standing rigging got looser

[john6206]

I've been sailing my Capri 18 with my rig too loose for years.

Last week I was on Tawas Bay in Lake Huron. I spent 5 days with the mast up and went out 6 times in some GREAT wind. I tightened the rig considerably when we launched the boat, I secured all the turnbuckles with split rings. Loved the improved performance!

All of the rings were still secure after 4 days, but the rig was a little looser. Not super loose, but slightly looser. The leeward stays were noticeably loose under load, and there was some flex to the backstay when it had been pretty taught.

To my way of thinking the forestay and the backstay are the only things that would loosen the backstay and all of the shrouds. When we pulled the boat the forestay seemed secure and adjusted correctly, and again the split ring had not moved on the backstay.

I only secured the top of the turnbuckle - it seems like if the top is secure the bottom isn't going anywhere . . . . should I have secured them both?

 

[Davidasailor26]

I only secured the top of the turnbuckle - it seems like if the top is secure the bottom isn't going anywhere . . . . should I have secured them both?

Yes, it’s possible for the shroud to twist, at least a little bit, loosening the rig. The turnbuckle is meant to be secured on the top and bottom to prevent that. It’s also not uncommon for the fiberglass to bend a little bit when tensioned, so that could have caused some of the change too.

 

[shemandr]

Is the mast step secure? If the deck or whatever holds the mast step bends, deforms or deflects it would affect rig tension as you've described.

 

[john6206]

Thanks, that gives me a couple things to check.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Closed body turnbuckles often have a nut to lock them. You could add the same to open body or use wire or zip ties to prevent them from turning. You may have upto 1/2 turn of "slack" with zip ties and I'm guessing a 1/4 with wire

 

[MikeHoncho]

check the mast step and/or compression post step. If collapsing this will happen.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

It takes a few sails every spring to get the stays tight on my boat. Mast step was rebuilt.

 

[east coaster]

Had the same issue on my previous boat a 1983 Catalina 30, mast stepped on deck. Removed deck step over winter to find extensive rot under it. Lots of work to repair, took lots of epoxy and deck repair but it was made solid finally. One indication I would not ignore is if you get "brown tainted" bilge water, a sure indication that the core is wet and rotting. That is my experience with this issue and it may not coincide with yours.