Jamie,
I am looking for a trailer for my Typnoon, any ideas on where to get one. I live in St Michaels, MD, and just purchased a Ty in Maine without a trailer. A new trailer will cost $2400, (Best Price so far), but if I can find a used one, I would buy it. Any leads you can give are appreciated. Good Luck with the loose stay. I think the problem could be a compressed cuddy. The cuddy on my boat was compress, but repaired, raised and reinforced before I bought the boat. Check the mast first, its less expensive!
Charles

[Oswego John]

This is a reprint from a post made a week ago.

Posted: Tue 10/27/09 8:00 pm Post subject: Typhoon Headstay Tension

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JBA,

There is little, if any, stretch in SS stays and shrouds. They are of proper length when they come from the factory. Any minute stretch that may develope can be corrected with an adjustment of the turnbuckles. If the stays seem to be too long now, perhaps there might be another reason for them to seem to be too long.

You don't mention the year or hull number of your Ty. I will venture a guess that your Ty is one of the newer vintages that has a tabernacle base fot the mast. With this setup, it is too easy to put excessive tension on the stays and shrouds. In time, this overtightening applys unnatural downward force on the mast and drives the mast butt into the cuddy roof, denting it with a convex surface. With the bottom of the mast lower than normal, it makes it appear that the stays have lengthened.

This is a common condition with Tys. The cuddy roof is semi flexible and it can be popped up to its normal elevation. If this condition exists, it can be corrected by installing a compression post directly below the tabernacle.

See an earlier post today by Jamie Harrell, "Very Loose Backstay On Typhoon."

Good luck,
O J
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