Stay covers & Stay <-> Spreader connections

[Breakin Wind]

Season's Greetings all,

Since I have all of my standing rigging removed for update/replacement anyway, I am wondering about the pictures I've seen of various boats with what appears to be plastic (I assume plastic) tubing on the side stays from the deck up to what appears to be a height of 18" to 36"?
Is this purely cosmetic, something to protect the stays in some manner, intended to reduce mainsail chaffing when running downwind, to keep Mr. Magoo from walking into the rigging, none of the above or all of the above?

Just curious... Thanks - Scott

[kokko]

It reduces chafing on the jib sheets. Save money and buy some schedule 40 at Home Depot.

[TIM WEBB]

Yeah, that's all it is really, just a piece of PVC covering all the snaggy bits. Since the jib sheets run inside of the chainplates, not much to worry about there, although I suppose maybe it's a different story with spin sheets?

I use a tube on the forestay, only because it keeps the lowest jib snap hank from binding on the top swedgie ...

[Breakin Wind]

I also noted in pictures, and have purhcased some of thost sideways T shaped plastic snap on protectors that go over the sidestay/spreader junctions. Do those replace the wire that was in place and taped on my original standing rigging, or do I still need to wire or to otherwise bind the two together?

Thanks - Scott

[TIM WEBB]

Yes, you still need the wire because the boot alone won't hold the stay in the spreader slot. The boot is there to protect the main from being damaged by the wire/spreader end, and replaces the tape.

[Breakin Wind]

Thanks Tim

The wires on my existing spreader/stays was quite stiff, seemed to be wrapped fairly tightly and then taped. Over the course of the decades, the tape has sort of petrified, so I can't estimate the original setup/intent easily.

Is the desire to merely keep the stay from slipping out of the spreader slot, and therefore the wire should be snug but to "cranked tight" or does it serve some tight binding purpose, in which case I'll need to figure out where on the new stay to attach it.

Thanks - Scott

[GreenLake]

I've been puzzled by that in the past as well. What's the answer?

[TIM WEBB]

Hmmm ... not sure. The manual only describes wrapping the wire around the stay to keep it in the slot, nothing about putting it at any particular point on the stay? Just guessing here, but I'd think you'd want the stay to be able to slide freely in the slot so that when the rig is tensioned, it will "find" it's correct place on the spreader end, or more precisely, vice versa, the spreader end will find it's place on the stay? Make any sense?

[swiftsail]

You see the tubing way up the side stays to protect the boom from getting wear marks from the shrouds when running down wind. Taping or putting some kind of cover on the attachments of the shrouds to the chainplates will protect the spin sheet from snagging. Taping up any pointy bits on the end of the spreaders is also essential to keep them from wearing holes in the main. An extra layer of sticky back on the main where the speaders touch it is very helpful.

When gong up wind the leeward shroud will go slack and if it is not securely attached the end of spreader it may slip off but it does not need to be so tight as to keep the shroud from sliding up or down.

[jeadstx]

I have the turnbuckle boots, the plastic covers on the side stays (below the spreaders), and the spreader boots on my boat. The spreader boots need the wire on to hold the stay in the slot on the spreader. This last summer before the start of the Texas 200, I broke a spreader. When I replaced it with an older spare spreader I had with me, I didn't have enough wire to properly secure the stay to thje spreader. The boot, even tho it was taped when I put it back on, popped off the end of the spreader while sailing when the wire came loose underneath. The stay stayed close to the spreader end, but caused some problems every day we sailed since I didn't have any wire to secure it properly.

I like having the turnbuckle boots and the stay covers as well. I have had (on older stays) a single wire stick out and cut my had if I grab a stay, the cover prevents that. The turnbuckle boot helps to prevent chaffing on the sail and helps keep anything snagging on the turnbuckle. The spreader boot helps prevent chaffing the sail on the spreader.

John

[jdoorly]

I too cover the lower shrouds with split tube PVC, I go for'd often and prefer the feel of added thickness and smoothness on the shrouds. They have all the proper sizes at West Marine except the 3/32 won't fit 3/32 wire- get one size larger than your wire ($2@). Also if you cover some critical part such as chain plates or turnbuckles you should set up periodic maintenance to inspect them- out of sight out of mind...

Any hardware store should have spools of stainless wire for less than $10. I secure my turnbuckles with wire as well as the spreader/shroud joint.

The spreader should bisect the shroud into two equal angles, so that there are equal forces pressing on the mast (i.e. pure compression/no side forces) with the base of the triangle equal to a straight line between the chain plate and the shroud tang. That's 97 degrees from the lower mast to the plane of the spreader.

[Breakin Wind]

It reduces chafing on the jib sheets. Save money and buy some schedule 40 at Home Depot.

Thanks Kent,

Couple follow-ups:

1. For the commercial product, or as Kent suggests Sch 40 tubing, are they 3/8"? ~ 1/2" tubing?

2. Generally, what overall length makes most sense, if it's sail chaffing protection, I guess it would need to go up as far as the leech can contact the shroud + 10% (just in case), but my boats all folded up so I don't know what that length is.

3. Since I'm replacing the stays right now, does it make as much sense to put the solid tube over the stay before it goes back on the boat rather than trying for a lengthwise cut, or is there a reason/probable need to be able to remove it periodically. Fresh water sailing here...

Thanks again - Scott

[TIM WEBB]

Jay, are you saying your spreaders "angle up" from the mast? Aren't the spreader brackets mounted such that the spreaders are perpendicular to the mast?

[jdoorly]

Hi Tim, yes I'm saying they should not be horizontal but angle up 7 degrees. Take a look at DS handbook drawing 7.1.

I'm not saying my spreaders are correct, but they do swing easily and I can pull the shroud through the slot without much effort. I'll take a look at my spreaders tomorrow and see if the base is angled up 7 degrees.

[Salty Dog]

Where do you get a DS Hand book?