How tight should the riggin be? the other day sailing in 20 knots of wind, with the boat doing 6 knots and healing 20 degrees I noticed that the Leeward shrouds were very loose and just dangling there. As soon as the pressure was taken off the riggin went back to its tout state. I have been experiencing some mast pumping in strong winds. The mast support post inside the cabin seems strong and to be doing its job and I do not feel any soft spot at the mast step which leads me to believe the riggin may be a little loose allowing the mast to flex. Any practical experience or ideas will be appreciated.
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better check it
Sounds like your rigging is too loose. Many more spars fail from loose rigging than overtightening. Learn hoe to tighten or find someone who knows how to rig. check out Brion Toss rigging on the web.
Sounds like your rigging is too loose. Many more spars fail from loose rigging than overtightening. Learn hoe to tighten or find someone who knows how to rig. check out Brion Toss rigging on the web.
Do not sail until this is tightened
Your standing rigging is to loose. To do it yourself, you will need a tensioner guage, and two pair of pliers or adjustable wrenches. It is also a good idea to get a small tube of anti-seeze lubricant. Click on the link. Loose's are available at Boat US and West Marine. If you ask around your marina, someone will have one. Get this done before you sail again. Good luck
Your standing rigging is to loose. To do it yourself, you will need a tensioner guage, and two pair of pliers or adjustable wrenches. It is also a good idea to get a small tube of anti-seeze lubricant. Click on the link. Loose's are available at Boat US and West Marine. If you ask around your marina, someone will have one. Get this done before you sail again. Good luck
Rigging Question
No slop in leward shrouds! Danger Danger! Lots of info about how tight/loose they should be, but get a guage and equilize them before you sail in winds exceeding 10 knots. Hope this helps. Regards, Jim.
No slop in leward shrouds! Danger Danger! Lots of info about how tight/loose they should be, but get a guage and equilize them before you sail in winds exceeding 10 knots. Hope this helps. Regards, Jim.
Two Methods I use
The "Oldtimers" method. Take the boat out again, get it healing 20 degrees or so. While somebody minds the wheel, go forward and take the slack out of all the leeward shrouds, to just snug. Reverse course and do the same thing on the other side. The "Modern" method. Get a Loos guage and follow the instructions. With either method there's still a lot of work left to be done. When I step a mast, I start with all the shrouds very loose. Then I center the mast left and right by lightly tensioning the cap shrouds. A quick way to check is to adjust your main halyard so it just touches a point on the starboard toe rail, adjust your cap shrouds until it just touches the same point on the port toe rail. Most boats aren't perfectly symmetrical, but this is close enough for all but America's Cup Wanna-Be's. Next fore-aft rake is set by adjusting the head and aft stays. Your roller furler may not allow head stay adjustment, so you just tension the aft stay. The exact amount of rake is an art, not a science. I believe JCII said his dad intended the CH-33 to have about 6" of rake. Meaning, put a heavy weight on your halyard, and a bucket of water at the base of the mast. Dangle the weight in the bucket (the water dampens rope swing). Adjust rake until the halyard is 6" behind the mast. Next lightly (equally) tension the lowers. Check that all is in alignment. Frequently look up the sail track to make sure you don't have the mast bowing one way or the other. Now work you way around the lowers increasing tension a few turns at a time, frequently sight the track, check tension with a guage until the desired tension is achieved (Loos provides a guide based on wire diameter, also a very good web site to review) Likewise tension the uppers, fore and aft shrouds. Recheck the sail track, re-check rake. Now sail the heck out of the boat for a week to allow the rigging to stretch, then re-adjust. This is just a generalized how-to. Specifics vary boat-to-boat and with the needs of the sailor. There are many good books on the subject, I own several and use tricks from all of them. I suggest you start your own collection.
The "Oldtimers" method. Take the boat out again, get it healing 20 degrees or so. While somebody minds the wheel, go forward and take the slack out of all the leeward shrouds, to just snug. Reverse course and do the same thing on the other side. The "Modern" method. Get a Loos guage and follow the instructions. With either method there's still a lot of work left to be done. When I step a mast, I start with all the shrouds very loose. Then I center the mast left and right by lightly tensioning the cap shrouds. A quick way to check is to adjust your main halyard so it just touches a point on the starboard toe rail, adjust your cap shrouds until it just touches the same point on the port toe rail. Most boats aren't perfectly symmetrical, but this is close enough for all but America's Cup Wanna-Be's. Next fore-aft rake is set by adjusting the head and aft stays. Your roller furler may not allow head stay adjustment, so you just tension the aft stay. The exact amount of rake is an art, not a science. I believe JCII said his dad intended the CH-33 to have about 6" of rake. Meaning, put a heavy weight on your halyard, and a bucket of water at the base of the mast. Dangle the weight in the bucket (the water dampens rope swing). Adjust rake until the halyard is 6" behind the mast. Next lightly (equally) tension the lowers. Check that all is in alignment. Frequently look up the sail track to make sure you don't have the mast bowing one way or the other. Now work you way around the lowers increasing tension a few turns at a time, frequently sight the track, check tension with a guage until the desired tension is achieved (Loos provides a guide based on wire diameter, also a very good web site to review) Likewise tension the uppers, fore and aft shrouds. Recheck the sail track, re-check rake. Now sail the heck out of the boat for a week to allow the rigging to stretch, then re-adjust. This is just a generalized how-to. Specifics vary boat-to-boat and with the needs of the sailor. There are many good books on the subject, I own several and use tricks from all of them. I suggest you start your own collection.
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