Rigging tension for basic sailing

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Rigging tension for basic sailing

Postby mkwmson » Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:02 pm

I recently purchased a Spindrift DS1 and have a question about basic rigging. How much tension should the shrouds & forestay be under for basic sailing? I am new to sailing and the only experience I have is in larger (26 -34 feet) boats during lessons and the shrouds & forstays on these boats are much tighter than those on my DS1. I have not adjusted the positions from whoever sailed it before me. I guess I want to know how much trouble I can get into by over-tightening the standing rigging?
Michael Williamson
"Wet Willy"
Spindrift DS1 #11469
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standing rigging tension

Postby Roger » Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:54 pm

If you have 1/8" ss upgrades then the rated tension is 240# I believe, according to the loos gauge instructions. If your rigging is the original 3/32, it will need to be less than that. A Loos model A should read about 50 pounds.

If you put too much tension on, you can pull the mast step through the bottom of the hull. This is not one of those things you want to guess at.

If you do not have a tension guage, then you hand tigheten all stays plus one turn. When sailing, the lee shroud should be just slightly slack.

Hope that helps.
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Standing Rigging Tension

Postby mkwmson » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:11 pm

Thanks for the information. Your response generates another question for me, and that is, should I upgrade my standing rigging? They all appear to be in good shape, the forestay has a slight kink/bend in it that does not seem to have damaged the strands, but I have no turnbuckles to adjust tension. It has fittings that accept the eyelets on the wire ends into a "U" shaped channel with a number of holes that you slip a pin through and cotter pin it into place. These fittings appear somewhat basic and difficult to use. I tried this afternoon to move the shrouds to the next hole while the mast is in place without any success. Can I move the fittings prior to stepping the mast and then just muscle the mast into place? This appears to be the only way I can put more tension on the shrouds. If not, is there a retrofit turnbuckle I can put on without a complete new set of rigging?
Michael Williamson
"Wet Willy"
Spindrift DS1 #11469
mkwmson
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:12 pm
Location: Loganville, GA (Atlanta)

Postby GreenLake » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:15 am

Michael,

there should be a way somewhere in you rig for you to provide incrementatal tension.

In my DS1, the mast is keel-stepped and there's a mastjack (a large nut below the butt of the mast) that I turn about 6 turns to get the rig tensioned by raising the mast.

At that point the shrouds are tight enough to produce a low note when plucked, but when sailing the leeward shroud is visibly less loaded.

The chainplates have only single holes. The stem fitting has three, but as far as I can figure out only one is intended for the forestay.

What's your setup?
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Rig Tension

Postby mkwmson » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:00 am

Green Lake,
I am not sure of my setup yet, but, later this week I will have some more time to re-step the mast and connect the stays. I will take a few pics and post them, maybe that will help. Also, I will check for a way to raise the mast, I did not know that.

Thanks for your help.
Michael Williamson
"Wet Willy"
Spindrift DS1 #11469
mkwmson
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:12 pm
Location: Loganville, GA (Atlanta)

That mast jack will look like a little wheel or a

Postby Roger » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:47 pm

turning nut under the mast. As well, it seems strange that all three stays are unadjustable; usually at least the forestay is adjustable. You should be able to slack off the forestay and tighten the shrouds accordingly. The adjusting mechanism you describe is what I had on my boat, and it was adequate. Measure your stays. If you have the old 3/32" ones you will want to upgrade. Many of the thinner rigging parted, and owners replaced them with 1/8" ss 1 x 19.
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Postby Baysailer » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:15 am

I have the same set up as Green Lake with fixed length shrouds and headstay, the only adjustment is from the mast jack. I don't race and am far from ideal but so far its worked well for me. If it's breezy another turn or so to tighten everything up some is all I need and I can do this bobbing in the lake.

For Michael I have another dinghy (Buccaneer) that uses the adjusters where you move the pins to the next hole to tighten. They aren't bad but you need a hyfeld lever for the forestay so you can loosen it enough to move the pins, at least thats what the buccaneer has. All the adjustments need to be done before you set out though.

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Rigging Tension

Postby mkwmson » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:33 pm

Ok, I finally had time last night to step the mast and attempt to increase tension on my rigging. Also, look to see if I have a mastjack nut to use.

I cannot move the forestay to the next hole without some type of tool to help, and I do not have a mastjack of any type that I can find. Please go to this website and see if any of you can show me something that I am missing. I have posted pictures of the items in question.

[http://home.earthlink.net/~mkw111/id3.html]

I have downloaded the owner's manual from Spindrift for my boat and I doesn't give much help. I believe my spreaders need some work. Could that be part of my problem?
Michael Williamson
"Wet Willy"
Spindrift DS1 #11469
mkwmson
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:12 pm
Location: Loganville, GA (Atlanta)

Postby GreenLake » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:00 pm

You have a true tabernacle, and inside the cuddy is a compression post. Mast nut would not work in this configuration. Keep the second pin as a spare. It's not needed when the mast is raised and, if forgotten, will get in the way when you try to lower the mast.

A hightfield lever, as Baysailer suggests, would require additional parts, and also some differences in the way the forestay is set up. (I'll let him explain that kind of setup further).

I found this link http://www.glen-l.com/free-book/rig6-2.html showing a setup with the shrouds set up like your boat, but a turnbuckle for the forestay. For such a setup, you set the pins for the two shrouds to their eventual position - raising the mast and pulling it forward will then tension the shrouds (the forestay needs to be tensioned separately).

One way you could tension the forestay would be to run the jib halyard to the shackle shown in your picture. (If it's not long enough, you'd need to extend it). You then belay the other end normally.

You could then try to have someone pull the middle of the halyard back, to tension it. The forestay should become slack and you should be able to move it to another hole.

If that doesn't generate enough tension, you could put a block and tackle between the jib halyard and the shackle. That's the system used on some smaller dinghies (there they don't even use pulleys, just a lanyard that's run several times between two eyes.)
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Postby Baysailer » Wed Apr 22, 2009 6:38 pm

Michael,

For reference here's a highfield lever http://www.apsltd.com/p-15974-highfield-lever.aspx it would require more parts and modifications than its worth. I couldn't find one that was a direct replacement for a turnbuckle and the price would probably be $$$$. The setup you have is fine though and once you have it set to the tension you like to keep it's no worse than any other system to set up. Most people don't change or adjust the mast or rigging tensions each time out and even if you do one hole one hole one way or another will do.

With the mast ready to step, connect the side stays. Before raising the mast connect a purchase to the stem plate and your jib shackle. I use a vang for this. Raise the mast and cleat off the jib halyard. Now the masts raised but everythings reasonably loose and the jib halyard is holding the mast up and your forestay is just hanging. Now you can use the "vang" to pull the mast forward until you can put the pin in that holds the forestay and tensioner in place. Now you can put the vang back where it belongs. There are other alternatives like using the trailer winch to pull on the jib halyard or have someone push the mast forward while you pin in the forestay but the general idea is to make the mast far enough forward so you don't need to tension the forestay yourself.
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Rigging Tension

Postby mkwmson » Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:35 pm

I was able to test out a couple of different ways to tension my sidestays and forestay last night in the backyard (I also was able to hoist my sails for the first time). Anyway, the method I discovered best for me (and my daughter who helped) was to detach the jib halyard and while one of us tensioned the jib halyard enough by hand, we could move the adj forestay connector down one hole at a time. I started using the trailer wench, but was very concerned about overloading the mast & shrouds because it was tough to know how much tension the next notch on the wench would give.

With my tension issued settled, and as I said, I was able to hoist my sails so that I could rig the triangle traveler and mainsheet. That leaves me needing only a downhaul cleat (of which I have ordered from D&R) to be able to put the boat on the water for the first time. Hopefully, if the weather holds, it will be this weekend.

Thanks to all of those that have helped me.
Michael Williamson
"Wet Willy"
Spindrift DS1 #11469
mkwmson
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:12 pm
Location: Loganville, GA (Atlanta)


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