My previous boat 36' Beneteau had "discontinuous" rigging. Any particular reason they design boats that way? Is it a cost saving issue? I sure hated going up and down the mast when it came time to true it. The damn thing had turnbuckles on the diagonals and it made the job of mast adjustment a real trick. I know one thing for sure, after going up and down that stick each spring, I sure got good at adjusting the mast... Seasons Greetings
- Status
More mechanically efficient.
Less weight aloft, can use smaller dia. wire, etc. while producing a more 'stiff' system. Many advantages although its a PITA to tune and balance. Large radio towers are constructed in the same way. All this is to keep the mast or tower from 'going out of column'. What 'breaks' such a tower or mast is the compressional forces driving the ends towards oneanother ... all is fine if the structure remains straight; but, if there develops and 'bending' of sidewats deflection during the compression, 'mathematics' takes over and you wind up with catastrophic 'buckling failure' where the 'mathermatics' of the system overwhelms the structural strength and you wind up with catastrophic failure. There are MANY ways to 'skin cats' and all are valid .... keeping the mast 'straight' when subject to axial compression loads. To appreciate better do webseach for "buckling failure".
Less weight aloft, can use smaller dia. wire, etc. while producing a more 'stiff' system. Many advantages although its a PITA to tune and balance. Large radio towers are constructed in the same way. All this is to keep the mast or tower from 'going out of column'. What 'breaks' such a tower or mast is the compressional forces driving the ends towards oneanother ... all is fine if the structure remains straight; but, if there develops and 'bending' of sidewats deflection during the compression, 'mathematics' takes over and you wind up with catastrophic 'buckling failure' where the 'mathermatics' of the system overwhelms the structural strength and you wind up with catastrophic failure. There are MANY ways to 'skin cats' and all are valid .... keeping the mast 'straight' when subject to axial compression loads. To appreciate better do webseach for "buckling failure".
Discontinuous rigging
Ian, Discontinuous rigging reduces fatigue at spreader ends and will keep the mast straighter over a wider range of sail loadings. Rod rigging is most always discontinuous as the rod will fatigue much quicker at the spreader tip than cable. Fatigue also becomes an isue when the mast is very bendy or, as is the case in todays market, thin mast sections are used to cut costs and as such are much more flexable. Dave
Ian, Discontinuous rigging reduces fatigue at spreader ends and will keep the mast straighter over a wider range of sail loadings. Rod rigging is most always discontinuous as the rod will fatigue much quicker at the spreader tip than cable. Fatigue also becomes an isue when the mast is very bendy or, as is the case in todays market, thin mast sections are used to cut costs and as such are much more flexable. Dave
- Status