Independence 31 Bowsprit Issues???

Anyone have ideas on baseline tension on the bobstay, headstay, backstay and upper shrouds on the Independence 31? Here are my issues:

1) I feel like I have an issue with my bowsprit lifting (can see a gap at the stem), which would indicate perhaps bobstay stretch and need of tensioning,

2) as I look at headstay sag (I do have roller furling), I'd say just tighten the bobstay and pull it all down,

3) currently the base of the mast looks like it is exerting a forward stress on the deck, yet the mast is racked aft,

so none of it seems to be adding up to what I would expect - ideas?

David,

This does not sound good. Have you resolved any of these issues?

I feel like I've made some progress, but would still greatly appreciate any input.

Here's where I am now.

I think I've got an optical illusion going on with the mast base, so we can eliminate that part of the puzzle.

I decided the bowsprit really had to be pulled down to touching the stem -the bowsprit was actually moving up and down a 1/16-1/8+ as she rocked in her slip from wakes (we're on a busy river and have bad wakes). So, I backed the backstay off to about 900 pounds, eased off on all the other stays with an aft pull on them, and then tightened the bobstay until the bowsprit came down. That took exactly 1/2 a turn of the body of the turnbuckle and took the bobstay tension from 900 pounds to about 1300 pounds, and these tensions are with the backstay and other stays loosened as above. After tightening the bobstay, the backstay now reads about 1150 pounds, and I have left it there. I've got about 900 on the upper shrouds. I'm at a loss for the whisker stays on the side of the bowsprit, and have them at 400 pounds.

So, out sailing on Sunday and I decide to inspect motion of the bowsprit and lie down on it to peer at the stem and see what's up. It's blowing about 12 knots pretty steady, and we're in the typical 1'+ Chesapeake wave action. Under this loading, the bowsprit just comes bounces up and down every so slightly off the stem. There is no sign of movement where the body of the bowsprit is bolted to the deck, and the deck is in good solid shape without any core issues, and the bowsprit backing plate is installed.

I realize that there aren't many Independence 31's out there, and tuning a cutter rig with a bowsprit is not routine in the world of sloops. What I can't get a handle on is if it really is that different.

Anyone have any ideas of what is reasonable on just the bowsprit stays? - bobstay down to the water line and whiskers running to the toerails?

Is the tiny amount of lift on the sprit I saw under sail normal for this type of rig, or should I make one more 1/2 turn on the turnbuckle? How much tension is too much on this stay? I look at the huge bronze lug at the waterline where the bobstay attaches, and wonder how much load it is meant to take. It looks like must be significant, but....