Spreader to diamonds

[PhilT]

I am putting an old 16ft skiff rig on my little 19ft trailer sailer cat. I have to convert the spreaders into diamonds. Has anyone used an old skiff rig on a boat with more stability?

The 16 has two blokes on trapeze and a skipper hiking. I am guessing at stability of around 600kgm stability. The cat will have some more stability, maybe 1000kgm with lots of people on board.

I need to change the rig from one with lots of wires leading to the deck to one with diamonds with only one stay per side. I have a feeling that I can use the two sets of spreaders that are there currently and just pull the stays in to make diamonds. I am hoping that the reduction in compression due to no trapeze weight and no masthead kites will help offset the weight increase.

cheers

Phil

[Ssor]

Try it and see how it works . First try it the way it was and then make changes . ONLY one change at a time. If you make more than one change at a time you won't know which one was good and which one was not so good. Make it what you want it to be. We, on this forum can make it in the manner that we would like ,but you must make it to suit your needs and desires.

[gybeset]

Are you intending fixed or rotate, I am assuming your vessel shroud base is way wider than the 16's.

You'll have to draw them in to below the gooseneck to allow them to work (inducing a little pre-bend) and prevent mast inverting, that is bending backward below the main hounds.

Only other option is to replicate the position of the skiff chainplates but i'm assuming thats trampoline on the cat. Or massively lengthen the spreaders to suit your wider shroud base.

I'd try the first as less mucking around.

[PhilT]

No rotation will be needed on the cat so I will keep the mast fixed. I have staying problems with all the stays as the cockpit is 2m wide which is wider than the skiff. So changing one thing at a time is not an option. I have heard of people putting skiff rigs on multis. A bloke put an 18 rig on a tri made from a surf boat and Tornado hulls. He kept on breaking things.

I am happy to give it a go on my own. I was hoping someone out there had done it before. At least I am thinking about rigs now and not fairing hulls which is a plus.

[Ssor]

Catboat or catamaran? If catboat and shrouds are short, add light chain between chain plates and shrouts. if catamaran , Damn if I know.

[gybeset]

all feasible, back swept spreaders will support mast from overbending forward, inverting may be stopped by an opposing set of small jumpers mid way between the hounds and base IF necessary.

make sure diamonds (ol swept back spreaders) are tight as prev mentioned.

A bit of rake will ensure that top of mast won't tend forward downwind inducing an invert below the hounds