instructions for rigging tuning a MacX

[DaveC426913]

There's a wide variety out there about rigging tuning. Some of it is for MacX, much of it is not. Even the stuff for the Mac varies.

Can anyone point me at a reliable source?

I'm not looking to win races, just a standard tune to ensure it doesn't land on my head, and that I'm not sailing in a tight circle.

[wccorder]

Dave;
Welcome aboard. First off I would check the manual. If you did not get a manual from previous owner, look under resources at the top of the page. It gives step by step instructions for stepping the mast.

[DaveC426913]

Dave;
Welcome aboard. First off I would check the manual. If you did not get a manual from previous owner, look under resources at the top of the page. It gives step by step instructions for stepping the mast.

I'm not looking to step the mast, I'm looking to tune the rigging. On tuning, the manual is no more accurate than "try to make them snug".

[vkmaynard]

This is what we did on our boat. Works great. Scary roundup before tuning.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... oose+gauge

Victor

[Azzarac]

Hi Dave,
This topic has stymied me also. There seems to be very little information out there that is "written in stone". I have collected a couple posts from others that I found helpful when tuning my that I will share here:

From VKMaynard: "Having just finished removing as much rake as possible (excessive roundup), I found that on the final adjustment, slightly less than 1/2 of a hole = 30+ lbs. My final #'s on the shrouds are 300# on the uppers and 270# on the lowers. After sailing in the next two weeks I may move the upper shroud adjusters up 1/2 hole which will put the uppers at 270# and the lowers at 240#.

From research, I would tighten the forestay all the way. Then use the jib halyard or a chalk line tied from the top aft side of the mast for a straight reference along the aft of the mast from top to the foot. Completely loosen the lower shrouds (and backstay). Make sure that the upper shrouds are in the same holes (also measure the shrouds to make sure they are the same length). Tighten the upper shrouds until the mast has a 2 1/2" forward bend in the middle (preloads the mast). Check the tension to make sure it is around 200#. Then tighten the lowers to pull the mast back about 1/2", this which will also tighten the uppers as the mast tries to straighten. Check the tension and keep it below 270# (the lowers will have a lower tension). Check the tension on the uppers again. Keep repeating this process while maintaining the 2" forward mast bend until you get no more than 300# on the upper shrouds and 270# on the lowers (keeps the mast from pumping). With a gauge you can easily see the relationship between the shrouds."

And:

"With the mast down, measure the upper, then the lower shrouds for equal length side-to-side. Adjust the shrouds to equal length if they are not there already. If your mast is already stepped, you can measure the shrouds with a tape measure. Raise the end of the tape measure on a halyard and measure to each chainplate for equal length. If not equal length, adjust the shrouds accordingly. This is your starting point for a straight mast.
Now with your mast up and all the shrouds and stays loose (but not entirely floppy), adjust the forestay to get the amount of mast rake you have in mind. Reducing mast rake (tilting the mast more towards vertical) will reduce weather helm or increase lee helm. Increasing mast rake (tipping the top of the mast more towards the rear of the boat) will increase weather helm or reduce lee helm. In the end, you will want a little weather helm. Once adjusted, make a mark on the forestay turnbuckle so you can re-set it to that rake consistently.
Now remember, rake is the angle of the mast to the WATER, not to the deck or the bootstripe, unless your bootstripe or waterline is truly level with the water. With the MacGregor 26x, so many of us have different motors (including some up to a whopping 90 hp!) that loading of the boat can differ substantially, effectively changing the mast rake, even though the angle to the boot stripe is identical. Therefore sticking to the "specs" may not get you the handling you want.
Once you have the mast rake set for the desired angle, tighten the upper shrouds EQUALLY ON EACH SIDE (in SMALL increments) and tighten the backstay to induce mast bend to the desired amount. As you tighten the shroud, sight up the mast to make sure it is straight laterally (side-to-side) and doesn't tip off one way or the other. Do this often (after each set of adjustments, i.e. adjust port upper shroud, then starboard upper shroud, & sight up the mast). Some people recommend tightening the backstay to get the bend, then tightening the upper shrouds to maintain that bend, but either way, you want to tighten just enough to get the bend you want. With fractional rigged boats with backswept spreaders, the upper shrouds induce the mast bend. The lower shrouds limit the bend, in effect "freezing" the amount of mast bend and keeping the mast from "pumping" over waves and in puffs. Also, double check your mast bend, and make sure it is a nice smooth bend, with no s-shapes, etc. Ideally, you will keep adjusting first the upper shrouds, then the lower shrouds. You will keep going until you have tension on your upper stays of about 15% of the breaking strength of the shrouds (check a West Marine or other catalog for specs on wire) and about 10% of the breaking strength of the shrouds on the lowers. All this while maintaining the proper mast bend, rake, and lateral alignment of course.
Keep in mind that on most fractional rigged boats, an adjustable backstay will only bend the top of the mast, so don't rely on it for all of your mast bend. Instead, induce some "static" bend using the rigging, and use the adjustable backstay to get a little additional bend when needed. I have heard it is possible to actually bend (permanently) the mast if you give the adjustable backstay a gorilla pull.
At this point, you may be having to back off the forestay turnbuckle, and maybe even releasing the forestay entirely to make the adjustments on the shrouds if you have those slot/hole adjuster thingies (love those nautical terms!) rather than true turnbuckles.
Remember, once you've got it right, and you double check it after your first few sails, its done - no more messing with it. So if you can borrow a gauge, rather than buying one, so much the better.
By the way a 10% of breaking strength load on the shrouds will make a very low "musical note" when whacked. We're talking about as low as the lowest piano note, maybe lower. 15% makes a slightly higher note, but not much. On the Blue Water Yachts website, where it talks about rig tune, there's a comment that the rig shouldn't be "so tight as to play music", and I think the 10% - 15% rule would still qualify.
Once you have all this done, you've completed your dockside tune. Go sailing. The lee shrouds should loosen a little in 15 - 20 knot winds, but not go slack. The top of the mast shouldn't fall off to weather, and should look straight in these winds. It is possible that the top might point toward the wind in very light winds, but that is OK, as long as the mast is straight in 15 knot winds. The boat should point well."

As mentioned above, BWY has their opinion also: http://www.bwyachts.com/rig_tuning_tips.htm

I have noticed that going by the specs listed above that it makes attaching to forestay a bit difficult if you are a trailer sailer. I have backed my tensions down just a tad to make setting up easier. If you keep your boat on the water you should be just fine with the above specs.

Fair Winds,
Capt. Azzarac
Chameleon
Follow Chameleon's travels at: http://svchameleon.weebly.com/

[paul I]

I think these boats (and most sailboats) should come standard with a tension gauge. I eventually broke down and got a PT-1 (look to Amazon for the best price). I am glad I did. I ended up doing a few adjustment and got all side stays within 5% of 300 lbs. I think the BWY info makes for a great guide except it stops short of giving actual tension numbers. From everything I've read, 10% of breaking strength is most often quoted. That is about 320 lbs for my X. I'm interested to see how much it changes by the end of the season.

[DaveC426913]

Hi Dave,
This topic has stymied me also. There seems to be very little information out there that is "written in stone". I have collected a couple posts from others that I found helpful when tuning my that I will share here:

From VKMaynard: "Having just finished removing as much rake as possible (excessive roundup), I found that on the final adjustment, slightly less than 1/2 of a hole = 30+ lbs. My final #'s on the shrouds are 300# on the uppers and 270# on the lowers. After sailing in the next two weeks I may move the upper shroud adjusters up 1/2 hole which will put the uppers at 270# and the lowers at 240#.

From research, I would tighten the forestay all the way. Then use the jib halyard or a chalk line tied from the top aft side of the mast for a straight reference along the aft of the mast from top to the foot. Completely loosen the lower shrouds (and backstay). Make sure that the upper shrouds are in the same holes (also measure the shrouds to make sure they are the same length). Tighten the upper shrouds until the mast has a 2 1/2" forward bend in the middle (preloads the mast). Check the tension to make sure it is around 200#. Then tighten the lowers to pull the mast back about 1/2", this which will also tighten the uppers as the mast tries to straighten. Check the tension and keep it below 270# (the lowers will have a lower tension). Check the tension on the uppers again. Keep repeating this process while maintaining the 2" forward mast bend until you get no more than 300# on the upper shrouds and 270# on the lowers (keeps the mast from pumping). With a gauge you can easily see the relationship between the shrouds."

And:

"With the mast down, measure the upper, then the lower shrouds for equal length side-to-side. Adjust the shrouds to equal length if they are not there already. If your mast is already stepped, you can measure the shrouds with a tape measure. Raise the end of the tape measure on a halyard and measure to each chainplate for equal length. If not equal length, adjust the shrouds accordingly. This is your starting point for a straight mast.
Now with your mast up and all the shrouds and stays loose (but not entirely floppy), adjust the forestay to get the amount of mast rake you have in mind. Reducing mast rake (tilting the mast more towards vertical) will reduce weather helm or increase lee helm. Increasing mast rake (tipping the top of the mast more towards the rear of the boat) will increase weather helm or reduce lee helm. In the end, you will want a little weather helm. Once adjusted, make a mark on the forestay turnbuckle so you can re-set it to that rake consistently.
Now remember, rake is the angle of the mast to the WATER, not to the deck or the bootstripe, unless your bootstripe or waterline is truly level with the water. With the MacGregor 26x, so many of us have different motors (including some up to a whopping 90 hp!) that loading of the boat can differ substantially, effectively changing the mast rake, even though the angle to the boot stripe is identical. Therefore sticking to the "specs" may not get you the handling you want.
Once you have the mast rake set for the desired angle, tighten the upper shrouds EQUALLY ON EACH SIDE (in SMALL increments) and tighten the backstay to induce mast bend to the desired amount. As you tighten the shroud, sight up the mast to make sure it is straight laterally (side-to-side) and doesn't tip off one way or the other. Do this often (after each set of adjustments, i.e. adjust port upper shroud, then starboard upper shroud, & sight up the mast). Some people recommend tightening the backstay to get the bend, then tightening the upper shrouds to maintain that bend, but either way, you want to tighten just enough to get the bend you want. With fractional rigged boats with backswept spreaders, the upper shrouds induce the mast bend. The lower shrouds limit the bend, in effect "freezing" the amount of mast bend and keeping the mast from "pumping" over waves and in puffs. Also, double check your mast bend, and make sure it is a nice smooth bend, with no s-shapes, etc. Ideally, you will keep adjusting first the upper shrouds, then the lower shrouds. You will keep going until you have tension on your upper stays of about 15% of the breaking strength of the shrouds (check a West Marine or other catalog for specs on wire) and about 10% of the breaking strength of the shrouds on the lowers. All this while maintaining the proper mast bend, rake, and lateral alignment of course.
Keep in mind that on most fractional rigged boats, an adjustable backstay will only bend the top of the mast, so don't rely on it for all of your mast bend. Instead, induce some "static" bend using the rigging, and use the adjustable backstay to get a little additional bend when needed. I have heard it is possible to actually bend (permanently) the mast if you give the adjustable backstay a gorilla pull.
At this point, you may be having to back off the forestay turnbuckle, and maybe even releasing the forestay entirely to make the adjustments on the shrouds if you have those slot/hole adjuster thingies (love those nautical terms!) rather than true turnbuckles.
Remember, once you've got it right, and you double check it after your first few sails, its done - no more messing with it. So if you can borrow a gauge, rather than buying one, so much the better.
By the way a 10% of breaking strength load on the shrouds will make a very low "musical note" when whacked. We're talking about as low as the lowest piano note, maybe lower. 15% makes a slightly higher note, but not much. On the Blue Water Yachts website, where it talks about rig tune, there's a comment that the rig shouldn't be "so tight as to play music", and I think the 10% - 15% rule would still qualify.
Once you have all this done, you've completed your dockside tune. Go sailing. The lee shrouds should loosen a little in 15 - 20 knot winds, but not go slack. The top of the mast shouldn't fall off to weather, and should look straight in these winds. It is possible that the top might point toward the wind in very light winds, but that is OK, as long as the mast is straight in 15 knot winds. The boat should point well."

As mentioned above, BWY has their opinion also: http://www.bwyachts.com/rig_tuning_tips.htm

I have noticed that going by the specs listed above that it makes attaching to forestay a bit difficult if you are a trailer sailer. I have backed my tensions down just a tad to make setting up easier. If you keep your boat on the water you should be just fine with the above specs.

Fair Winds,
Capt. Azzarac
Chameleon
Follow Chameleon's travels at: http://svchameleon.weebly.com/

Thanks. Actually, I'm going to print this out and take it with me down to my boat.

[DaveC426913]

I think these boats (and most sailboats) should come standard with a tension gauge.

Roger didn't get the cost down to $24,000 by adding all sorts of less-than-absolutely-critical things in the package.

[vkmaynard]

Funny, I just noticed a mistake in my write up years later. Use the "main" halyard for the mast bend reference along the aft edge of the mast, not the "jib" halyard.

Once you tune the boat it is much more forgiving.

Victor