Cut stantion height?

[dave]

Personally, I wish
that we could cut the staunchions down to 18" like the J24's can. 24" tall staunchions are out dated on small boats and the shorter ones are SAFER for the crew AND the boat. They allow one to hike without being nailed in the throart area by the lifeline, they cut down on weight above they CG, they make it MORE likely that you will stay on the baot in a crash because the shorter line is easier to grab as your sliding by AND most importantly, the shorter lever arm on the staunchion base makes it more likely to remain not only on the deck but undamaged. Boats with 24" lifelines are famous for ripping out of the deck in hard use, breaking at the base from hard use or beding, all of which are caused by such I long lever arm. Neither does one any good. Also the longer ones are much more combersome to muneuver around on deck and get the sails skirted over and deal with the tweeker getting on the wrong side.

[johnddegen]

Dave.

Great idea

[dave]

Thanks, sorry for the spelling issues, it was late and after band practice [a few beers]. A move to allow the stanchions to be shortened would be a cheap, no brainer way to [kinda] modernize the look of the boat AND make it easier/more fun to sail. The U 20 has lifelines that are around a foot tall and angle outword from the deck [duuhh!] and one hardly notices them while sailing the boat.

Dave

[Tom Line]

I'd throw my support behind allowing the lifelines to be lowered. One of the biggest annoyances on the boat is having to skirt the genoa on tacks if you don't get it in fast enough.

I've put a hole through the bottom a genny that my crew didn't realize was hooked - they just ground the sucker right in.

[Tom Elsen]

I thought this subject deserved its own thread.

Does anybody have an idea the cost / method to best accomplish this? Seems to me there'd be some significant welding of stainless involved.

What about the bow and stern rails?
Leave them alone and (at least for the stern rail) you've got a pretty odd look, with the lifelines descending from the bow then ascending as they reach the stern. Cutting the stern rail would be a project. What do you do there?

[dave]

Like so many other things in the monohull sailing world, 24" lifeline staunchions that are mounted to sit vertically when the boat is sitting at the dock combined with the equally rediculous rule of not allowing one's torso outboard of that, and then the insuing "remedy" of a SECOND lifeline, just so the crew can hopefully get their weight out where it belongs, are that way because that's the way it's always been. Idiotic things like pinched in transoms and great big cabins with correspondingly short cockpits and so forth are finally making way for more sensible types of sailboats. I have been racing cats, dinghies and keelboats for 30 years and it's amazing how long it takes for the most simple, common sense, proven fast ideas from cats and sometimes dinghies to filter down into the monohull world. The most glaring example would be the use of full battens and large roach mainsails. Short staunchions that are angled outboard are no different!

Dave

[dave]

In case y'all think that I'm too pushy even after Tom Elson thought this was interesting and posted as much, that post wasn't on the board when I was writing my last one, although it was there after I posted. I'm not trying to be pushy, it was just an observation about something that was relatively simple and would make the boat more fun and less work to sail. The staunchions themselves are a piece of cake. I'm not on the boat so I can't remember if the staunchion caps are slip in or welded on. In either case one could just cut the staunchion to length and re-install the old caps or install a new ones. They are easily availabe. Our boat [thankfully] doesn't have a stern rail. But I'll bet that it would be easy to buy or make some internal sleeves, cut sections from the rail and just drop it down with the sleeve SS riveted in place. Viola, shorter stern rail with no welding or removal! The bow pulpit could probobly just be left as is [or not] and a collar or SS U bolt could be used to lower the lifeline attatchment[s].

Dave

[dave]

Tom, sorry I spelled your last name wrong.

Dave

[Tom Elsen]

So, does anybody have any info as to the cost for a retrofit on this one?

Six stantions. All have welded caps and welded bases. My guess is that you'd need to cut, sleeve, re-weld and polish each one. $50 per piece? More ? Less? Use some other method?

[dave]

This may not be the exact spec but it's an example of cost per cap. Some are WAY high, as in $30.00 bucks a pop, which is rediculous, of course.

Sea-Dog
Stainless Steel Top Cap 1"
Top Caps

The Sea-Dog 270101-1 Top Cap.


Features:


Order # Mfg # Description Your Price Ships In QTY
11514 SD2701001 Stainless Steel Top Cap 7/8" $4.82 24 hours
11515 SD2701011 Stainless Steel Top Cap 1" $5.20 24 hours

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Pretty darn cheap retrofit !

Dave

[dave]

No more interest in shortening the stanchions?

Dave

[Tigerlily]

I think it is a good idea to propose a rules change on this matter. I agree that the lever arm of the stanchions is a problem creating cracking and possible water infiltration to the deck core. I also agree that the 24" height is uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.

[dave]

Thanks Tigerlilly, anyone else?

Dave

[Tom Elsen]

It will be on the ballot of potential rules changes.

I think it's important for everyone to remember that in allowing such changes, we don't 'require' that they be made. So if you're skeptical you can always wait and see. No harm there as it doesn't significantly affect the performance of the boat.

[dave]

Thanks Tom. When will that be? I'm "rebuilding" the boat at presemt. It would be nice to get it to the new configuration, if possible.

Dave