Mast - diamond stays

[stillwaterfield]

I just got a 1969 DS1 and I have a mast question. I have seen no DS masts rigged exactly like the one that came with my boat. I've looked at all sorts of pictures. So I'm asking if this is just a variant, if it's a good idea, and if it's DS class legal for racing? Is it a benefit? I saw nothing at all about this in the specifications and measurements for the SD found on the DSA site. Do I fix it up (one top spreader is broken) or do I take it off? I don't know if I will ever race it in a DS sanctioned race but I want to keep it as close to class legal as is practical. And the best possible mast setup within those bounds. Thank you.

More on how this boat is doing as things develop.

This is a drawing not exactly to scale, but it does show the two sets of guy wires and the two sets of spreaders, one high and one middling.

[tomodda]

The upper diamond is called jumpers or diamond stays. Get rid of them.

I'll write up why you don't want em later today, but look up jumpers on this forum. You can safely dump 'em.

[GreenLake]

I've removed that upper diamond a number of years ago without ill effects. Nobody seems to know why the original designer or builder thought them necessary.

However, if either of the two lower spreaders is damaged or missing you should be sure to repair or replace it. Your drawing shows the shrouds (lower stays) as straight lines, but the spreaders should be long enough to force a bit of a corner. Presumably that's just the way you drew them, not the actual configuration, but just in case I wanted to mention it.

PS: I've moved this post to the "Rigging" section and took the liberty to edit the subject a bit to make it clearer to anyone reading this what we are discussing

[stillwaterfield]

The upper diamond is called jumpers or diamond stays. Get rid of them.

I'll write up why you don't want em later today, but look up jumpers on this forum. You can safely dump 'em.

Thanks for giving me the correct name for these things.

I read some of the old posts on 'jumpers' and 'diamond' and it was revealing. So probably an O'Day idea that didn't pan out, no benefit, possibly not allowing good sail shaping. I'm getting the hint. And since on one side the stay is broken I may as well remove that whole mess. Mast might be operative tomorrow.

[stillwaterfield]

I've removed that upper diamond a number of years ago without ill effects. Nobody seems to know why the original designer or builder thought them necessary.

Good to know.

However, if either of the two lower spreaders is damaged or missing you should be sure to repair or replace it. Your drawing shows the shrouds (lower stays) as straight lines, but the spreaders should be long enough to force a bit of a corner. Presumably that's just the way you drew them, not the actual configuration, but just in case I wanted to mention it.

It's just the way I drew them. Just a quick and dirty diagram using LibreOffice and five minutes.

PS: I've moved this post to the "Rigging" section and took the liberty to edit the subject a bit to make it clearer to anyone reading this what we are discussing

Thanks.

Last week I just floated it and that was when I discovered the centerboard needed work. I'm excited. And I'm so glad to know about that diamond jumper thing. Best is no new part to buy or make.

[GreenLake]

Let's make a new thread in "Repairs and Improvement" on the Centerboard issues. (You would have to do that, there's no moderator tool to handle posts that combine topics)

I get it that you might like to discuss your boat top to bottom in one thread, but having multiple subjects in a thread works against others learning and finding out about specific issues.

[stillwaterfield]

Let's make a new thread in "Repairs and Improvement" on the Centerboard issues. (You would have to do that, there's no moderator tool to handle posts that combine topics)

I get it that you might like to discuss your boat top to bottom in one thread, but having multiple subjects in a thread works against others learning and finding out about specific issues.

I'll make a separate thread.