— frwood2000 <frwood2000@y…> wrote:
Rob: Hi, congratulations for having bought a BCC28 and welcome!
"My BCC is in the process of being re-rigged and I am wondering if anyone has experience and/or recommendations about the following things:
- The rigger is recommending a traveler. My theory is that the multi-block arrangement on a BCC acts as at least a semi-traveler. But I’m in no position to argue with the rigger. Would this be a significant performance improvement?"
I’ve seen, but not sailed, only one BCC28 with a traveller. She had her traveller mounted on the taff rail, which I figure would run to a boom angle of
about 10 degrees either side of the centreline (the gallows notches are at a boom angle of about 8 degrees off the centreline and the outer edge of the gallows uprights is about 13 degrees off the centreline). When sailing hard on the wind in flat water, I aim for boom angles in the 5 - 10 degree range, but that’s the only time when I would use a traveller (and as Rod pointed out, a BCC prefers to be a little less hard on the wind: why choke her when she prefers to go to wind a little freer?). Being hard on the wind in flat water is a tiny proportion of my sailing.
I think it’s up to you (not your rigger): if you sail in flat water, are a keen user of a traveller, and get your kicks squeezing max close-hauled VMG performance, then go for it. But if you are not intending to spend your life sailing hard on the wind (no cruiser does so out of choice), then you can find many better goods and services for your $$.
“2. The rigger is recommending “modern” cleats for the main sheet. Sumio told me that Harken 1574s have been installed by Sam L Morse on some BCCs with hull ids greater than 100. Is this a significant performance improvement?”
Zygote, BCC28 #116, has the neat Harken swivel-base cleats. I like them v much, but they’re tech overkill for what they do. No performance gain, but a delight to use (to the point that I take them and their fancy bearings for granted). I assume your Mon Desir must have something that already works.
“3. The rigger is recommending to increase the wire size for the standing rigging by 1 size.”
Rod, Roy and others have commented already. No rigger wants to be held liable for sending a rig to sea that might fail. But what are the apples and oranges that we are talking about, in terms of what type and size of wire does Mon Desir have now?
Sam L Morse Co currently builds BCC28s using 316 stainless 1x19. That’s great for cruising, especially in hot tropical waters (Zygote is at 5 N 100 E, water temp is close to 30C). 302 series ss 1x19 wire is a little stronger, but is not as suitable for warm and salty tropical water. And 7x19 galvanised wire is even stronger and cheaper (and of course even less suitable for hot salty water).
Here’s Zygote’s standing rigging specs in 316 ss 1x19 (in case our e-mail clients make a mess, following is a 4 column x 11 row table, the columns are stay, diameter (inches), length (pin-to-pin, in feet and inches) and Breaking Strength of the wire (in pounds). Note that your stays may differ in length - because masts and hulls vary a little and Zygote has a delrin pad under her mast step. In fact, I intend to increase the length of Zygote’s headstay by about 0.7" when I next rerig, should I live so long):
Stay Dia Length BS (lbs)
Headstay 9/32 40’ 2.75" 8700
Bobstay 3/8 8’ 0.5" 14800
Whisker stays 1/4 14’ 0.5" 6900
Staysail stay 9/32 26’ 6" 8700
Cap shrouds 1/4 37’ 9" 6900
Intermediate shrouds 1/4 26’ 7.5" 6900
Lower forward shrouds 1/4 15’ 4" 6900
Lower aft shrouds 1/4 15’ 8.5" 6900
Backstay 9/32 8700
Boomkin stays 5/16 3’ 10" 10600
The table lacks an entry for the length of the backstay because my backstay is in three parts with the mid length insulated from the others to act as SSB
antenna.
As Rod and others have commented, 316 ss 1x19 at the above diameters is not stressed in a BCC28: 0.25" 316 ss 1x19 has a breaking strength greater than 2 tonnes. The mast will stand as long as the rig is tuned. Tuning is at least as important as wire diameter, if not more so. A poorly tuned rig can break and fall, regardless of wire diameter, if the mast is not in compression.
“4. On a related note, I am hoping to add a dinghy to my cabin top at some point in the future. I am focused, but not stuck, on a Fatty Knees. Has anyone had experience with a Fatty Knees (or other dinghy) on the cabin top? If so, what size (7 or 8 ft)? And how much do you need to raise the boom?”
Zygote carries a Cherub dinghy (made by Sam L Morse Co, quite similar to the Lyle Hess-designed Fatty Knees in many ways) forward of the mast (the bow of
the dinghy sits in a notch in the bowsprit, the transom is captured by two cleats to port and starboard of the fore edge of the mast; the dinghy sits over the scuttle hatch). A Cherub is (check the Sam L Morse Co website) about 7’4" or 2.2 metres long and weighs about 39 kg or 85 lbs. Being on the foredeck means that I can use a halyard and winch to lift the dinghy over the lifelines for launch and retrieval. And it leaves my sight lines over the cabin top unimpaired. I launch and retrieve my dinghy with the help of one crew. Roger Olson has, in an earlier post to this group, explained his technique, using a
couple of short lines, to launch and retrieve singlehanded.
I agree with Rod - don’t raise your boom. And be prepared to look for another rigger.
Cheers
Bil
Zygote, Penang, Malaysia