The mystery of rig tuning

;^)

But Will, I already HAVE a full time job!

 

You may need to think about cutting back on that. After all, I wouldn't expect you to cut back on your sail time.

And where were you for the exciting "Wow" thread? Definitely a vacuum there without your input.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

I have a simple old boat. Drop the tree in the hole...

After it's all loosely connected, I go somewhere by myself to tighten things. It only takes a few minutes but inevitably, I tighten the rig after sailing a bit.

I look for a straight spar (sighting the mast track), mast and mizzen plumb, leeward stays only slightly loose in 15 knots or so.

The more important point is, what coin do you place under your step?

 

like guitars and pianos and all things with stretched steel cables, you will want to check the tune for every song for the best music.
we eyeball what the rig is doing during every sail. the alden with it's telephone pole like mast is pretty easy to keep in tune. the ascow needs adjustment with every tack. different hulls flex in different ways. it's not just the rig.
for me, having the vessel performing at it's best is one of the most fun parts of sailing.
adjusting leach lines on the sail happens constantly as well. halyard tension, outhaul tension ..... always tweeking
remember the kid in third grade that always had his zipper down from lack of awareness.
no one wants to be that guy

 

yeah! what tom said

 

1882 silver dollar. the year gramma was born

 

1949 Canadian silver dollar - the year the admiral was born, and it has a ship engraved on it as well.

 

These are the instructions for the MK 3 furler. Mine is older, a MK 1, but is pretty much the same. Page 23 describes adjusting the headstay length using the integral turnbuckle. (Evidently there are two page 23's, the description is on the page with pictures.)
https://www.harken.com/uploadedfiles/Product_Support/PDF/mk3-3-4867.pdf
If your model is different, then never mind.
Oh, and pay close attention to the adjustment range, to make sure you have enough thread engagement. It's all in there.

 

Fairly easy to do on our boat , It was a lot easier before we put on the roller furling . Fortunately for westsailors a user manual has been written and a nice description of the mast tune operation . Something you guys might find interesting , after you get the mast straight port to starboard you hang a weight from the back of the mast on the main halyard . The weight is lowered to just above the boom , you rake the mast aft so there is about a 8" gap between the mast and halyard .

 

You never miss a beat, do you?

 

Best explanation ever!

 

Leech lines are for stopping fluttering of the leech tape, not for trimming or sail shape. High speed leech flutter causes the panel fabric to rip parallel to the leech, right next to the tape.

Judy B

 

doc. you are correct, of course, for your stated function of the leach line. it is adjustable for that reason . no one yanks it tight and leaves it for the season. that's why my leach cords are adjustable. over tightening it is SLOW. just like dropping the flaps on a plane. so why do i adjust so much. well, i have five jibs to choose from. hank on sails. foils are too much work and i am not a roller reefing kind of guy because its slow. that's right , i said it. i'm more than willing to do the work. well, as the wind changes, and the jibs change each hoist will have a different halyard tension. just like we change the main halyard tension for different wind speeds. well you set the leach after you set the halyard and the sheet. you pull the leach till it just takes out the flutter AND NO MORE, cause it's slow. all the endless contraptions to ease sail handling, well............................................... none of then ever claimed they make you go faster. if you choose to sail dynamically, as i do, then of course you will be adjusting the leach cord with every sail. the adjustment will be different with the same sail for a hard on beat then for a reach.
now, these are all choices, and nothing more. i choose to sail dynamically. but that's only for me. i and my crew like doing the work. we think it's fun. i am fully aware that most sailors could care less about adjusting all the little nuances, but we love doing it. most sailors don't want their bottom racer smooth, we do. we love getting out of the cockpit and dialing her up.

so yeah, we adjust the leach cord as it was designed to do.

 

I find that tune relative to the condition of the main sail. As the sail get a little bagging, putting a small amount of bend in takes the bag out. I don't know if the sail was made for pre-bend, but it is now. Since this is a trailer sailor, the mast is put up every time I go out. Since the baby stays never see any real tension, I can use those for a guide as to how much pre-bend the mast should have. If they both clip into place relatively easy, but have no slack, then I know the mast is where I had previously set it.

 

First, start by I. D.ing your rigging wire. Stretch can indicate the amount of load . Find the amount of stretch that happens at a given load for a given length. This info. is available in a number of tuning guides online. The measurement can be done with masking tape and a tape measure. For example, your 7 x 19-316 S.S. 1/4 wire stretches 1/16 of an inch at 15% load for or every 10 ft of length. (made up numbers) Pay close attention to how the specs. are written. Start w/ a just snug rig and mast in column. At the proper dimensions put fine line marks on the wires. Start low and tighten in small equal amounts side to side until the desired stretch is reached.
Many lee side stays on boats with deck stepped masts will be slightly loose in stiff winds. This is probably the cabin top and or deck sides adding much to the overall flexing. Do Not tighten your stays past the recommended amout given by the wire (or rope) manufacturers. As to what is max amount of stretch? Anything over 25% I would double check at other resources. If I did go over 20% I would back it off after the race.