my droopy port spreader

[Geoff in Ann Arbor]

The lower spreader on the port side keeps drooping on my '92 33.5. I have pushed it back up a couple of times, but after having been out in 20 kts. last week I noticed that it was back down -- maybe 5 degrees under a right angle to the mast.As far as I can tell my shroud tension looks okay. I get a little slack on the leeward shrouds in normal winds. Is shroud tension the only force which keeps the spreader in position? If so, I don't know what to do to keep it in alignment other than maybe using rigging tape.Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Couplea' things.

Geoff, when you post an item you should indicate your boat model instead of "General Interest". Then a 33.5 owner is more likely to take a look.I know nothing about your H33.5 rig. On my Kenyon mast a drooping spreader would be a concern. There is a very sturdy bracket bolted to the mast that the spreader slips over and bolts onto. The spreader is also heavy duty so there should never be a droop on mine.My shrouds are snug even on the leeward side in brisk winds. And I had them checked with a Loos gauge recently.

 

[Jim Maroldo]

Spreader

Geoff, I agree with Ed here. While our boat is an H23, it too has a steel bracket riveted to the mast, and a pin to hold the spreader onto the bracket. As for your spreader, how about detaching the upper stays from both chainplates and pushing up on each spreader with a stick? If there's too much play on the port side, it should readily be apparent and corrective action can then be taken. I'm guessing one possibility could be that one or more bracket-to-mast fasteners have failed. If not repaired promptly, the rest would soon follow, and you could have a real mess on your hands! Imagine the spreader falling off while your flying along in 25-knot winds!As for the slack shrouds, I'm not an expert on rigging by any means, but everything I've read about it says that you shold never have any slack in the standing rigging. UK Sails has a very large section on tuning, and you can learn allot there. Don't overlook the archives on this site eiter! There's enough rig tuning info here to keep you busy for quite awhile! Enjoy!Jim Maroldos/v: Lil' Wass Ett

 

[jcherubini]

Right spreader?

Is the spreader the right one for the boat? Have you measured it? It should be the same length as the other one-- a drooping spreader COULD be simply too short. Some yard yahoo might have picked up the wrong part when the boat was rigged last ('this sailboat stuff all looks alike to me!'). That would mess you up.I would have the whole rig tuned again. The bracket on the mast is not really responsible for maintaining the spreader's dihedral-- it only holds it there till the rig is tensioned. After that its job is to bisect the angle of the shroud. Wherever it moves is where it should be. The only way it should be angled DOWN is if the boat were upside-down!On a lower spreader, since the upper shroud is essentially straight at that point, this spreader SHOULD be level with the waterline. That tends to look stupid and so some designers specify a little angle there which can ONLY be imposed by the spreader bracket on the mast. In this case the bracket is trying to ask the spreader to do what the rig is telling it NOT to do-- and with a properly tuned rig, the rig should win that debate.Perhaps the next question should be: what keeps the other one at an angle?JC 2