Questions about my Triton rig

[sully75]

Hello all,

First post here and if it sounds like I don't know much, well...I don't.

I have a 1961 Pearson Triton. I sailed her quite a bit this summer, mostly a shakedown, around RI and MA. The boat was great.

I had the rig taken down a couple of weeks ago and it was a bit of a wet shower. Very well recommended rigger pulled the mast (deck stepped) and was shaking his head the whole time. Things he commented on: mixmash of old looking bronze turnbuckles and some (I guess) outdated stainless ones, old swages, old looking wire. The mast has a sleeve of aluminum riveted to it at the spreaders, which he says either a) is hiding some damage or b) is going to cause it to work harden and fail there anyway. There is some amount of paint cracking around the sleeve although on a quick visual nothing is obviously wrong with it.

I talked about having an assymetrical spinaker and he pointed to the jumper spreaders at the top of the mast and how that would interfere with that. I hadn't really thought about it. Additionally I've thought about adding a storm stay-sail, there appears to have been one installed in the past but the fitting is not backed up below deck and the fitting is cracked.

Additional things I've noticed is some rusty stains on the stainless backstay chainplates and on the bronze stem fitting. There is also some discoloration on the sidestay chainplates. I pulled bolts in the spring and everything looked ok but now there is more discoloration.

I really didn't plan on digging into the rig this winter, but now that it seems there's a lot to deal with, I want to get as much done as possible. Also a bit bummed because I will end up paying as much as I paid for the boat and maybe more than it's worth, but I do like the boat very much, and can't really afford another boat, additionally if I bought something else I'm sure that would have problems too.

My desire is to make a bullet proof cruising boat.

I'd love some feedback on my basic plan for the winter.
1) Have the rigger design a new double spreader masthead rig for the boat (same sized mast). I'd like to keep the main the same size as the original as the boat sails great under main alone, but I would like to have the convenience of the masthead rig and the option of having a large jib to deal with weather helm...although the boat generally balances well.
2) find a used mast of slightly larger section than the original. Get someone to weld a strong masthead fitting on it.
3) Based on the riggers plan either splice or swage my own stays.
4) Return all halyards and reefing lines to the mast/boom (currently everything is led back to the cockpit, which as a single hander I thought would be awesome but I end up having to get to the mast to reef the main anyway, so I'm finding it little advantage

I guess my questions are
1) does all this sound reasonable?
2) If I switch to a masthead rig, would I be able to get by with my genoa and working jib as they are for a season or two?
3) splice vs swaging...splice definitely would save some money and additionally I'd have a skill I could use to repair problems in the future...swaging seems a lot easier
4) any experience with the Triton masts? James Baldwin, who is sort of the dean of Tritons apparently broke his at some point, not sure the circumstances.
5) Any thoughts about using a used mast? Obviously not a corroded one but anything else to look for? There are quite a few Tartan 27s getting junked in this area, so I've thought about using one of their masts.

I guess that's about it. Thanks for your thoughts.
Paul

[sully75]

Whoops!

Additional question
1) I'm probably not going to be able to do afford a staysail this year or be able to do the structural work to the deck to make it work. But I'd like to plan the mast so that it's possible in the future. A friend who has basically rebuilt a triton the way I'd like to build mine apparently has some sort of carbon fiber reinforcement below deck that links to the stem, but he does not use the v berth. I'd like to keep my v berth useable. I'm wondering about a carbon beam that goes athwartships under the deck, over the v berth and spreads the load, but not sure if it would need to be tied into the stem or if I brought it out as far as the hull deck joint if that would be adequate.

[sully75]

I put an album of the rig, the pictures of the mast itself are at the bottom. There are also pictures of the turnbuckles towards the middle.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10740...593?banner=pwa

Thanks
Paul

[sully75]

Another whoops. I didn't mean swages. I was thinking about Hi-Mod fittings vs. Splices.

Thanks
Paul

[Jim Fulton]

Your rigger may be spot on with all of his findings and recommendations but they're so extensive that I'd be inclined to get a second opinion. In particular, I would question the apparent conclusion that your mast is unsafe and unsalvagable. Masts can be repaired. If the sleeve is covering a problem and if it was improperly done, it can be removed and replaced with something that is less likely to create a stress riser. It's worth a shot.

Jim Fulton

[sully75]

Thanks Jim. He hasn't given me a final word on that and he said he was going to try to use some sort of scope to examine the repair.

I'm not sure if the album I attached was available, I just made it public if you are interested in pictures.

Thanks
Paul

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Where to start? How about with that drifter. This Triton is a fractional rig with jumpers, but that doesn't preclude a drifter or spinnaker. In fact there is a halyard bail clearly visible in the pictures you sent. Perhaps I am missing something, but perhaps your rigger is not familiar with fractional rigs of this type.
Then there's that mast sleeve. It might be covering a repair, but if it is, it appears to be well-suited to the job: generously thick, good fastening pattern; nice stress relief in the shape. It might even be original construction for a two-piece mast. Certainly no indication from here that it would cause a problem.
It is possible -- even likely -- that a boat of this vintage needs attention paid to its rig, but I would get detailed confirmation of the state of things before condemning what is there now.
As for the storm stays'l, are you sure you need one? The forestays'l is already relatively small, and a well-cut roller-furling sail, paired with a good furler, would allow you to reef right down.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[sully75]

Thanks Brion. He was saying that the jumper struts would interfere with the spinnaker or drifter. I was a bit confused I guess just knowing that most people use these rigs unmodified.

I could also use a spinnaker on the fractional height of the jib halyard too, I think.

I'm not sure that I need a staysail either. My only thought is that I'm paying quite a bit to get the rig down, replace standing rigging, etc. So I thought this would be the winter to do anything that needed to be done rig wise. I'm hoping to do a big trip next summer to some pretty remote places so wanted everything to be really solid.

I was wondering about drilling out the rivets on the mast sleeve, being able to examine the sleeved area and then reinstalling with machine screws.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts, much appreciated.

Paul

[Brion Toss]

Hi again,
The jib halyard will not work for a spinnaker; no articulation, no tacking. But a block on that lug, with the working part led over the strut will work just fine, as the spinnaker pulls the line forward.
As for that sleeve, drilling out the rivets is a good idea, but unless you then tap for larger fasteners, and countersink every hole, you won't be able to use machine screws. Best just to re-rivet.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[sully75]

Thanks Brion. That's very helpful. Enjoying your book quite a bit, pretty awesome.

All the best
Paul