rigging tension

Moderator: GreenLake

rigging tension

Postby Guest » Wed Jan 08, 2003 10:39 am

what's the proper tension for the stays. the 2-sheet manual i've got says tighten the stays to hand tight once the mast is up? is this right? thanks.

chad (gilliscmnr19-at-juno.com)
Guest
 

Postby Roger » Wed Jan 08, 2003 7:04 pm

I have also read somewhere that if the lee shroud does not go slack while sailing, the tension is too much. I have also heard that the jib halyard tension or down haul (if rigged) should take the tension off of the forestay under sail. The really important thing is not to tighten the forestay and shrouds so much that the mast starts pushing through the bottom of the hull :)

The other extreme is that he shrouds are so loose that there is excessive mast bend.

In my personal opinion, I like to have more than just the windward shroud to take the stresses of the wind on the mast, so I try to keep some tension on the forestay. I also don't like the clatter of a loose lee connection at the chainplate, so I keep it snug enough so that is does not rattle and clatter, but very little if any tension on the lee shroud when under way in an average blow. It is interesting to note that the DS class racing rules preclude the crew from adjusting the shrouds while racing. Obviously this type of tweaking is done routinely, but has it's obvious hazards while underway, if one mistakenly unscrews a turnbuckle completely causing the mast to tumble in a tack. I assume that is why there is such a rule. I would suspect that an experienced crew would harden up the rigging before a race if the breeze was stiff, and soften it up before a race on a calmer day.
Roger
 
Posts: 853
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 6:36 pm
Location: Ninette Manitoba


Return to Rigging

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests

cron