Help adding Running Back Stays

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
First, at the mast end, you can get metal "loops" that socket into internal tangs, and to which you can attach fiber runner pendants. In your case, the change in angle will probably be too great, and you should count on installing different tangs, internal or external.
The eyes at the end of the track are more likely to be scaled for spinnaker sheets than for runners, but I'd need to see them to be sure. If they aren't up to the job, the trick is to land stout padeyes on deck, positioned to give an effective angle to the mast, yet not to interfere with deck traffic, and to have a good lead to the primary winches. This last bit is important, as we never, ever use block-and-tackle on runners; instead we splice a fat tail onto an HM pendant, and lead the tail through a deck block to the winch. The weather winch is always open, and in a storm, with the jib furled, both winches are open. Much more power, to tighten the forestays'l luff, and much, much faster overhauling. Also no blocks bashing around on the leeward side.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
PS,
Ian, and anyone else out East, would you mind starting a thread on conditions out there?

[Ian McColgin]

I've no doubt that Brion's advocacy of a straight run to a sheet winch makes more sense than my 3:1 system ever did. The one advantage of the block system is that if the crew is brisk and snugs the runner just as the boat's in the wind's eye, it may be tight enough right there. For a traditional lower stressed rig. The straight wire with a soft tail is probably more suitable in every way today.