Sorry, I have no idea on tension for a rotating mast. However, I really suggest you keep a log of stay tension at different true wind and boat speeds. The variation surprised me.
Jeff
I don't have a clue either, but 20-30 lbs. seems really light. We are right in the 280-320 range if I remember right. About what the gauge called for 5/32 wire which is what we run on the forestay and shrouds. The backstay is 'tight' but not tensioned like the other rigging. We don't race and would have no idea how to tension it for racing. We also have the chain plates on the shrouds, so couldn't tension those while underway. Also after what Jeff said I don't have any way of knowing if our gauge is accurate. Jeff when you say they are not always accurate how much difference are you seeing between them? 5%, 10% 20% or more?
Our rigging wasn't noticeably slack when sailing the boat when we got it, but in Canada when I went on another boat I noticed that their rigging was a lot tighter than ours. I asked him, how he tensioned it and he said that he got it to the point where if you pulled on it, at about shoulder height, that it would come in towards you about 1 1/2 inches. Of course we can all pull differently. We then adjusted it that way and made it tighter that what it was.
When I re-rigged the boat...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-24.html
...I used the gauge and got closer to what the recommendation was there and that made it even tighter. It is now at the point that I can pull the forestay forward and pin it with the mast raising system and then put the Johnson lever over and pin it and don't have to mess with the turnbuckle like I had to with the hank-on sails.
I know that a lot of people are doing just fine with pulling the forestay forward and pinning it and not even tensioning further with the turnbuckle. Before we got the Johnson lever we always turned the turnbuckle in a good ways after pining the forestay. Seeing the wide differences in tension I guess it isn't real critical on our boats.
I do like how ours is tensioned now. When I go forward and grab the shrouds they are very stable. I think we will stay where we are at as it is working for us.
I could see where with the rotating mast that extreme tension might restrict it from movement. It would be interesting to hear from M owners that have a gauge and know what tension they are running.
Sum
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