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Consider spectra which after an initial"creep" works well as a shroud replacement. You can “pre-creep” new line before use…VERY thin line…

Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing/Racing

Hi Dick,
My thinking is that I don?t see why you would want a ridged carbon rod as a forestay. I say this with the thinking that most foestays in RC boats are run through the jib luff. In light air, the last thing you want is a jib luff that will not sag. In heavy air I don?t know that a carbon rod wouldn?t sag as much as a spectra line with good backstay tension.

As for shrouds, there should not be a problem with good 25# to 40# braided wire stretching being that there just is not that much pressure on them in the first place. When the wind is way up, again I would prefer my shrouds to give a little, though they don?t, to let the top of the mast fall away a bit.

  Greg

Rod rigging means solid instead of braided. We used to use solid S.S. fishing leader. Scale wise this is the same as real. But they now use spectra etc. for real rigging.

Once again, Greg’s advice reflects the current best practices of today’s racing boats. If you are interested in an “aero” shroud rigging material, Bantock’s SailsEtc. has available flat, solid, stainless steel wire. The drag and weight of model rod rigging would be off the chart. While spectra is used widely for sheet lines and backstays, virtually every competitive r/c racing boat today uses stainless steel wire and turnbuckles for the shrouds.

Most of my boats use SS solid wire NOT braided for convenience and low stretch and because they are all one designs. The newest boats(within development classes) I will produce will use pre-creeped spectra or PBO thread which is a 1 for 1 direct wire replacement if you can find it. On competitive"development" class boats it makes no sense to use heavy metal when you can replace with something 7 or 8 times lighter! With no more windage!

Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing/Racing

I use spectra 90# kite line for my standing and running rigging. I used to use Kwik-links and threaded connectors for turnbuckles but they rust with one use. Ernst sent me some Kwik-links fittings with the Nightmares and they are stainless. I haven’t tried them yet. I was just reading some where that stainless next to carbon makes the stainless rust. Is this true. I also use the 0 proctor turnbuckles and buy a nut to lock them. I saw some new? clevises made out of stainless with locks. Most of my rigs are self standing or swing. Most of the stuff available is too expensive or corrodes or weighs too much.

Stainless and carbon is ok, just dont mix carbon and aluminum…

If its not blowing it sucks!

has anybody tried using, using line from u-control model airplanes. i dont know what wieght it is but it works for me and the IOM that i have. I have put my IOM in lake huron where I realize I should not have, because the boom broke on the line , It was a good wind around 40 mph and the waves where heavy. the line did not snap and the boats mast tayed up right?
cougar