Page 159 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Figure 5-20. A bowsprit and boomkin extend out-
ward to pick up the jibstay and backstay. A bobstay
and bowsprit shrouds forward and boomkin shrouds
aft serve as guys. The bobstay’s narrow staying angle
can be improved by attaching it lower on the hull or
by adding a spreader-like “dolphin striker.” Alterna-
tively, we can leave the angle narrow and use larger
wire to compensate.

tions, additional aft guying is provided by a run- mum) to control mast movement fore-and-aft (see
ning backstay. One could accomplish the same the “Tuning” section in Chapter 7).
result by angling the intermediate farther aft, but As you can see from Figure 5-19, we now have
this would interfere with the travel of the boom a well-formed rig, except for the jibstay and back-
off the wind. Another configuration would have stay, which are hanging in midair. The boat is too
the intermediate led over the lower spreader. For short. We could bring these two stays in (dotted
an analysis of this option, see the accompanying lines) so that they would fit on the hull’s 30-foot
sidebar. length, but only at the sacrifice of considerable sail
Splitting the lower shroud into two pieces and area, and with the addition of mast compression.
leading one forward and one aft (Figure 5-18) The alternative is to extend the length forward
nicely contains the motion of the middle of the mast, with a bowsprit and aft with a boomkin (Figure
providing both a generous lateral angle and enough 5-20). These pieces, like the mast and spreaders,
fore-and-aft angle (6 degrees is the accepted mini- are under compression from their standing rigging,

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