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Side-stay help

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 6:44 am
by Papax3
!!! All advice welcome !!!

My C-22 has... well, "not tight" side-stays. They're not completely loose mind you, but they should likely be a little tighter than they are.

Here's the problem: the owner before me buggered up and bent the adjustable clasps that tie the stays to the deck of the boat, likely from some really bad trailering/ mast raising experiences. The stays are notably made of stainless, and I do have a concern that correcting the bends may only create a potential for catastrophic failure, given that stainless can be brittle. I live in Arkansas, and there isn't a sole who does standing rigging work that I'm aware of.

The main problem, is simply just tightening them... I think it's possible, because though they are (a little) bent and boogered up, I don't know what DIY methods are available to apply the tension to the wire, that will allow me to adjust them without having too much pressure on them. In other words, I think, since they are bent, the best-case scenario would be to get most of the pressure off of them, so I can turn the nuts past the bent areas, then pin them back to their holdfasts. OH! and by the way, my C-22 is slipped at the dock/ not on a trailer.

What are some quick methods to apply straight pressure to the wire stay?

Thanx!
Bill Williams
Safety

Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:53 pm
by Reality
maybe a 1 ft hardwood 2x4 with a slit the same size as the cable cut into the length of one of the 2" side about a inch deep using a table saw. Have a strong buddy push down while you tighten and reconnect. Might work. I'd like to tighten mine and this was my thinking but haven't tried it.

Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:41 am
by Papax3
Reality,

Seems legit! I like the idea, especially if you can pinch the 2x4 onto your wire. Excellent idea... Then they can use body weight to easily add pressure.

Thanx!
Bill