I never know how tight to make my side stays and front stay. Should they be very tight or should there be some give. Are they holding up the mast?
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A multitude of opinions
You will find all sorts of answers to this question if you search the archives of this site. You can buy a tension guage that will tell you to the pound how "tight" your shrouds and stays are. Or you can do what most seem to do and go by feel. Your stays and shrouds should not flap around under any conditions. What I like to do is hand tighten the shrouds, and go out sailing with a good wind. I put the boat on one tack, and make sure that the lee shrouds are tight enough so that they are still a little taught. I then put the boat on the opposite tack and do the same for the other side. The idea is to have both sides at about the same tension. For the fore and backstays, I attach the forestay/roller furler, and hand tighten. I then tighten the backstay enough so that the forestay/foil doesn't flap around. Not scientific, but it seems to work.
You will find all sorts of answers to this question if you search the archives of this site. You can buy a tension guage that will tell you to the pound how "tight" your shrouds and stays are. Or you can do what most seem to do and go by feel. Your stays and shrouds should not flap around under any conditions. What I like to do is hand tighten the shrouds, and go out sailing with a good wind. I put the boat on one tack, and make sure that the lee shrouds are tight enough so that they are still a little taught. I then put the boat on the opposite tack and do the same for the other side. The idea is to have both sides at about the same tension. For the fore and backstays, I attach the forestay/roller furler, and hand tighten. I then tighten the backstay enough so that the forestay/foil doesn't flap around. Not scientific, but it seems to work.
Tight is good
Yes, the stays are holding up the mast. I had the same question years ago and asked a sailboat shop, and was told to tighten the stays until there is no give and the mast is straight, and that has worked well for me.
Yes, the stays are holding up the mast. I had the same question years ago and asked a sailboat shop, and was told to tighten the stays until there is no give and the mast is straight, and that has worked well for me.
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