Running Back Stay Location
 

I have been discussing a new aluminum mast with a spar marker for my double headsail rigged 8 ton sailboat. This boat has a 42” bow sprit and the staysail stay leads to the stem. The new mast would replace the single spreader Rig-Rite mast my boat came with. The new rig will be a double spreader mast with continuous D1s as recommended by Colligo Marine for Dynex Dux—the spar maker is onboard with the synthetic rigging—and all that work learning to hand splice 7x7!! Anyway, the spar maker, who I trust, is not a fan of the permanent aft led intermediate back stays, which is what my boat came with (I think I am using the correct term--intermediate back stays—attached to the mast opposite where the stay sail stay attaches to the mast and then led to the deck just aft of where the aft lowers connect). I know what a stickler Brion is for correct terminology as he tries to valiantly attemps to "edumacate" us . . . though I too will be using the term “spritsherds” from now on.:)

My spar maker recommends adding running back stays. My question is where on the boat should the runners terminate? I know from reading "The Apprentice" that shroud angles are critical and are connected to standing rigging working loads, but are there other considerations . . . general rules for location? Can they be led too far aft? Once I determine the minimum angle what other considerations come into play? Obviously, I need to consider the location of other deck hardware, winches, gallows, stanchions, etc but what else?

Many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

Hi John,

I remember discussing this elsewhere in this forum when I was working out my own runner locations. Since the angle of the runner to the mast is going to be wider than the angle of the forestay to the mast, the runner will always be under less strain. Also, the lowers that land where the forestay attaches will bleed off some strain as well. What it boiled down to was landing it where you could most easily reach it from the cockpit without getting tangled up in everything. Brion strongly recommends reeving a one-piece runner through a turning block to the nearest handy winch, which means having a really strong turning-block attachment point (and correspondingly strong block) and a good lead to the winch. If you go with a tackle, check out those double-grooved rings Colligo makes now. No moving parts, and perfect for low-movement tackles. Wish I'd seen them before buying Antal's Low-friction rings.
I'm sure others will weigh in soon with better advice and corrections.
Ben

Ben,
Thanks. I am thinking the same thing but want to make sure I get it right before I drill the holes and put the hardware package together. I want to avoid more winches if I can. I like the tackle idea and have discussed the colligo rings that you mentioned with my spar marker. He likes that approach as well. I am leaning towards a solution like that but have more research to do on the components are.

Thanks again Ben.
John

My HR40 came with running backs so I have what I have and never ran the numbers.

The backs park at the base of the aft lowers. In use, they hook to big fittings that share backing plates with massive stern cleats and the turning blocks for the spinnaker sheets. I have 4:1 tackle and can take the tail to a winch if I'm tired.