Hi, I am having a professional rigger check the standing rigging for corrosion, wear, etc. I want to adjust the shrouds after they are finished as they are loose. Should I use a Loos gauge and if so what should be the tension on the upper and lower shrouds? Is there a better way? I am also thinking of replacing the mast anchor light with an LED type. What is the standard model up there now and is there an LED type bulb for it? Or is there an equivalent LED fixture that fits without a lot of added work? Thank you all and regards Ed
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Drop the rig.
Ed: I suggest that you drop the rig and place it on the hard. There are specific instruction on how the rig should be tuned in the reference library. When the mast has been setup, the entire rig can be setup on the boat and then you only need to align it fore/aft, port/starboard.
Ed: I suggest that you drop the rig and place it on the hard. There are specific instruction on how the rig should be tuned in the reference library. When the mast has been setup, the entire rig can be setup on the boat and then you only need to align it fore/aft, port/starboard.
Backstay Snapped Under Sail
Last week, my backstay snapped just a few minutes after raising both sails. It was a hellish sound. Fortunately, the swept-back spreader design allowed the shrouds to hold the mast up. I immediately ran the main halyard to the stern as a temporary backstay. The failure occurred just above the three-point connection where the two split backstays join and connect to the single stay running to the masthead. This is a difficult connection to inspect as it's well above the cockpit. I found the bottom swag had failed, splitting lengthwise and releasing the steel wire. I suspect one of the reasons the failure occurred at this point is because the swag's bottom faces upwards, allowing salt and water to run directly inside the connection. Additionally, this particular point seems to receive a great deal of stress. When the boat pitches, the mast (when not under sail) often snaps the backstay some, which can cause the wire cable to bend at this point. I concluded that if a failure was to occur, this would be the most logical location for such a failure. The mast sure is shaky when you go aloft without a proper backstay. I'm thankful it wasn't the forestay, as I'm confident the mast would have fallen completely backwards onto the cockpit. That would have really hurt. Scott Fraser Key West s/v Rubicon
Last week, my backstay snapped just a few minutes after raising both sails. It was a hellish sound. Fortunately, the swept-back spreader design allowed the shrouds to hold the mast up. I immediately ran the main halyard to the stern as a temporary backstay. The failure occurred just above the three-point connection where the two split backstays join and connect to the single stay running to the masthead. This is a difficult connection to inspect as it's well above the cockpit. I found the bottom swag had failed, splitting lengthwise and releasing the steel wire. I suspect one of the reasons the failure occurred at this point is because the swag's bottom faces upwards, allowing salt and water to run directly inside the connection. Additionally, this particular point seems to receive a great deal of stress. When the boat pitches, the mast (when not under sail) often snaps the backstay some, which can cause the wire cable to bend at this point. I concluded that if a failure was to occur, this would be the most logical location for such a failure. The mast sure is shaky when you go aloft without a proper backstay. I'm thankful it wasn't the forestay, as I'm confident the mast would have fallen completely backwards onto the cockpit. That would have really hurt. Scott Fraser Key West s/v Rubicon
gives creedence to the strength of the rig.
Scott: Most other rigs would have come crashing down. The B & R rig is very strong. There is nothing better than regular inspections.
Scott: Most other rigs would have come crashing down. The B & R rig is very strong. There is nothing better than regular inspections.
P
Paul I
I have read elsewhere that ....
...the B&R rig does not even really need that backstay. It was included to ease the minds of prospective buyers who felt the lack of a backstay was inexcusable. As the idea coaught on, later years and models that use the B&R rig did in fact omit the backstay all together.
...the B&R rig does not even really need that backstay. It was included to ease the minds of prospective buyers who felt the lack of a backstay was inexcusable. As the idea coaught on, later years and models that use the B&R rig did in fact omit the backstay all together.
B
Bob
Rubicon 1983-31
I would venture to say that your misfortune was probably due to your mast pumping rather than from corrossion. It is my understanding that a correctly tunned mast will not move while motoring or sailing. Therefore, if yours "snaps" the backstay while motoring as you claim in your post, you should seriously look into checking the tension on the standing rig.
I would venture to say that your misfortune was probably due to your mast pumping rather than from corrossion. It is my understanding that a correctly tunned mast will not move while motoring or sailing. Therefore, if yours "snaps" the backstay while motoring as you claim in your post, you should seriously look into checking the tension on the standing rig.
Your absolutely correct
Yes, I knew awhile back that the mast was out-of-tune, which indeed caused the mast to pump, and that's when I suspect the bulk of wear occurred on this point. I've tired tuning it in-place, but found it very difficult to achieve the desired tension all around. Tuning instructions for such rigs do state the mast should first be tuned while off the boat, and I can see why this is important. It's hard here in the Florida Keys to find a yard that has the means to lower a mast; even-though while I was up north such tasks were common place in boat yards. Back to the Ed's original question: The tuning instructions I've seen don't call for the use of a tension gauge, but place particular emphasis on how a plumb line measures from near the center of the mast. I'd definitely hire a professional for this task, at least the first time around, and learn from him. Lately, I've read some literature on LED masthead lights and they seem intriguing. I'm not terribly concerned with having an LED tri-color at the top, but would really like a LED anchor light up there. Especially one with a photocell to automatically shut it off at sunrise. That anchor light can really draw down a battery, especially, if like me, upon awakening you forget to turn it off. On a passing boat, I saw a white strobe atop the masthead light. There have been several times I've had to try to identify which boat I was amongst several, and have thought this would serve as a great locater for my boat in an emergency at night. An LED tri-color/anchor light w/photocell and white strobe would - in a perfect world - be my choice, but I don't know is such currently exists. Scott s/v Rubicon Key West
Yes, I knew awhile back that the mast was out-of-tune, which indeed caused the mast to pump, and that's when I suspect the bulk of wear occurred on this point. I've tired tuning it in-place, but found it very difficult to achieve the desired tension all around. Tuning instructions for such rigs do state the mast should first be tuned while off the boat, and I can see why this is important. It's hard here in the Florida Keys to find a yard that has the means to lower a mast; even-though while I was up north such tasks were common place in boat yards. Back to the Ed's original question: The tuning instructions I've seen don't call for the use of a tension gauge, but place particular emphasis on how a plumb line measures from near the center of the mast. I'd definitely hire a professional for this task, at least the first time around, and learn from him. Lately, I've read some literature on LED masthead lights and they seem intriguing. I'm not terribly concerned with having an LED tri-color at the top, but would really like a LED anchor light up there. Especially one with a photocell to automatically shut it off at sunrise. That anchor light can really draw down a battery, especially, if like me, upon awakening you forget to turn it off. On a passing boat, I saw a white strobe atop the masthead light. There have been several times I've had to try to identify which boat I was amongst several, and have thought this would serve as a great locater for my boat in an emergency at night. An LED tri-color/anchor light w/photocell and white strobe would - in a perfect world - be my choice, but I don't know is such currently exists. Scott s/v Rubicon Key West
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