Just bought a 1987 26.5. Sailing on a trial in a fresh breeze main only, I notice that the stays to leeward were slack. Presuming the mast is true athwartships, can anyone give me a practical suggestion on rig tuning?
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Best thing to do:
I bought my 26.5 last year. The broker (Norton Yacht Sales) is the #1 Hunter service center on the East Coast. I had the yard foreman check and tune my rigging. If the boat is new to you, spend the $40 or so to have a pro tension your stays. My leeward shrouds go a tad slack in a 15-20kt. blow, so it may be your stays are tensioned correctly, but why be unsure?
I bought my 26.5 last year. The broker (Norton Yacht Sales) is the #1 Hunter service center on the East Coast. I had the yard foreman check and tune my rigging. If the boat is new to you, spend the $40 or so to have a pro tension your stays. My leeward shrouds go a tad slack in a 15-20kt. blow, so it may be your stays are tensioned correctly, but why be unsure?
Loos Gauge
I purchased a Loos Gauge and then followed the instructions for tuning the rig that were in the owners manual and rig tuning guide that I got with the boat. I was quite satisfied with the result. The gauge cost about $50 but I view that as a one time investment and I now have the gauge to check the rigging any time it is in question.
I purchased a Loos Gauge and then followed the instructions for tuning the rig that were in the owners manual and rig tuning guide that I got with the boat. I was quite satisfied with the result. The gauge cost about $50 but I view that as a one time investment and I now have the gauge to check the rigging any time it is in question.
Never slack
No matter what the specs and Loos gauge say, the leeward shrouds should not go slack. The shock stress that occurs is much worse than the constant tension of properly tuned shrouds. It says so right in the documentation that comes with the Loos gauge! When I bought my gauge I discovered that my shrouds were only 60% of the tension that they should be. Note also that generally, masthead and fractional rigs (perhaps especially those with no backstays like my H23.5?) are tuned to different tensions. This is also covered in the Loos instructions. I bought the higher model that clips on and is "hands-free". It cuts down on the number of times that I have to climb up and down off the trailer. ...RickM...
No matter what the specs and Loos gauge say, the leeward shrouds should not go slack. The shock stress that occurs is much worse than the constant tension of properly tuned shrouds. It says so right in the documentation that comes with the Loos gauge! When I bought my gauge I discovered that my shrouds were only 60% of the tension that they should be. Note also that generally, masthead and fractional rigs (perhaps especially those with no backstays like my H23.5?) are tuned to different tensions. This is also covered in the Loos instructions. I bought the higher model that clips on and is "hands-free". It cuts down on the number of times that I have to climb up and down off the trailer. ...RickM...
Hey Rick...
...I've a 240 w/roller furling headsail - shrouds are in good shape according to Loos Gauge - do you know how to adjust forestay tension on a roller-furling rig? Tks. Drew
...I've a 240 w/roller furling headsail - shrouds are in good shape according to Loos Gauge - do you know how to adjust forestay tension on a roller-furling rig? Tks. Drew
Shrouds
Congratulations on the 26.5 purchase!! It's a GREAT sailing boat. The upper and lower shrouds are different gauges, so I tuned my 26.5 to the tensions recommended on the loos guage. The owners manual does not address the tension, but does say "both upper and lower shrouds should be taut on the leeward side".
Congratulations on the 26.5 purchase!! It's a GREAT sailing boat. The upper and lower shrouds are different gauges, so I tuned my 26.5 to the tensions recommended on the loos guage. The owners manual does not address the tension, but does say "both upper and lower shrouds should be taut on the leeward side".
Thank you all for your response. The previous owner tells me there is a tension gauge, hopefully a loos gauge, in the boat. I will be having a long delivery passage on Saturday, so hopefully I can find it, the instructions, and take care of it. Otherwise, it's the pro for me.
Hey Drew...
It should all be in the 240 manual. My take is that you adjust mast rake with the forstay turnbuckle, and then tension the shrouds as instructed. There's no need to measure the forestay tension as it is affected by the shroud tension because of the swept-back spreaders. It could be difficult to measure anyway depending on the type of furler that you have. The forestay tension will end up being less than the shroud tension because of the greater angle it makes with the mast. I think this is why the lower shrouds typically have less tension than the uppers. This is true on my rig; I don't know what exactly the 240's B&R rig looks like. ...RickM...
It should all be in the 240 manual. My take is that you adjust mast rake with the forstay turnbuckle, and then tension the shrouds as instructed. There's no need to measure the forestay tension as it is affected by the shroud tension because of the swept-back spreaders. It could be difficult to measure anyway depending on the type of furler that you have. The forestay tension will end up being less than the shroud tension because of the greater angle it makes with the mast. I think this is why the lower shrouds typically have less tension than the uppers. This is true on my rig; I don't know what exactly the 240's B&R rig looks like. ...RickM...
Thanks Rick...
...and Billoak, sorry for trampling your thread..the attached link goes to the directions on how to use a Loos Gauge. Hope I'm redeemed! Drew http://www.loosnaples.com/howto/tensiongauge.htm
...and Billoak, sorry for trampling your thread..the attached link goes to the directions on how to use a Loos Gauge. Hope I'm redeemed! Drew http://www.loosnaples.com/howto/tensiongauge.htm
26.5 and High Wind
My leeward shrouds also go slack in winds higher than about 15 knots. Seems to me that that would be normal in such winds. My concern is that my mainsail has alot of slack at the foot, any Idea as to what might cause that?
My leeward shrouds also go slack in winds higher than about 15 knots. Seems to me that that would be normal in such winds. My concern is that my mainsail has alot of slack at the foot, any Idea as to what might cause that?
Leeward shrouds should not go slack!
The Loos gauge is an excellent device, but even though you can use it to precisely tension shrouds to the recommended loads, you should still add more tension as needed to make sure the leeward shrouds remain taut in 15 to 20 kt wind with a full main. My understanding is that you would be reefing if the wind piped up any more, so these are the conditions under which the maximum load would be on the rig. I also read somewhere that most rig failures occur in 15 kt of breeze or less, which would agree with Rick's point about shock loads on the rig. Peter H23 "Raven"
The Loos gauge is an excellent device, but even though you can use it to precisely tension shrouds to the recommended loads, you should still add more tension as needed to make sure the leeward shrouds remain taut in 15 to 20 kt wind with a full main. My understanding is that you would be reefing if the wind piped up any more, so these are the conditions under which the maximum load would be on the rig. I also read somewhere that most rig failures occur in 15 kt of breeze or less, which would agree with Rick's point about shock loads on the rig. Peter H23 "Raven"
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