Spreader tightness

[AaronD]

Another on the Loos gauge; straightforward to use, and accurate (so far as I can tell). The musical ability in my family all went to my sister, so my ears aren't nearly good enough to use @Gene Neill's approach.

North Sails has a C-22 tuning guide at https://www.northsails.com/sailing/en/resources/catalina-22-tuning-guide with recommended numbers for light and heavy air. Great for a numbers geek. If only I was good enough at sail trim to make real use out of all that info...

 

[rpludwig]

I am a musician of sorts, jazz only, being a jazz drummer I don't pretend to rely on a Gsharp or an Aflat when tuning shrouds, we do rudiments, time signatures only...rely on the Loos gauge.........guitar/sax/horn players may differ!

 

[Grotto]

There are ways to tune the rig with out a loos. They are a PITA unless you have a good baseline tune (like Neal) beg buy borrow a loos if this is your first set up, or you have new shrouds. Then check the tune after your first sail before you take down the mast. New shrouds tend to stretch a bit then settle in for the Long haul.

 

[Voiding Sounds]

There are ways to tune the rig with out a loos. They are a PITA unless you have a good baseline tune (like Neal) beg buy borrow a loos if this is your first set up, or you have new shrouds. Then check the tune after your first sail before you take down the mast. New shrouds tend to stretch a bit then settle in for the Long haul.

That's good advice. I took my boat out last week after replacing the chain plates and turnbuckles over the winter. I squared my mast and set the tension. Then motored around eating sandwiches and getting maybe an hour of sailing in before anchoring. I checked the rig again the next morning and everything had loosened up significantly.

 

[ShotgunSlim]

I finally got my boat out for a day sail after replacing some of the rigging and noticed the drop in tension, glad to read above that it's a normal thing. I wrote down all the rig tuning data from the North website as well as the tighten/loosen directions of the turnbuckles on a piece of tape and put it on the back of the Loos gauge. For once, I wasn't pulling out my phone or turning something in the wrong direction.

 

[AaronD]

I finally got my boat out for a day sail after replacing some of the rigging and noticed the drop in tension, glad to read above that it's a normal thing. I wrote down all the rig tuning data from the North website as well as the tighten/loosen directions of the turnbuckles on a piece of tape and put it on the back of the Loos gauge. For once, I wasn't pulling out my phone or turning something in the wrong direction.

Great idea! I have it all in my boat binder with all my other checklists, but right on the gauge is even better!