Rigging Tension

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Larry Cribbs

Does anyone have any specific tension settings for a 25.5 hunter? I am trying to correct heavy weather helm that only shows up on a port tack. I've verified that the rudder and keel are straight. The local sail loft advised me to pay close attention to the lower shrouds, as they could cause this problem. I have a loos tension gauge. Any help would be appreciated. Larry
 
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Sam Lust

Feeling Tense?

Your Loos guage should have chart glued to it giving tension settings for the wire sizes it measures. You can determine an appropriate setting from the instruction sheet that came with the meter. I set the 1/4" rigging on my 33 at about "43". I'm guessing you need to make sure your mast is standing dead upright, side to side. Take the main halyard to the exact same place on the toe rail on both sides of the boat. don't try to go by how even the turnbuckles look. You don'tknow what meathead cut and sweged your rigging. I know my uppers were 5/16" different. You should get fairly close this way.
 
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Cliff Ruckstuhl

Measure the shrouds.

Larry Take a bunge and hook it to your main haylard than to your toe rail at the same spot on both side parallel to the shrouds. Than measure the distance. By doing this you will have the same tension on both sides. Than center the mast. I sail my 25.5 with the uppers real tight and the lowers a little loser. You do not want any slack in the shrouds when you sail to weather. If you have slack than your mast is moving around, and could come down. In the Americas Cup boats they are as tight as structurally possible. Do you have a back stay adjuster? That will help with your sailing in all conditions. You want about 1 inch of prebend for the main to set right. You can e-mail me at cliffr@bright.net. What loos gauge do you have there are a couple different ones?
 
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