Where can I find the rigging tension for a Catalina 22 (year 81) ? I have been working on her for the past year and it is time to put her back in the water and I need to set the rigging tension and have lost my number. If you have any information on this subject it would be of great help. Thanks
Rigging Tension
- Thread starter Sunaroo
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Manual Rigging
Good words of advice from the C36 Message Board: Seeking opinions of my more casual approach. I do not have a gage. After the mast is in column I tension the uppers and the lowers so that there is about a 1/2 inch give in the uppers and about a 1 inch play in the lowers at chest level when standing on the deck. I actually have the rear shrouds slightly looser than the forwards. I also put a slight rake in the mast with a fairly tight back stay. After a few sails any excess slack is taken out. This generally seems to work when sailing with other CAT 36's, but I don't race to get a real test. Richard #1347 Mark M Newbie A couple of friends of mine are professional riggers, and one time I mentioned something about a rigging gage, and they about laughed off the dock. Windward on the previous post pretty much hit the nail on the head. ******************** ******************** Many folks spend $$ on tension gages. I recommend that you get the Catalina manual for your boat from the C22 Association website. That manual is SOOOO simple even I can figure out how to tune my rig without a gage. That manual has been reprinted in almost all the Catalina boat manuals (those with single spreader rigs) for the past quarter century. It worked when it was originally written, and works just as well today. Used it on our C22, our C25 and now our C34.
Good words of advice from the C36 Message Board: Seeking opinions of my more casual approach. I do not have a gage. After the mast is in column I tension the uppers and the lowers so that there is about a 1/2 inch give in the uppers and about a 1 inch play in the lowers at chest level when standing on the deck. I actually have the rear shrouds slightly looser than the forwards. I also put a slight rake in the mast with a fairly tight back stay. After a few sails any excess slack is taken out. This generally seems to work when sailing with other CAT 36's, but I don't race to get a real test. Richard #1347 Mark M Newbie A couple of friends of mine are professional riggers, and one time I mentioned something about a rigging gage, and they about laughed off the dock. Windward on the previous post pretty much hit the nail on the head. ******************** ******************** Many folks spend $$ on tension gages. I recommend that you get the Catalina manual for your boat from the C22 Association website. That manual is SOOOO simple even I can figure out how to tune my rig without a gage. That manual has been reprinted in almost all the Catalina boat manuals (those with single spreader rigs) for the past quarter century. It worked when it was originally written, and works just as well today. Used it on our C22, our C25 and now our C34.
I agree with what Stu wrote
Straighten out the Stick -- tighten down the stay's and shrouds a bit which just allow some rake and a little bow in the middle of the rig but with a tight forestay. Then go sailing hard on the wind in 15-20 kts and tighten the shrouds on each tack to just take out the looseness in the leeward shrouds. Here is a great link to Selden Spars PDF on masts and tuning http://www.seldenmast.com/page.cfm?id=6740&download=9445082&filename=595-540-E Hints & Advice.pdf its great and it even shows you how to tighten a stay or shroud to a certain % breaking strength without a rig tension gauge, just with a yardstick taped to the wire rigging and some calipers! basically 1x19 wire stays will stretch about 1mm for ever 2 meters of wire. So tape the 2 meter stick to the stay and tighten up the turnbuckle until the end moves about 3mm and you will have tensioned the wire to ~ 15% breaking strength Its on page 29 - "the Folding Rule method"....its fool proof - (ps. 15% is a recommended area to be in generally - more details in the pdf)
Straighten out the Stick -- tighten down the stay's and shrouds a bit which just allow some rake and a little bow in the middle of the rig but with a tight forestay. Then go sailing hard on the wind in 15-20 kts and tighten the shrouds on each tack to just take out the looseness in the leeward shrouds. Here is a great link to Selden Spars PDF on masts and tuning http://www.seldenmast.com/page.cfm?id=6740&download=9445082&filename=595-540-E Hints & Advice.pdf its great and it even shows you how to tighten a stay or shroud to a certain % breaking strength without a rig tension gauge, just with a yardstick taped to the wire rigging and some calipers! basically 1x19 wire stays will stretch about 1mm for ever 2 meters of wire. So tape the 2 meter stick to the stay and tighten up the turnbuckle until the end moves about 3mm and you will have tensioned the wire to ~ 15% breaking strength Its on page 29 - "the Folding Rule method"....its fool proof - (ps. 15% is a recommended area to be in generally - more details in the pdf)
Loose guage
Get your self a Loose guage, and set the upper to 28, and the forward and back lowers to 24. This makes the whole thing very easy. I have been using this guage for years, and I feel it was worth every penny I spent for it. Others will not have this opion, but that is my story and I am sticking with it. Good luck. Dale
Get your self a Loose guage, and set the upper to 28, and the forward and back lowers to 24. This makes the whole thing very easy. I have been using this guage for years, and I feel it was worth every penny I spent for it. Others will not have this opion, but that is my story and I am sticking with it. Good luck. Dale
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