Barbarossa backstay adjuster

[jimg]

My 1984 boat has a backstay adjuster made by Barbarossa. It has two handles that fold down after being used to turn the threaded mechanism. Harken acquired Barbarossa, but they seem unable to find anyone with a knowledge of the thing. It looks like this link except it's got black anodized aluminum arms.

http://www.harken.com/productdetail.aspx?sku=B1722

When you loosen mine, the upper tube and its cap stay fixed to the upper stay, and the actual threads appear above the handles. I think the tube and cap are supposed to keep the threads covered as the stay slides up. Before I test my theory that the cap is just seized to the stay and that giving it a good whack along with some lubricant might fix it,I thought I'd try to confirm that I'm not about to destroy my adjuster

[Joe Henderson]

Dear JimG,

There was a reason that Barbarossa were bought by Harken when they wanted a winch in their product line-up, and why Harken don't want to get involved with any other Barbarossa products from that era.

When we were selling and fitting Barbarossa deck gear, winches, jammers, backjstay adjusters etc, in the mid seventies-early eighteies, we had a nick-name for them.

It was " I'm Seized!"

At that time, it seemed that anything made in Italy looked heart-achingly beautiful, but lasted a very short time in the real world. ( Fiat, Olivetti, Ferrari ( cars and cranes ), Barbarossa, lancia, Alfa ( both Romeo and Sud ) etc.

I think that if yours IS an original Barbarossa and it is coming apart as you describe, then you should accept that you have had a full and useful life out of it and you should replace it ASAP.

It IS only holding your mast up after all.

Regards,

Joe.