What is the function?

[Peregrine]

A picture in the oil lamp thread of Tom Metzgers oil lamp installation leads me to a question that has bothered me for some time. What is the purpose of the cable and turnbuckle that goes from the mast to the coachroof? I had always thought it was to prevent load from the mast being transfered to the force grid/keel particularly when you tension the backstay. A friend told me that it prevents some vibration of the coach roof. Anyone know?

Tony
Peregrine Spirit
E-380

 

[treilley]

It keeps the deck from being pulled up by the pullys that lead your running rigging aft to the cockpit. Every time you tension a halyard, the main sheet, reef line, etc the pullys transfer the force vertically on the deck.

 

[Shadowfax]

Coach Roof

It supports the coach roof. On the exterior of the coach roof, where the mast passes through, there is what I will call a collar, because I don’t know the correct term. This collar has a number piercing that the turning blocks are attached too. These turning blocks turn the halyards and have an upward pressure on the roof. What you are seeing with the cable and turn buckle is a counter balance of that pressure by securing the bottom of the collar through the roof and on to the mast. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Peregrine]

Hmmmm....

This makes sense, but it seems to me that if this were true the cable would be attached from the mast to just below the collar IOT keep the coach roof from moving. In the case of my boat the cable runs from the mast to a point well forward of the collar.

Any more thoughts?

Tony
Peregrine Spirit
1994 E380

 

[e38 owner]

it is amazing to me

i Believe it also reduces the flex of the boat due to shroud tension. As the shrouds are tightend the deck can rise and the boat can become somewhat narrower, If you have a chance to loosen the rig notice how much more slack appears in the cable.

 

[MarkA]

Uh-oh

From the brochures of my boat, it seem it was equipped with this. However, I think someone replaced the rig, and left that off years before it was sold to me. Should I be concerned?

 

[rwthomas1]

e38 owner is correct. The shrouds pull on the sides of the hull, vertically and the mast presses down on the keel/TAFG grid. Imagine that the mast is the shaft of an arrow, the shrouds the bowstring and the "bow" the hull itself, from toerail to toerail in a curved line down through the keel. It should be apparent that as the shrouds are tensioned the toerails will try to move closer to one another. This causes the cabin top to "squish" up, if only a little bit. That cable keeps the cabin top down where it should be. I submit that the halyard loads are inconsequential compared to the loads created by the rig itself when sailing.

And yes Mark, I would be concerned about not having it. Simple to install though.

RT

 

[Shadowfax]

Rob,

I like it. Never thought about the shrouds, but I've seen the cabin top roof move while tightening the halyards with the, whatever it is, loose. I also agree that Mark should replace his

 

[Loren Beach]

Tie Rod....

Mark,
If your boat came with an attachment for a "tie rod" (that's the name N. A. Robert Perry gives it), you should put one back there.
Our Olson 34 has one. Ours goes from a slot on the mast up a couple of feet to a SS eye strap in the cabin top just behind the collar that carries the halyard loads, and has a turnbuckle.
You see this little bit of standing rigging on most all boats with keel-stepped masts. It has nothing to do with shroud loads, AFAIK.
Some Ericsons have it going down to the alloy mast step, in parrallel with the spar on the inside.

Note that when you load up the main and genny/spinnaker halyards with hundreds of # force against the turning blocks on the collar, this can lift the cabin roof a little bit where the mast passes thru it. Your housetop mainsheet also has a 90 degree turn at that collar, as does the vang line led aft.

I should note that some other makes of boats have had aluminum collars with provision for thru-pinning of the spar, to solve the same "lifting" problem.

Loren

 

[Frank Langer]

So do you guys have any advice for him on how to tension it properly once he installs it? I would think that this would depend somewhat on how tight his rig is tuned, but any tips he could use?
Frank.

 

[MarkA]

Thanks, Frank!

I have an eye protruding down through the cabin roof, just ahead of the mast. On the front of the mast, about a foot below the eye, there are (I think) four screw holes that have been painted over. I was thinking some sort of plate with an eye on it bolts to the mast, and should be connected to the eye on the ceiling. Am I right? (I'll take pics tomorrow).

 

[Tom Metzger]

Deck ty-down

Just take the slack out of it, per the owners manual. Stick a pin in the turnbuckle. Don't over tighten the halyards before doing it.

 

[vbenn]

Tie rod adjustment

Steve's Yacht Yard in Annapolis told me that the tie rod turnbuckle should be no more than hand tight.

My owners manual from PSC does not mention tie rod adjustment or any other rigging adjustment for that matter. Maybe I'm missing pages?

Vince Benn

 

[MarkA]

Speaking of manuals...

Any suggestions on where I can find a manual for my 1978 34-T? All I've been able to find is a pdf of an original brochure.

 

[Frank Langer]

OK guys,

I know little about this topic, BUT, I think we need to be more specific on the tension--when you say hand tight, do you mean hand tight BEFORE the shrouds/stays are tensioned or once the rig has already been tuned.

I am guessing it must be before, so that tuning the rig will add further tension to the tie rod; and tightening the tie rod to hand tight after the rig is tuned sounds to me like "closing the barn door after the horse is gone", as once the rig is tensioned, it will have deflected the deck structure if the tie rod has not already been tightened to hold the deck firm. Am I right? I think these little details might make the difference in having everything "in synch" the way it was designed, as opposed to "all out of wack"--technical term!

Frank

 

[treilley]

Frank, the manual for my boat states to do it before tensioning the rig. You are correct, close the barn door before the horse is already gone

 

[Tom Metzger]

Am I right? I think these little details might make the difference in having everything "in synch" the way it was designed, as opposed to "all out of WAC"--technical term! Frank

No! [Opps, my message is too short to send.] No, you are not right. Tune the rig first, just like it says in the damn manuals.

It's the last item listed before going for a sail in the E-35III manual.

 

[Frank Langer]

Tom,

Unfortunately, my boat (Ericson 30+) did not come with a manual when I bought it used. Despite my efforts, I have only been able to obtain a few parts of it, and no one seems to have a copy (nor is there on in the specs/documents section of this website). If I had one, I would certainly have read it by now, likely several times. And even then, it may be only marginally helpful, as the above post indicates that his manaul says to tighten the tie rod BEFORE tuning the rigging--ie. there seems to be some inconsistency and confusion.

However, I still have trouble understanding that you would tune/tension the rig first, which potentially could lead to the deformation mentioned in the above posts, and only then apply the counterbalance of the tie rod. Would it not make alot more sense to slightly tension the tie rod (eg handtight, perhaps) and then tune the rig?

Frank.

 

[treilley]

I stand corrected. I thought I read that the other way.

 

[Tom Metzger]

Adoption is good.

Unfortunately, my boat (Ericson 30+) did not come with a manual when I bought it

Frank et al - Find an Ericson of the same vintage that has a posted manual and adopt it. There is not that much difference between BK designed boats of a given vintage.