with roller furling and having trouble with tension on shrouds. this sailing novice has two questions for this audience. Without a lengthy dissertation on the law of physics just in what order do the shrouds get tightened? And when shrouds fully tightened (have a gauge)can the mast be lowered down to mast cradle? Thanks guys!shrouds
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rick retiree
- Chief Steward
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- Location: Worth,Ill.
shrouds
Have a 2001 with roller furling and having trouble with tension on shrouds. this sailing novice has two questions for this audience. Without a lengthy dissertation on the law of physics just in what order do the shrouds get tightened? And when shrouds fully tightened (have a gauge)can the mast be lowered down to mast cradle? Thanks guys!
with roller furling and having trouble with tension on shrouds. this sailing novice has two questions for this audience. Without a lengthy dissertation on the law of physics just in what order do the shrouds get tightened? And when shrouds fully tightened (have a gauge)can the mast be lowered down to mast cradle? Thanks guys!-
delevi
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Re: shrouds
Slack off lowers. Slack or release the backstay. Tension uppers to 300 lbs each. Then tension lowers to 200 lbs each. Re-attach backstay. Adjust backstay (if you can) to find a balance between a tight headstay and ability to pin it when rigging. If you can't adjust the backstay and your headstay is too loose, add more tension to the upper shrouds. Test out so you can still pin the headstay.
fair winds,
Leon
fair winds,
Leon
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DaveB
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Re: shrouds
Leon is correct, go sailing in 15 knots of wind beating to windward in several tacks.
If you find uppers or lower shrouds to loose you can adjust them at mast down. It's ok to have a loose leeward shroud but not so it is wobbleing (this will cause spreader problems). Over tighting could also increase fatuige on chain plate and rigging,causeing the hull to flex and strucual cracks.
Dave
If you find uppers or lower shrouds to loose you can adjust them at mast down. It's ok to have a loose leeward shroud but not so it is wobbleing (this will cause spreader problems). Over tighting could also increase fatuige on chain plate and rigging,causeing the hull to flex and strucual cracks.
Dave
rick retiree wrote:Have a 2001
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sbods
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Re: shrouds
Are there any "quick idiots check" tips, to keep an eye on the tension?
Short of... is mast still up etc!!
Short of... is mast still up etc!!
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restless
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Re: shrouds
If you don't have one already, get an adjustable backstay pulley set. Will save hours of fiddling about.
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ALX357
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Re: shrouds
I have mentioned this before, a couple of years ago.... You can tension or relieve the standard Mac adjusters on the side-stays, both inner and outer, or upper and lower, with just TWO scratch-awls. Buy two of them at a hardware store to cut down on cost. If they get a but rusty, steel wool them or sand them clean. A scratch awl is a tapered, smooth spike with a handle, like an ice-pick, but shorter. Be sure the awls have sharp points and will fit all the way into an adjuster hole.
It takes a bit of imagination and intelligence to use them effectively, but you can actually re-tension the stays and unpin/re-pin them without lowering the mast, or guessing, or trying to remember what holes etc, and without even losing the tension on the stay you are adjusting.
Procedure:
Find an unfilled hole, (one that doesn't have the pin in it already of course) that goes thru both the outer rack and inner rack of the adjuster. It won't be a fully open hole all the way thru, by definition - that hole has a pin in it. But there will be another hole thru that is partially open, in the direction that tightens the stay initially, like a half-moon or three-quarter moon. Push the awl into that hole until it jams tightly, then work it by spinning it until it goes in a little further. At some point, this will relieve the tension on the PIN, and then you can un-ring-ding it and pull it out. You have to be tightening the rig slightly to relieve the pressure on the pin initially, to take it out. I undo the ring-ding in advance if on the trailer, because the mast can't be shaken by wave motion. Keep the awl pushed in tightly, and now that the pin is out, the adjuster center piece is freer to move, and you can work the awl all the way into the hole where it is. Now find another hole thru that will move the center plate of the adjuster in the correct direction to loosen or tighten the mast, If you are loosening, you should put the OTHER awl in the hole the pin came out of. It will now be too tight there to put the awl in all the way, and this is where you have to keep your wits about you. You will be pushing in one awl, progressively and likewise be taking one out the same amount, alternately, to keep control of the rig, but move the adjuster plate to the next full hole where a pin can hold it. If one full hole adjustment is not enough, you can keep going with the awls until it is correct. To check the tension, make sure the awl is all the way in the hole you believe is correct, or the one you are testing for tension, and use whatever method you want, gauge, or twang it, or just use your hand to feel the tightness etc. The awl will stay in because its shaft is perfectly cylindrical when past the tapering of the pointed end, and will not work loose or come out without some effort. Once you get the tension right, the next move is to get the awl out and the PIN in that hole instead. Same procedure, put the OTHER awl into a hole that will tension the rig even a bit more, and then while holding it halfway in, pull the other awl, the one in the now correct pin hole, out and put the pin in its place, and ring-ding it. Then pull the half-inserted awl out and you're done.
Forgive the overly complicated explanation instructions, but just in case someone does not get it right away by looking at the adjuster and having the two awls in hand ........
I ran a string thru holes i drilled in the handles of the adjusters, to keep them tethered together and make it less likely to drop one over the side while doing this procedure.
This works better than the wierd vice grip contraptions that I see, which depend on finding completely empty holes all the way thru, which are only found at the far ends of the adjuster where the center plate and outer rack do not overlap. Sometimes that will not be the situation anyway. In that case, you have to trust the pegs on the vice grip type adjuster to stay in the holes only partially where it cant go thu all the way, and of course, you have to have a clear hole in the top of the center adjuster plate. The only time the two-awl method won't work, is if the adjuster is maxed out with the pin in the top hole of the outer rack and the bottom hole of the inner plate. Your rig should not be like that anyway, or would be sloppy loose if it were.
It takes a bit of imagination and intelligence to use them effectively, but you can actually re-tension the stays and unpin/re-pin them without lowering the mast, or guessing, or trying to remember what holes etc, and without even losing the tension on the stay you are adjusting.
Procedure:
Find an unfilled hole, (one that doesn't have the pin in it already of course) that goes thru both the outer rack and inner rack of the adjuster. It won't be a fully open hole all the way thru, by definition - that hole has a pin in it. But there will be another hole thru that is partially open, in the direction that tightens the stay initially, like a half-moon or three-quarter moon. Push the awl into that hole until it jams tightly, then work it by spinning it until it goes in a little further. At some point, this will relieve the tension on the PIN, and then you can un-ring-ding it and pull it out. You have to be tightening the rig slightly to relieve the pressure on the pin initially, to take it out. I undo the ring-ding in advance if on the trailer, because the mast can't be shaken by wave motion. Keep the awl pushed in tightly, and now that the pin is out, the adjuster center piece is freer to move, and you can work the awl all the way into the hole where it is. Now find another hole thru that will move the center plate of the adjuster in the correct direction to loosen or tighten the mast, If you are loosening, you should put the OTHER awl in the hole the pin came out of. It will now be too tight there to put the awl in all the way, and this is where you have to keep your wits about you. You will be pushing in one awl, progressively and likewise be taking one out the same amount, alternately, to keep control of the rig, but move the adjuster plate to the next full hole where a pin can hold it. If one full hole adjustment is not enough, you can keep going with the awls until it is correct. To check the tension, make sure the awl is all the way in the hole you believe is correct, or the one you are testing for tension, and use whatever method you want, gauge, or twang it, or just use your hand to feel the tightness etc. The awl will stay in because its shaft is perfectly cylindrical when past the tapering of the pointed end, and will not work loose or come out without some effort. Once you get the tension right, the next move is to get the awl out and the PIN in that hole instead. Same procedure, put the OTHER awl into a hole that will tension the rig even a bit more, and then while holding it halfway in, pull the other awl, the one in the now correct pin hole, out and put the pin in its place, and ring-ding it. Then pull the half-inserted awl out and you're done.
Forgive the overly complicated explanation instructions, but just in case someone does not get it right away by looking at the adjuster and having the two awls in hand ........
I ran a string thru holes i drilled in the handles of the adjusters, to keep them tethered together and make it less likely to drop one over the side while doing this procedure.
This works better than the wierd vice grip contraptions that I see, which depend on finding completely empty holes all the way thru, which are only found at the far ends of the adjuster where the center plate and outer rack do not overlap. Sometimes that will not be the situation anyway. In that case, you have to trust the pegs on the vice grip type adjuster to stay in the holes only partially where it cant go thu all the way, and of course, you have to have a clear hole in the top of the center adjuster plate. The only time the two-awl method won't work, is if the adjuster is maxed out with the pin in the top hole of the outer rack and the bottom hole of the inner plate. Your rig should not be like that anyway, or would be sloppy loose if it were.
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DaveB
- Admiral
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- Location: Cape Coral, Florida,1997 Mac. X, 2013 Merc.50hp Big Foot, sold 9/10/15
Re: shrouds
I would think if one has already launched the boat than next thing is to raise the sails. Doing so will give one a great understanding in sailing, therefore they ck standing rigging and if loose shrouds may appear during beating than they know adjustments are needed.
I never heard the phrase (Quick idiots cheak" tips) leave out the Idiots quote and would leave a , Ck tension on standing rigging under all points of sailing.
Lot of Novice and first time sailers on this board that need some good Info.and there are many that will help.
Dave
I never heard the phrase (Quick idiots cheak" tips) leave out the Idiots quote and would leave a , Ck tension on standing rigging under all points of sailing.
Lot of Novice and first time sailers on this board that need some good Info.and there are many that will help.
Dave
sbods wrote:Are there any "quick idiots check" tips, to keep an eye on the tension?
Short of... is mast still up etc!!