E39 Single spreader rig

I just purchased a 1972 E39 flush deck. It's a project boat and needs a lot of attention. The boat has a single spreader, single aft lower and baby stay rig. It was apparently done at the factory (or when the boat was new). Rod rigged with Hood Gemini headfoil, but will replace with (probably) 302/304 wire and a furler.

Just looking for any other boats that have this rig?

Dal
E39 Stillwater

Single Spreader Rig??????

Dal:

Are the spreaders swept back??????

Are the chainplates AFT of the mast, as opposed to being directly in line with the Spreaders???????

If the answer to either of these is YES, than in all probability you have a Bergstrom & Ridder Rig.....commonly known as a B&R.....most commonly used on the Hunter Line of sailboats today, and they have gone a step further in not using a backstay.

It would be interesting to know if any of the owners of Ericson 39s could confirm this.

Lets hear it from the gallery!

If this is the case I could be of further help to you as my Seidelmann 299 had just such a rig!

Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder...

However, keep in mind that the difference between the hundreds of rigs with swept spreaders (and often a babystay up front) is that the B&R design uses diamond stays from the mast base up and out to the spreader tips. That let them eliminate the forward lowers and baby stay.

Like any rig design, there are trade offs -- spar mass and windage with a smaller spar section, while adding more wires and terminations and complexity.

I am told that the increased turbulence/drag from the extra wire rigging is worth the reduction in mast drag. :nerd:

Like the J-24, my former Niagara 26 had swept-aft spreaders and actually used shroud tension to load up the forestay.... the backstay also put some addition tension on the forestay but was mainly used to bend the mast and flatten the main.

I look forward to pictures of the "Stillwater."

Regards,
Loren

ps: if Seth checks in and sez I am wrong, then I take it all back!

E39 Rig

The chain plates for the uppers are inboard from a standard 39 a couple of inches but in the same position fore and aft. The single aft lower is outboard of the main upper but in the same position fore and aft as standard. Consequently, the aluminum chainplate support bars under the deck are different than a standard 39. More like the bars in a 39B but no forward lower. The baby stay plate is about a foot behind the foward hatch. It has straight out spreaders and a conventional backstay with adjuster.

Dal

Perhaps it's a refit?

Every E39 I've seen in person or online has always had double spreaders and dual lower shrouds in addition to the upper shroud. If I'm not mistaken, the PDF of the brochure on this site also shows that rig. My guess is that your rig is either a refit from a long time ago, or a special order when it was built.

Interestingly, I just discovered a real project-quality E39 a couple boats down from me in the yard (looks like it's been sitting there a very long time). While it has a double spreader rig, I was surprised to see that the spreaders are made of wood (1 had rotted off) instead of the hefty aluminum ones I have on my boat. The spars also are not anodized and appear to be a smaller diameter than mine. Perhaps it's also a refit.

Ahh! was looking for this thread!!!

I just purchased an E39' with no mast... Were going to start looking for one, and yes were a bit clue-less. I have helped raise masts, set the standing rigging on racers and a whole bunch of other exciting things for other people on their boats and now when it comes to mine I realize It's a different story I want to do everything right and it aint cheap neither. Still having that warm glow of finally owning my own Ericson. But it's going to fade fast if I cant sail her soon!!! Glad to find some other E39' owners. Can you fill me in a bit more on the size of the mast, I know it's a double spreader, but were the E39's set up originally as fractional rigs? Adjustable Back Stays or Running backs ect.. And wheres the best place to start looking for second hand mast. Thanks.. Ricky

bbboat said:

Every E39 I've seen in person or online has always had double spreaders and dual lower shrouds in addition to the upper shroud. If I'm not mistaken, the PDF of the brochure on this site also shows that rig. My guess is that your rig is either a refit from a long time ago, or a special order when it was built.

Interestingly, I just discovered a real project-quality E39 a couple boats down from me in the yard (looks like it's been sitting there a very long time). While it has a double spreader rig, I was surprised to see that the spreaders are made of wood (1 had rotted off) instead of the hefty aluminum ones I have on my boat. The spars also are not anodized and appear to be a smaller diameter than mine. Perhaps it's also a refit.

Click to expand...

Hi Ricky,

I don't know if shipping to you would be prohibitive, but Bacon's Sails does have used spars. You would need to know what length you are looking for before calling, but it might be worth a call to get pricing for reference if nothing else. Their website is here:

http://www.baconsails.com/

Er39 Rig

Glad to find some other E39' owners. Can you fill me in a bit more on the size of the mast, I know it's a double spreader, but were the E39's set up originally as fractional rigs? Adjustable Back Stays or Running backs ect.. And wheres the best place to start looking for second hand mast. Thanks.. Ricky[/quote]


Congratulations on your purchase. If this helps, the mast on my 39 is a a mast-head rig with double spreaders, no runners, single-backstay. fore and aft lower stays and I think it's around 58' long overall.

I have a print fo the original rig.

We could figure out some way to digitize it and make it available..... If we can get Martin to ask his father if that would be OK. If someone pays for it and Bruce Ok's it, I would be willing to digitize it.

The original mast on all of them that I know of is a double spreader, masthead rig. Most of them were discontinuous rigs, a smaller number were continuous rigs.

My guess would be that this rig has been replaced due to an incident.

The disadvantages for going with a used rig off of another design are almost never worth the cost savings, which by the time you are done will not be more than a few hundred dollars at most.

Thanks,
Guy

FWIW, every 39 rig I have ever seen was a double spreader masthead with
discontinuous wire. Most had adjustable backstays, some had runners, and
some had a detachable inner forestay intended for a staysail. The wood
spreaders is interesting. Most had aluminum-not that it was any better-
that was one of the first things replaced on my old boat. The thing I
really disliked about that rig was the sliding gooseneck-a generally bad
idea imho. I decided to fix that sucker in place after getting bashed in
the head with the boom and seeing stars.

Guy, I'll ask my dad if he's ok with scanning the drawing next time I
speak with him.

Martin

Sliding gooseneck

The sliding gooseneck, pivoting boom thing is one of the first things I recommend changing on them.

Original Custom Single Spreader Rig (I think)

The single spreader rig on my E39 (hull#36 1971) is original I'm pretty sure. I am the second owner but the original owner died before I could find out too much. However, it is a Ted Hood mast from Marblehead, Mass. The chain plates are different than a standard 39 in that the cap shrouds are further in (about 3") and the single lowers are aft and outboard a bit from standard. The aluminum plates look very original and Ericson like. Actually shaped not unlike a 39B plates. There is a single baby stay with a connection to the hull just forward of the head door. The mast step is not steel but Aluminum. Maybe this had been upgraded at some time. This is a very beefy mast with a heavy extrusion.

The boom is solid attached at the gooseneck. Internal outhaul on a screw adust. All Barient hardware.

The dimensions are: 59.5 feet overall.

Different but it has been working a long time and seems to be fine! This boat is also a cored hull. It had a hydraulic backstay adjuster at some point but now just a turnbuckle.

Regards,
Dal Farias
"Stillwater"