Deck cracks around traveler. Critical or cosmetic?

Questions about boat repairs with our resins and fiberglass: hull patches, transoms and stringers, foam, rot etc.
fallguy1000
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Re: Deck cracks around traveler. Critical or cosmetic?

Post by fallguy1000 »

Also, if you put a lot of tension on the forward stays, But the back stays are slack does the mast put tension on a set traveler in that location?

Just a question.

On the other forum; there have been a few people who broke their boats with overtensioned stays and so I am very suspicious about that type of event where the forces forward land on a held traveller instead of offset by the back, for example.

Thanks for the comments Jaysen. I understand a lot about strength of fiberglass and only a little about sailboat mechanics.
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fallguy1000
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Re: Deck cracks around traveler. Critical or cosmetic?

Post by fallguy1000 »

Gelcoat tends to stress crack under loads.

My take is that this happened overtime or in a singular event and that the area needs to be reinforced with something like g10 or glass ropes, but hard to say wothout picture of underneath.

Seeing the boat picture helps a lot. I see now that the hatch is midship and I assumed starboard side.

I think grounding the boat is not needed. But you need to pay close attention to a full sheet and a traveler held in place above the crack.
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Jaysen
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Re: Deck cracks around traveler. Critical or cosmetic?

Post by Jaysen »

The forestay tension wouldn’t really be stay tension as much as suddenly loading of a halyard for the jib or spinnaker. The forward stay tension would be static and balanced between the backstay, shrouds and port/starboard stays. The only varying loads would actual sail loading.

The forestay also serves as the support for the jib. It effectively serves the same purpose as mast creating the leading edge of the sail. When flying the kite (spinnaker) the forestay actually gets unloaded as the kite pulls the mast forward. This would increase the pressure on the backstay much more than the mainsheet as the mainsail would be almost on the beam with the wind from the stern.

If I try to imagine how we could put the most pressure on the main sheet it would be a beam wind (mainsheet tight, boom centered on hull, jib fully loaded) with a suddenly impact on the forestay. For this to really impact the traveler the backstay would have to be unloaded or under tensioned.

Other option would be a break of the backstay.

It will be interesting to see how this works out.
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fallguy1000
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Re: Deck cracks around traveler. Critical or cosmetic?

Post by fallguy1000 »

Jaysen wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:23 pm The forestay tension wouldn’t really be stay tension as much as suddenly loading of a halyard for the jib or spinnaker. The forward stay tension would be static and balanced between the backstay, shrouds and port/starboard stays. The only varying loads would actual sail loading.

The forestay also serves as the support for the jib. It effectively serves the same purpose as mast creating the leading edge of the sail. When flying the kite (spinnaker) the forestay actually gets unloaded as the kite pulls the mast forward. This would increase the pressure on the backstay much more than the mainsheet as the mainsail would be almost on the beam with the wind from the stern.

If I try to imagine how we could put the most pressure on the main sheet it would be a beam wind (mainsheet tight, boom centered on hull, jib fully loaded) with a suddenly impact on the forestay. For this to really impact the traveler the backstay would have to be unloaded or under tensioned.

Other option would be a break of the backstay.

It will be interesting to see how this works out.
So an undertensioned backstay could, at least theoretically, result in forces applied to the traveller. With say a major pitching event and the forestay not in tension.

Thanks. I am surprised he hasn't thought back to a singular trip under major winds or some issue with the stays, etc.

But it could be wear and tear and simple mechanical fatigue if the hatch is underbuilt for the forces.
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