Rigging

[rtaylor82]

Curious... I am getting some pumping (I think) in my headsail and my back stays seem loose

Is there a quick way to tell if the rigging needs work or should I just find a professional until I can learn more about it??

Thanks,

1990 Hunter 27

 

[Alan]

Have you ever tuned your rig? Put the Loos gauge on the shrouds and check their tension readings. If you don't know how to tune your rig I'd suggest you get a pro to do it. Mast pumping for what ever reason will ultimately lead to a catastrophic failure of something.

 

[rtaylor82]

Thanks Alan. I think I will get a pro to take a look

 

[Todd]

I have the exact same boat and had the exact same problem last year. A couple of areas to look at:

 

[Todd]

Ok, I will try this again. Must have hit the wrong key. As I started to say above I have the exact same boat and had the same issue last year. Make sure your forestay is tight. It can be difficult to judge if you have the standard CDI furler. Same goes for the back stay. Don't be afraid to put some bend in the mast. I don't know what but most of the hunters I see of this vintage have a decent amount of bend. Lastly check your leach line for tightness. I am no expert so others may have better advice but I asked the same question on this forum last summer and these tips got me out of the problem. I had significant pumping of the rig especially in heavy weather heading up wind. Good luck.

Todd

 

[Alan]

Headstay tension is controlled with the tension put into the cap shrouds. The tighter the cap shrouds are made the greater the tension in the headstay. After the caps are tensioned there will be a significant bend put in the mast. This is removed by tensioning the intermediates and lowers (if you have them). You will want to leave approximately one mast diameter of bend in the mast when you are done. A backstay adjuster can be added for more backstay tension to increase the bend in the mast which flattens the main in higher winds to reduce weather helm and heeling.
Leech tension in the sail has no affect at all on mast pumping or tuning. It does affect sail shape and performance. A leech tension cord is usually used to eliminate leech flutter which is destructive to the sail cloth.

 

[rtaylor82]

Thanks Todd, that sounds exactly like my problem. I am going to give it a shot sometime this week and I'll report back how it works out.

Thanks again Alan for the details. I sure do have a lot to learn...

Ryan