Spreader tip preparation

[woodrow 1]

Thanks in advance for any advice that may be forthcoming.

I just replaced the standing rigging on my luxurious Ericson sloop. My question is regarding to the point of contact where the stainless steel shrouds pass through the end of the spreaders.

This is the first time I have replaced a boats standing rigging. I measured twice and had Rigging Only make the rigging for me. Everything went well so far. However, There does not appear to be anything in this design that keeps the spreaders at the correct angle in relation to the shroud. I am worried about the spreader shifting and collapsing. Is this an undue concern?

Are the shrouds secured to the spreader tips in any manner? Or is it expected that the wire will actually move some where it passes throught the spreader ends?

Are there perhaps clamps positioned on the stainless shrouds above or below the spreader tips to insure the spreader stays at the correct angle? Or is it set the spreaders to correct angle, the same angle on both sides and worry about something else?

What steps if any are taken to prevent or minimize corrosion where the stainless touches the aluminum? I have heard of using Lanacote here. Do you recommend this. How about rigging tape in the slot in the end of the spreader tips. But not wrapped around the stainless itself, just a dielectric between the two metals?

Thanks for your time and any advice,
:dance:

Clear the decks and prepare for action !

Woodrow.

 

[Joe]

The spreaders should be held in place by the bracket that attaches them to the mast. The wire will lay in a groove on the spreader tip end cap, which should be a non-metallic piece. If your boat has a metallic end cap... you can try to find a matching one from another source (you might call rig rite) or try wrapping rigging tape around the fitting, or coat with an anti corrosion product like "tef-gel". In any event... you must use stainless or monel seizing wire to secure the shroud to the end cap. There will be a set of holes in the spreader to anchor the wire before twisting it around the shroud.

I've pictured a few of the parts for a catalina 27 below... You may need to check the ericson owner's site for specifics.

Finally, don't forget to cover the spreader ends to protect your sails from abrasion. There's a number of products in this area to choose from.

 

[Ted]

On my boat there are stops swaged onto the shroud just below the spreader tip. The bottom of the spreader tip rests on the stops and cannot drop below that point. It maintains the proper angle between the spreader and shroud. I use rollers mounted on the shrouds to protect the sail. They allow the sail to roll over the spreader tip with very little friction. It's also a good idea to install spreader patches on your sail to prevent the sail fabric from stretching or worse, in the event someone forgets to release the sheet while tacking.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

When your boat was made they didn't cut as many corners with parts and so you probably have an aluminum spreader with an end cap that is part of the piece rather than an add on. The plastic end cap used by the likes of Catalina are cheaper alternatives to getting the job done. Bare tube with a plastic end cap - cheap on the mfg side, but effective. Many mast manufactures have aluminum spreaders touching stainless shrouds, etc. So, not to worry. The seizing wire someone mentioned above really is for shrouds that are not held captive by the spreader end (not threaded through a hole). The wire keeps the shroud in place when it is slack during the stepping process, or on the lee side if your tension is not enough to keep it in place. Usually the spreader angle is designed to bisect the angle of the stroud as it leaves the top of the mast, passes by the spreader and then heads to the chain plate below. Therefore you usually see a slight angle pointing up to do the bisecting of the spreader. But, like someone also pointed out, the spreader root will often dictate where the spreader should point, if in fact the spreader is fixed and cannot move. The designer made it that way. You don't want to put clamps on your shrouds as that might distort them and also you want the shrouds to move slightly as you tension the rig, so you don't want to impede that process. Once you have the rig properly tuned, all should stay in place.

 

[woodrow 1]

When your boat was made they didn't cut as many corners with parts and so you probably have an aluminum spreader with an end cap that is part of the piece rather than an add on. The plastic end cap used by the likes of Catalina are cheaper alternatives to getting the job done. Bare tube with a plastic end cap - cheap on the mfg side, but effective. Many mast manufactures have aluminum spreaders touching stainless shrouds, etc. So, not to worry. The seizing wire someone mentioned above really is for shrouds that are not held captive by the spreader end (not threaded through a hole). The wire keeps the shroud in place when it is slack during the stepping process, or on the lee side if your tension is not enough to keep it in place. Usually the spreader angle is designed to bisect the angle of the stroud as it leaves the top of the mast, passes by the spreader and then heads to the chain plate below. Therefore you usually see a slight angle pointing up to do the bisecting of the spreader. But, like someone also pointed out, the spreader root will often dictate where the spreader should point, if in fact the spreader is fixed and cannot move. The designer made it that way. You don't want to put clamps on your shrouds as that might distort them and also you want the shrouds to move slightly as you tension the rig, so you don't want to impede that process. Once you have the rig properly tuned, all should stay in place.

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Thanks to all for the detailed help! I appreciate it very much. My spreaders have no end caps at all. So it is two dissimilar metals in contact. I do not see any drilled holes to rig any monel seizing wire.

Thanks again guys for the great responses. You have made things much clearer for me.

Best regards, Woodrow.

 

[higgs]

All the boats I have owned did not have any system to make the shroud captive at the spreader. The spreaders I have dealt with always had a bit of play. It is important to make sure your spreaders are at equal angles so the that compression is equally distributed.