Need Questions for Luring the Unwary

[Brion Toss]

Hello all,
Boat U.S. has asked Brooks Jones and I to form an "Ask the Experts" column for their site. I'd like to do it, if only to draw more people, eventually, to this site. We lost some traffic with program snafus that I'm sure many of you recall, and I'd like to lure people back to our new, shiny, functional setup. So, the Boat U.S. people have asked me to send them some seed questions, just to get things started. You know, like pretend I'm someone with a rigging question, so that I can then pretend to come up with a really interesting answer. And I know it's just a formal device, but I can't bring myself to do it; all the rigging questions that I really want to ask are ones that I don't know the answers to, and I don't want to pretend.
Yes, silly, I know, but how about helping me out here? Send some real questions to maria@briontoss.com, and I'll forward them, along with something like an answer, to get things going.
Other than that, note that the time is counting down for Puzzler entries for the month. Also, any feedback on the current 'Fair Leads'?
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Norm Moore]

Just a little tongue in cheek... The recent discussion on the use of high modulus rope in standing rigging I'm sure would get lots of interest. I picked up a copy of Good Old Boat today and there is an article by Ted Brewer on standing rigging and he only discussed wire rope, discussed 7x7 galvanized, which is hard to find in sizes greater than 1/4". Give them a look at Precourt's synthetic rigging systems and that should start a healthy conversation.

[Jim Fulton]

Don't overlook questions that you have already answered, maybe hundreds of times. Some fairly basic questions that come to mind include

Why is tuning important?
How tight should my shrouds/stays be?
Why shouldn't the leeward shrouds be loose?
What are the five most useful knots every sailor should know?
When are splices preferable to knots?

etc.

Jim Fulton

We used to get these all the time at the shop:

How long should my rigging last?
Why is my new stainless rigging rusting?
Someone told me that swages will pull out and my rig will fall down - is this true?
Can I reuse my old turnbuckles?
Why can't I just use cable clamps?

[Auspicious]

I'd be interested in hearing you hold forth on the use of backstay adjusters and running backstays.

[Russ L]

Hi Brion,
How about a long time favourite?

Why aren't double backstays better than a single backstay? They should offer more protection eh!

My apologies for not following directions and emailing question to Maria, but this looks like the de facto forum.

Cheers, Russ

[amalling]

Originally Posted by Norm Moore

Just a little tongue in cheek... The recent discussion on the use of high modulus rope in standing rigging I'm sure would get lots of interest. I picked up a copy of Good Old Boat today and there is an article by Ted Brewer on standing rigging and he only discussed wire rope, discussed 7x7 galvanized, which is hard to find in sizes greater than 1/4". Give them a look at Precourt's synthetic rigging systems and that should start a healthy conversation.

[whistling] What are you talking about ;-)

Anyway, being a newbie and all, maybe a few question to answer is,
how important is (the lack of ) weight aloft?

Backswept spreaders - why? I have heard they eliminate the backstay, is that true?

What do spreaders do - how do they work, and how do I set them up properly. How will I tell if my rig is well-tuned?

(and reading your story about chainplates not being fastened enough - or at all!! - maybe about that - i.e.)

Or about maststepping, how to do it, on a keel-stepped mast.

How much tension should it have?

Pros and cons of wire rigs contra , say, spectra ... the question could be something like "I'm about to rerig my boat. It's a 30-something family cruiser. I have been told I need to have my entire standing rig renewed, and I wonder if I could use the modern ropes such as spectra?" I don't know what a typical boat would be, but, say, 34ft, one set of spreaders, etc., plastic tub (i.e a very high cabin, wide as h...

Was it you also that wrote a fine piece about metals being a fad, and that ropes (spectra etc) would take over again? Heh, okay, I tightened the angle a fair bit ...

Oh, a good one, methinks:

Why do my boat go upwind better to starboard than to port?