# Backstay Adjuster

Phillip Walter 25/10/05

I have recently fitted a backstay adjuster to my Jaguar 22. As it is a Masthead rig I did wonder how useful it would be. It has in fact proved a very good modification.
The boat has a furling jib. To keep the forestay taught requires the boat to be set up as taut as a banjo with the backstay very tight. While I could release the rear bottle screw each time I leave the boat-it’s a fag. I believe that excess tension on the rigging has over the years caused compression of the internal frame. If you look at the hull bow on the bulkhead set in can be seen. I purchased blocks which gives me a 4-1 ratio. I have to say it works a treat. Now it is so easy to adjust the stay tension for all types of sailing and to simply ease the stress on the rig whilst moored. I let it off when running and harden it considerably when going windward. It occurred to me that other Jag 22 owners might be interested in this exercise.

I used 8mm braided Terylene rope and some hefty RWO blocks. The only science I could bring to bear was “it looked right”. I elected to replace the normal two strops on the backstay with a flexible stainless wire strop in a vee form through a pulley block. As this strop had swaged ends I had to buy blocks which came apart. (I also put one on the transom horse while I was at it.) I assumed the wire strop would be of equal strength if of the same size as the 1x19 rigging, although of a different lay.

Other JOC members may like to comment as to how to approach the buying of the bits.   In particular I wonder about the following:

• What size blocks would be strong enough to take all loads. (The stainless pulley shafts look so very small!)
• What ratio of pull is recommended?
• What size and type of rope was best to equal the rigging?
• Can I get any performances advantage at all from some mast bend on my masthead rig like the fractional rigs?