Lose rigging????

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
UPDATE!!!!!
Based on the received advice I tightened all shrouds and boat went into water last Saturday. Before going 39 nm (from Chesapeake City to Rock Hall), I checked the tension and all shrouds were as I tightened them.
We had light winds, but we set sails and actually turned off motor for about an hour (the whole trip lasted 6 hrs). That's when I noticed the leeward stays are tight (not as tight as the windward ones, but tighter than normal).
When we came in to the marina and docked, I noticed that the mast was tilted about 5-10 degrees to starboard. I asked the guy I sailed with to help take the tension off the shrouds so I can losen them up. he tried his best (pushing and pulling on the mast and the same with different shrouds) to no avail. So here are some talking points:
  1. As suggested by some, lose rigging was likely caused by hull deformation in the cradle.
  2. The rigging is overtightened.
  3. Not sure what causes the mast to be tilted.
  4. How do I losen up the stays??? if I manage to take/knock/push out the cotter pin from one, will the tension on the other side cause the mast to fall??
  5. I've been enduring Admirals snippy remarks (why you fix what's not broken?)
  6. Help?
ORIGINAL POST
After getting to the boat after winter break, I discovered that all 4 shrouds are lose. Like flapping in the breeze lose. Ok, maybe not so bad, but loser (lol) than they were in the fall and they definitely can be tightened up by at least 1 notch on the verniers, Is this normal? Should I:
a. Inspect rigging, mast, and compression post carefully, and if I find nothing, just shrug it off?
b. Run into the woods screaming for a rigger to inspect it?
c. Shrug it off and tighten up the rig?
d. Shrug it off and not tighten up the rig?
I do not have the tension gauge.
 
Last edited:
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
did you loosen them when you or the yard stored the boat for the off season
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Option "A" would be a good start.
Sure sounds like the compression post could use a look-see. The deck under the mast step may need to be checked out, too.
Good luck.
 
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Sep 25, 2008
957
Macgregor & Island Packet VENTURE 25 & IP-38 NORTH EAST, MD
I'd go with "A". Check your cabin top for core rot under the mast tabernacle. These boats are notorious for this. Also make sure your compression post isn't shrinking due to soft wood or has shifted.
 

Piotr

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Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
did you loosen them when you or the yard stored the boat for the off season
do not think so. It's possible, come to think of it...never did before, but I remember reading about people doing it...
 

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
I'd go with "A". Check your cabin top for core rot under the mast tabernacle. These boats are notorious for this. Also make sure your compression post isn't shrinking due to soft wood or has shifted.
Compression post is sealed (I sealed it) and is an unlikely culprit. do I look for sponginess/depression around the tabernacle? do I have to put down the mast (I hope not)?
 

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
I reck'n for now I would do "c".....except for the shrugging off part. Then find out why your mast dropped since all 4 are loose and just not one. Since you don't think it's your compression post then it must be compression between the post and the mast. Either that or you loosened them and don't remember ;) Usually you can tell on your turnbuckle stud where the "normal" position of the thread was due to exposure.
 

Piotr

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Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
I reck'n for now I would do "c".....except for the shrugging off part. Then find out why your mast dropped since all 4 are loose and just not one. Since you don't think it's your compression post then it must be compression between the post and the mast. Either that or you loosened them and don't remember ;) Usually you can tell on your turnbuckle stud where the "normal" position of the thread was due to exposure.
unfortunately, I have "verniers" not turnbuckles. The only reason I think the loosening up is possible is because I read about doing it right before I winterized the boat. And because I have NEVER done that before, it is likely that I forgot...I hope.
 

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
I would think you would see a depression under the mast on your cabin top when you tighten them back up. Btw, why is it suggested to loosen up the shrouds in the winter?. Thermal expansion/contraction? I ask because I never did since I would rather have them tight then loose.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
What tensioning devise do you have on the forestay? A Johnson lever that's open perhaps?
 

tjar

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Aug 8, 2011
166
Hunter Legend 35.5 Tacoma, WA
I too noticed the shrouds were loose on my Mac 26D, so I tightened the verniers each one notch. That seemed to stiffen up the rigging, but I then noticed the holes where the chainplates go through the deck were enlarging. Apparently, I had overtightened the rigging and was deforming the hull. I ended up removing the chainplates and re-fiberglassing the hull around them.
I suggest that you tighten them just enough so the shroud on the downwind side remains loose while sailing.
 

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
anyone consider deformation of the hull after being in the cradle for so long? Shove the boat in the water, monitor over the next week, and then give it more thought. Of course, checking for any deck or compression post issues prior to launch is prudent.
 

Piotr

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Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
OK, I did check around the mast today. No depression, deformation, or sponginess at all. If anything, the mast seems to be sitting on a slight mound. Compression post is just fine. I'll post pics later. The shrouds seem to be in need to be tightened about a notch (next vernier, so to speak). that's both lowers and uppers. The marina "guy" told me it's common for shrouds to stretch occasionally, and even if one of them does it, all of them will go slack. I'll check tomorrow on the chainplates and make sure they are tight. if they are, I'll tighten shrouds just to be straight, not necessarily under a great tension. my stays are a bit lose, but I believe I did adjust these to reduce rake.
Thanks for the advise.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
its a macgregor... so loosen the back stay and TENSION UP the headstay, give it a good pull as it will loosen up within the next week or so as the hull gets used to the rigging load again....
then check the rake of the mast and the side angle. if its all good then there really is no problems to worry about.... there would have been no reason to loosen the shrouds, so I would assume you did not. (but its true we do some silly stuff sometimes;))

the mast is held on a three point stance by the headstay and the shrouds, and the backstay completely unnecessary to hold the mast in position, and its only use on the boat at all is for sail trim, or for a attaching a pigtail to for the boom

BUT, here is something to look for, with binoculars.... check the attachment of the backstay at the mast head, it could be fouled and not letting the mast to come fully vertical....

if it was all good last year when you put it away, it should be good now... unless the hull has been under some serious abnormal stress over the winter, for some reason...
 
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