Salvaged mast on salvaged hull

[jbassion]

I have been restoring a 1971 Chrysler 26 for the last 4 years.. I bought a Mast, boom, sails & all the rigging for salvage after last years hurricanes. I finally got the dim. into my computer and found that all the stays are 18" to 24" too short. I am looking for a creative, functional way to "stretch" the wire. I have thought of using stainless lengths of chain, flat bar, or hand crimping wire lengths between the turnbuckle and the chain plate, but all have their draw backs, and I don't want to get laughed out of the marina. Short of replacing all the rigging, which I can't afford, does anyone have an idea?

Jerry

[marshmat]

Could crimp extra lengths of wire on, probably the best of the options you mention.... but to be honest, I'd rather replace the cables. Plain cable isn't that expensive if you do all the crimping and cutting yourself.

[jbassion]

I think thats were I'm headed. I'm thinking of adding the wire to the head end so as not to be able to be noticed as much as the chain plate end.
Jerry

[PAR]

Hi Jerry, did you make a decision on that other boat? There's no real neat way of stretching those stays and shrouds that look ship shape. A spliced in extension could save a number of end fittings, but would look Mickey Mouse, even at the masthead, but who'd be looking that closely? If it gets you out there . . .

If you'd like, I have to redo my 24'er this summer (got to build a deck on her first) we could save a bunch of cash if the wire sizes were the same and we got a spool. Since I've redone the whole rig, I'm pretty flexable on wire sizes. You could visit your boy and we could do it over here in an afternoon.

[jbassion]

Hy Paul,
We keep bumping into each other--every time I post a stupid question. But poverty makes you do stupid things. Every time I try to save a buck it always bites me. I tryed to use a cheap primer on my mast and ended up scraping it all off to bare metal and starting over with Awlgrip primer. I guess it's the same lesson with the stays. I need to do it correctly. New stays all around.
Question: How do I handle the roller furling? That will be about 24" short also,
I can't think of any way around adding to the chain plate end. I did salvage a large barrel turnbuckle, (about 18") that I have been saving. I guess we'll figure that out when the time comes.
Question: Do I have too much rig for the boat? The mast is about 5' longer than the OEM, and the boom is about 3' longer. I put the numbers into that program thats around the web and I still get a 1.86 safe factor, but I don't belive in numbers that I don't understand.

My son is still up there. Taking summer classes, waiting tables at Smoky Bones. He is now a Junior, so your invite is very do-able. --Tell you what - the stays on my mast will probably be good, even a little long for your 24. Maybe we can do some trading?

As far as the Choey Lee - I talked the owner of the salvage yard into selling it for parts, and I have been stripping it. Got a nice tri color mast light for $5.00--
Progress pics-- 2 that I took this week-end, between thunderstorms. The mast looks great! 7 coats of awgrip. 4 more than I wanted, but it rained every time I painted, so I had to sand and re-paint. It took 2 months of week-end work to paint it.

We'll get together this summer.
Jerry

[PAR]

Tell me about the storms Jerry, I have a 15 gallon bucket I use for yard waste and stuff, damn thing is half full after all the rain this week. I haven't got diddly done in a while, because I'm working on a project at the front of the barn that has a 36' opening exposed to the weather. I don't mind rain , but it's usually right around happy hour and a good way to cool off after a day in the yard, but it been starting before noon and then steady 'till dark. We've had 15" for the month of June.

Is there much off that Choy Lee you can use? It was a much bigger boat.

The stay trade sounds interesting as I'm thinking about playing around with a sprit. I haven't been in Smoky Bones for a while, maybe we can stop in and give your son a hard time and work out the details.

If you'd like I can take your rig dimensions (I, J, P, etc.) and push them through some software after setting them (virtually) on your boat. Email me with the details and I'll get back to you.

Your furler setup depends on what type it is. It may be possible to have the extension at the masthead., but I'd have to see it.

Looks like you got a great finish on the spars, be careful, people may think you do this for a living.

[jbassion]

Par,
I wanted to send this as a private message so as not to use up the Forum, but I could not attach the file. I am using Auto-Cad 2006, but I saved it down to 2000. I don't know what you are using.
Jerry

[jbassion]

Now to answer your questions.
So far I have salvaged 3 stantion mounted blocks for a fair lead for the furling line. 2 large chrome hatch hinges (curved for a 1/4 round stock), I took the twin stays, even though I knew they would be short, because the fastnings are re-usable Navtec w/ really heavy turnbuckles.and now I have the hardware to replace my single lead with a dbl. and the tri-color mast head light which I have already replaced the plastic tubing and will mount this weekend. It cost me $100.00 for all that. But figure the cost of 4 navtek fastners +- $80.00 each, tri-colr lights are abut $250.00, stantion mounted blocks +- $50.00. Custom hatch hinges ? $100.00 each. I guess my $100.00 and a little sweat got about $900.00 worth of goodies, and I haven't gotten below decks yet.

As far as Smokey Bones - We'll go for beer and dinner after playing at your yard. I'll get my son to have the day off - We could use him - 6' 230 lb Power forward on his ice hocky team. Dinner is on me! You buy the beer.

Jerry