Shroud Tension 260
- Thread starter steved2
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Steved2
As a former dealer who sold nearly 1/4 of the production line, send me a email via forum with location I think in Idaho and phone number and I will call and walk you thru this without the need of a tension guage. If you need to ask anyone who I am, feel free to do so.
crazy dave
As a former dealer who sold nearly 1/4 of the production line, send me a email via forum with location I think in Idaho and phone number and I will call and walk you thru this without the need of a tension guage. If you need to ask anyone who I am, feel free to do so.
crazy dave
Using a Loos gauge I put 600 lbs on the uppers, once you get the bend in the mast correct the lowers end up around 400 I think, but as long as the the bend in the mast is correct and the uppers are 600, the lower's tension is less important.
John; there are a few things need to be concerned as I have seen a lot of tensioning with a guage that was not correct. If you want to discuss this with me, I would be glad and this is where I know how to give you some good pointers. Be glad to talk with you.
Hopefully you have your procedure figured out for setting the forestay length and mast rake before adjusting the shroud tension. I set mine at205kg (451lbs) for the uppers and 159kg (349.8lbs) for the lowers. After setting I rechecked under sail and found no reduction in tension on the leeward side with this set-up. Your results may vary so recheck for yourself. G
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Dewhunter, I went by feel on the tension of the shruouds as so many overtightened them and placed too much bend and backward rake. When I saw that on other boats that I did not sell, the owners stated better performance. There is an easy way and I never like the thought of any gauges being used. So we differ here but you know what you are doing when many do not. Thank you for all of your impute on this forum.
Doug;
On the water ballast sailboats by Hunter with the B & R rig without a backstay.
1. Set the forestay stud to 1/3 to 1/2 and pin it.
2. Hand tighten the shrouds for raising the first time.
3. Place mast raising pole into the mast base making sure the end if butted up inside correctly.
Attach jib halyard or red line halyard to top loop of mast raise pole with other end to mainsheet block and tackle.
Pull or tighten jib halyard until the mast raise pole barely touches the upper side of mast hole to prevent damaging that.
Attach other end of mainsheet to eye pad in anchor well
On the 26, add the stabilizer wires with pelican hook facing backwards so it will not catch in the stanchion rings.
On the 260, there are side brace poles eliminating the stabilizer wires mentioned above line. Loosen poles.
4. Check to make sure no over head obstruction where trailer sits to ramp
5. Raise mast making sure that running and standing rigging are not caught. Look at shroud turnbuckles when up 65-70 % to
ensure the shroud turnbuckle and studs are not caught to prevent bending. If so, shake them out so they will not bind.
6. During raising always look around to make sure everything is secure, not caught. Never touch mast raise pole as you
could collapse that pole and thus loose the mast.
7. Secure the forestay with clevis pin and secure that pin as some did not .
8. Never put hand or fingers in the jaws of the cam cleat but use your foot with shoe to push down the mainsheet to release it from eye pad as it is under pressure and you can sustain serious injury if you do.
9. With mast up, loosen shrouds to check side ways. Use a tape or a non stretch line to the topping lift or main halyard and
raise up checking sideways to center the top of the mast by adjusting the outer/upper shrouds hand tightening only..
10. Look up the sail slide groove on back side of mast sideways from the base to adjust centering that groove with the
lower shrouds only.
11. I would then tighten the tighten the upper shrouds equally till I was able to pull on them with my two long fingers
without moving my hand till I was able to pull them to a point in 1-2 inches inward .
12. At this point, I would tighten the lower shrouds equally till I had a slight prebend of the mast backwards anywhere
from 3-4 degrees. (Too much prebend will adversely affect the performance of the boat.
13. Check the rake with the non stretch line or tape with weight on prferably on a non windy day still attached to the main
halyard.
I use to look for 2-4 inches when main halyard away from the backside of the mast where the gooseneck is attached to
the backside of the mast. You would have to readjust the forestay and if tightening or loosening then adjust the shrouds
accordingly each side by turning the same amount each side using half increments of turning for example 1/2 turn on the
port lower shroud and same for the stbd. lower shroud.
14. On the reverse diagonal wires from spreader tip downward to the base of the mast, I simply hand tightened those but
You would have to look up the sail groove so that track is straight. If not straight and bend is seen to the sbtd., then
tighten the port shroud to straighten out and loosen stbd turnbuckle or vice versa.
15. go sail the boat to see if there is tightening or loosening to be done . Adjust accordingly.
I may not have gotten everything in perspective as I was drawing from memory but I think you get the gist of what I was doing. There was one small boat dealer in North Carolina who was famous for a lot of prebend backwards. I was called to his area often to retune the mast and the owners got more speed out of their boats. Do not forget to add cotter pins when buttoning up everything and please put some tape around the cotter pin area so no staging of lines, sails or hands.
Let me know if this helps.
On the water ballast sailboats by Hunter with the B & R rig without a backstay.
1. Set the forestay stud to 1/3 to 1/2 and pin it.
2. Hand tighten the shrouds for raising the first time.
3. Place mast raising pole into the mast base making sure the end if butted up inside correctly.
Attach jib halyard or red line halyard to top loop of mast raise pole with other end to mainsheet block and tackle.
Pull or tighten jib halyard until the mast raise pole barely touches the upper side of mast hole to prevent damaging that.
Attach other end of mainsheet to eye pad in anchor well
On the 26, add the stabilizer wires with pelican hook facing backwards so it will not catch in the stanchion rings.
On the 260, there are side brace poles eliminating the stabilizer wires mentioned above line. Loosen poles.
4. Check to make sure no over head obstruction where trailer sits to ramp
5. Raise mast making sure that running and standing rigging are not caught. Look at shroud turnbuckles when up 65-70 % to
ensure the shroud turnbuckle and studs are not caught to prevent bending. If so, shake them out so they will not bind.
6. During raising always look around to make sure everything is secure, not caught. Never touch mast raise pole as you
could collapse that pole and thus loose the mast.
7. Secure the forestay with clevis pin and secure that pin as some did not .
8. Never put hand or fingers in the jaws of the cam cleat but use your foot with shoe to push down the mainsheet to release it from eye pad as it is under pressure and you can sustain serious injury if you do.
9. With mast up, loosen shrouds to check side ways. Use a tape or a non stretch line to the topping lift or main halyard and
raise up checking sideways to center the top of the mast by adjusting the outer/upper shrouds hand tightening only..
10. Look up the sail slide groove on back side of mast sideways from the base to adjust centering that groove with the
lower shrouds only.
11. I would then tighten the tighten the upper shrouds equally till I was able to pull on them with my two long fingers
without moving my hand till I was able to pull them to a point in 1-2 inches inward .
12. At this point, I would tighten the lower shrouds equally till I had a slight prebend of the mast backwards anywhere
from 3-4 degrees. (Too much prebend will adversely affect the performance of the boat.
13. Check the rake with the non stretch line or tape with weight on prferably on a non windy day still attached to the main
halyard.
I use to look for 2-4 inches when main halyard away from the backside of the mast where the gooseneck is attached to
the backside of the mast. You would have to readjust the forestay and if tightening or loosening then adjust the shrouds
accordingly each side by turning the same amount each side using half increments of turning for example 1/2 turn on the
port lower shroud and same for the stbd. lower shroud.
14. On the reverse diagonal wires from spreader tip downward to the base of the mast, I simply hand tightened those but
You would have to look up the sail groove so that track is straight. If not straight and bend is seen to the sbtd., then
tighten the port shroud to straighten out and loosen stbd turnbuckle or vice versa.
15. go sail the boat to see if there is tightening or loosening to be done . Adjust accordingly.
I may not have gotten everything in perspective as I was drawing from memory but I think you get the gist of what I was doing. There was one small boat dealer in North Carolina who was famous for a lot of prebend backwards. I was called to his area often to retune the mast and the owners got more speed out of their boats. Do not forget to add cotter pins when buttoning up everything and please put some tape around the cotter pin area so no staging of lines, sails or hands.
Let me know if this helps.
All I know is, if there are 4 or 5 Hunter 26/260s going in the same direction we seem to be in the front most of the time. As a retired Engineer, I like data, the gauge gives me that.
Dave, what problems have you found using a gauge? Am I missing something?
Dave, what problems have you found using a gauge? Am I missing something?
As I stated, I have wondered if too much tension has been applied and where I thought that was done I have also seen too much prebend. That said, I did it the way I was taught by the old riggers of many years ago and it worked for me as the boats I retuned seem to sail faster than some that used a tension guage. I also was concerned applying too much tension could harm the integrity of the boat. What I was taught 50 years ago has worked well for me and there is an old expression, if it ain't broke, then do not fix it. Even one of the B&R rig fellows on the smaller boats did like my approach. He has died otherwise I would call on him. I graduated with a history degree but know the Hunter water ballast sailboats all too well. Hopefully the photo of the very first H23.5 or water ballast boat left with me in early August, 1991 from the factory.
I taught my customers my methods of raising the mast and tuning and they used those methods with success
I taught my customers my methods of raising the mast and tuning and they used those methods with success
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I do my H23 basically like Dave describes - I thought of buying a gauge, but they are pricey (I am sure it is fine, but did not want to pay for one). I do the measuring to center the mast (Harbor Freight has affordable 100 ft measuring tape reels) and then tighten the lowers by sighting up the mast to ensure it is straight. I just get them tight by feel - maybe mine are a bit tighter than what Dave does, prob about 1 in deflection when I pull with 2 fingers. I don't get noticeable slack on the lee side on a beam reach. But hey, I look at mine as a glorified day sailer...