How does anyone connect their upper shrouds to the spreaders on a Hunter 23? I just use string similar to shoestring and run it around the shroud outboard of the spreader and back through the two holes (one each side of the shroud) on the spreader. Just to keep them in place when lowering and raising the mast, and if they go slack on the down wind side should I not have enough tension. Can't wait for spring. thanks, John
spreader/shroud connections
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How does anyone connect their upper shrouds to the spreaders on a Hunter 23? I just use string similar to shoestring and run it around the shroud outboard of the spreader and back through the two holes (one each side of the shroud) on the spreader. Just to keep them in place when lowering and raising the mast, and if they go slack on the down wind side should I not have enough tension. Can't wait for spring. thanks, John
Slack Shrouds
John, If your leeward shroud goes slack you do not have enough tension on the rig. This is bad because it allows shock loading every time you tack. It's as bad as an uncontrolled jibe and will break things in short order. The proper tension on the shroud is just enough to not have slack shrouds when close hauled. Tighter is hard on the chain plates also. A Loos tension guage (or similar) is indespensable in maintaining the proper tension in your rig. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
John, If your leeward shroud goes slack you do not have enough tension on the rig. This is bad because it allows shock loading every time you tack. It's as bad as an uncontrolled jibe and will break things in short order. The proper tension on the shroud is just enough to not have slack shrouds when close hauled. Tighter is hard on the chain plates also. A Loos tension guage (or similar) is indespensable in maintaining the proper tension in your rig. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Slack Shrouds
John, If your leeward shroud goes slack you do not have enough tension on the rig. This is bad because it allows shock loading every time you tack. It's as bad as an uncontrolled jibe and will break things in short order. The proper tension on the shroud is just enough to not have slack shrouds when close hauled. Tighter is hard on the chain plates also. A Loos tension guage (or similar) is indespensable in maintaining the proper tension in your rig. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
John, If your leeward shroud goes slack you do not have enough tension on the rig. This is bad because it allows shock loading every time you tack. It's as bad as an uncontrolled jibe and will break things in short order. The proper tension on the shroud is just enough to not have slack shrouds when close hauled. Tighter is hard on the chain plates also. A Loos tension guage (or similar) is indespensable in maintaining the proper tension in your rig. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Both are too slack
Slack windward shrouds allow the mast to lean off to leeward. Slack leeward shrouds are a tad too long. Combine both effects and you have visibly slack leeward shrouds. Bear in mind too that in most cases, the shrouds onboth sides are usually tensioned about the same. It's very rare to see the shrouds on one side at the correct tensioopns and the ones on the other side too slack. Now that I think about it, with no load on the rig, i.e., sitting at the dock with the sails lowered, the shrouds on both sides would have to be at the same tension. Peter H23 "Raven"
Slack windward shrouds allow the mast to lean off to leeward. Slack leeward shrouds are a tad too long. Combine both effects and you have visibly slack leeward shrouds. Bear in mind too that in most cases, the shrouds onboth sides are usually tensioned about the same. It's very rare to see the shrouds on one side at the correct tensioopns and the ones on the other side too slack. Now that I think about it, with no load on the rig, i.e., sitting at the dock with the sails lowered, the shrouds on both sides would have to be at the same tension. Peter H23 "Raven"
Both are too slack
Slack windward shrouds allow the mast to lean off to leeward. Slack leeward shrouds are a tad too long. Combine both effects and you have visibly slack leeward shrouds. Bear in mind too that in most cases, the shrouds onboth sides are usually tensioned about the same. It's very rare to see the shrouds on one side at the correct tensioopns and the ones on the other side too slack. Now that I think about it, with no load on the rig, i.e., sitting at the dock with the sails lowered, the shrouds on both sides would have to be at the same tension. Peter H23 "Raven"
Slack windward shrouds allow the mast to lean off to leeward. Slack leeward shrouds are a tad too long. Combine both effects and you have visibly slack leeward shrouds. Bear in mind too that in most cases, the shrouds onboth sides are usually tensioned about the same. It's very rare to see the shrouds on one side at the correct tensioopns and the ones on the other side too slack. Now that I think about it, with no load on the rig, i.e., sitting at the dock with the sails lowered, the shrouds on both sides would have to be at the same tension. Peter H23 "Raven"
Tuning Your Rig
John, The process of tuning your rig involves several steps. 1. insure that the mast is vertical / square to the boat athwartship. 2. insure that both port and starboard shrouds have the same tension. 3. adjust headstay and backstay so that there is no fore/aft movement of the mast. 4. Use your halyard to measure the distance to the port and starboard rail. Both measurements should be identical. If not adjust shrouds to center the mast. 5. Go sailing! If your leeward shroud goes slack when going upwind then tighten both shrouds an equal amount. 6. repeat step 5 adjusting slowly until ther is no slack in 12-15 kt wind. 7. Use tension guage to measure tension and record it for future reference. 8. Use similar approach to remove excess sag out of the headstay while adjusting headstay and backstay. 9. If you develope to much weather helm tighten loosen backstay and tighten headstay to repeat prior tension. If you get lee helm do the opposite. John, this is the poor mans method of tuning your rig, trial and error at a very slow pace. Go slow as the only way to know you are too tight is when something breaks. The Loos co. tension guages are reasonable and repeatable. Good Luck Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
John, The process of tuning your rig involves several steps. 1. insure that the mast is vertical / square to the boat athwartship. 2. insure that both port and starboard shrouds have the same tension. 3. adjust headstay and backstay so that there is no fore/aft movement of the mast. 4. Use your halyard to measure the distance to the port and starboard rail. Both measurements should be identical. If not adjust shrouds to center the mast. 5. Go sailing! If your leeward shroud goes slack when going upwind then tighten both shrouds an equal amount. 6. repeat step 5 adjusting slowly until ther is no slack in 12-15 kt wind. 7. Use tension guage to measure tension and record it for future reference. 8. Use similar approach to remove excess sag out of the headstay while adjusting headstay and backstay. 9. If you develope to much weather helm tighten loosen backstay and tighten headstay to repeat prior tension. If you get lee helm do the opposite. John, this is the poor mans method of tuning your rig, trial and error at a very slow pace. Go slow as the only way to know you are too tight is when something breaks. The Loos co. tension guages are reasonable and repeatable. Good Luck Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Tuning Your Rig
John, The process of tuning your rig involves several steps. 1. insure that the mast is vertical / square to the boat athwartship. 2. insure that both port and starboard shrouds have the same tension. 3. adjust headstay and backstay so that there is no fore/aft movement of the mast. 4. Use your halyard to measure the distance to the port and starboard rail. Both measurements should be identical. If not adjust shrouds to center the mast. 5. Go sailing! If your leeward shroud goes slack when going upwind then tighten both shrouds an equal amount. 6. repeat step 5 adjusting slowly until ther is no slack in 12-15 kt wind. 7. Use tension guage to measure tension and record it for future reference. 8. Use similar approach to remove excess sag out of the headstay while adjusting headstay and backstay. 9. If you develope to much weather helm tighten loosen backstay and tighten headstay to repeat prior tension. If you get lee helm do the opposite. John, this is the poor mans method of tuning your rig, trial and error at a very slow pace. Go slow as the only way to know you are too tight is when something breaks. The Loos co. tension guages are reasonable and repeatable. Good Luck Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
John, The process of tuning your rig involves several steps. 1. insure that the mast is vertical / square to the boat athwartship. 2. insure that both port and starboard shrouds have the same tension. 3. adjust headstay and backstay so that there is no fore/aft movement of the mast. 4. Use your halyard to measure the distance to the port and starboard rail. Both measurements should be identical. If not adjust shrouds to center the mast. 5. Go sailing! If your leeward shroud goes slack when going upwind then tighten both shrouds an equal amount. 6. repeat step 5 adjusting slowly until ther is no slack in 12-15 kt wind. 7. Use tension guage to measure tension and record it for future reference. 8. Use similar approach to remove excess sag out of the headstay while adjusting headstay and backstay. 9. If you develope to much weather helm tighten loosen backstay and tighten headstay to repeat prior tension. If you get lee helm do the opposite. John, this is the poor mans method of tuning your rig, trial and error at a very slow pace. Go slow as the only way to know you are too tight is when something breaks. The Loos co. tension guages are reasonable and repeatable. Good Luck Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Z Spar rig?
If thats a Z Spar rig in the picture, look for some j shaped bolts in your spare parts. Little ones. If it is a Z spar, then the hook in the "j" screws hook the shrould to the spreader cap, and screws trough the spreader cap. So the little bolt will be inside the spreader when assembled. If you are still on this thread I will try to get some pics of my unassembled spreaders, if it will be handy, they are down until at least March. A picture is worth a thousand words. Then all the rigging advice will be handy. But even in the best conditions it will slack. Just a little. And when you are blowing those Kenyons away it would be best to keep it together. Oh no he didn't. Whats January for anyway?
If thats a Z Spar rig in the picture, look for some j shaped bolts in your spare parts. Little ones. If it is a Z spar, then the hook in the "j" screws hook the shrould to the spreader cap, and screws trough the spreader cap. So the little bolt will be inside the spreader when assembled. If you are still on this thread I will try to get some pics of my unassembled spreaders, if it will be handy, they are down until at least March. A picture is worth a thousand words. Then all the rigging advice will be handy. But even in the best conditions it will slack. Just a little. And when you are blowing those Kenyons away it would be best to keep it together. Oh no he didn't. Whats January for anyway?
Z Spar rig?
If thats a Z Spar rig in the picture, look for some j shaped bolts in your spare parts. Little ones. If it is a Z spar, then the hook in the "j" screws hook the shrould to the spreader cap, and screws trough the spreader cap. So the little bolt will be inside the spreader when assembled. If you are still on this thread I will try to get some pics of my unassembled spreaders, if it will be handy, they are down until at least March. A picture is worth a thousand words. Then all the rigging advice will be handy. But even in the best conditions it will slack. Just a little. And when you are blowing those Kenyons away it would be best to keep it together. Oh no he didn't. Whats January for anyway?
If thats a Z Spar rig in the picture, look for some j shaped bolts in your spare parts. Little ones. If it is a Z spar, then the hook in the "j" screws hook the shrould to the spreader cap, and screws trough the spreader cap. So the little bolt will be inside the spreader when assembled. If you are still on this thread I will try to get some pics of my unassembled spreaders, if it will be handy, they are down until at least March. A picture is worth a thousand words. Then all the rigging advice will be handy. But even in the best conditions it will slack. Just a little. And when you are blowing those Kenyons away it would be best to keep it together. Oh no he didn't. Whats January for anyway?
Yeah kris
all of us with out monstrous kenyon masts don't actually think they're better..we're just stuck with em! But at least I've got a kenyon mast with short spreaders and inboard chainplates...
all of us with out monstrous kenyon masts don't actually think they're better..we're just stuck with em! But at least I've got a kenyon mast with short spreaders and inboard chainplates...
Yeah kris
all of us with out monstrous kenyon masts don't actually think they're better..we're just stuck with em! But at least I've got a kenyon mast with short spreaders and inboard chainplates...
all of us with out monstrous kenyon masts don't actually think they're better..we're just stuck with em! But at least I've got a kenyon mast with short spreaders and inboard chainplates...
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