Triple Spreader Mast

[Russf]

I understand that a triple spreader mast requires a great deal more effort and skill to tune than a double spreader and offers no advantages for a 36 foot coastal cruiser. Appreciate some comments on this.

Thanks.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

Speaking as one who has designed rigs I can suggest only that there are really only 2 reasons for a multiple-spreader rig. The first is because the spar has numerous stress points by design-- a fractional-rig headstay or intermediate stays, such as a Hunter 37. The second is because a disproportionately lightweight, overly tall or undersized spar is being used to save weight aloft. This seems ironic since the clutter of more rigging aloft would add to weight; but with many highly-technical designers it's just where the weight is that matters, and they manage the distribution of the weight they do have.

On a cruising boats with masthead rigs I don't see any reason to have multiple spreaders, providing the width of the rig's base (at the deck) is wide enough to provide ample mechanical advantage for the stays to have effect in stiffening the mast.

And you're right, Russf-- it adds plenty of complication. I have tuned enough C44 rigs to know that!

 

[tommays]

They start to get pretty common on 44' and above race boats depending on the vintage of the design

 

[Ron20324]

I understand that a triple spreader mast requires a great deal more effort and skill to tune than a double spreader and offers no advantages for a 36 foot coastal cruiser. Appreciate some comments on this.Thanks.

I'm not sure where you get the "no advantages" notion, but smarter brains than ours have designed these boats. If you want keep the mast in an upright postion for fewer bucks, then perhaps you'd want a shorter mast or different boat if you are concerned with spending the money tuning a triple.

 

[Sandy Stone]

On many cruiser-racers, multiple spreaders are used to allow a narrower shroud base to adequately support the mast. This in turn allows the jib to be sheeted in closer and hopefully let the boat point higher upwind. That being said, triple spreaders on anything but a racing boat is getting pretty extreme.

 

[Ray Bowles]

For the amount and type of use a normal coastal cruiser sees I can't see any reason for more than a double spreader rig. If you want very high performance characteristics then that is a different story. In that case you need to know how to maintain that system or it will use up much or your cruising capital.
Ray

 

[RichH]

Triple spreader rigs are quite uncommon on CRUISING boats with less than a '65ft' (so called ICW) mast.
As another poster stated the advantage is 'less weight aloft' (less mast 'stiffness needed) to lessen the 'roll period', to 'pre-bend' as needed for 'high performance' sailing etc. The disadvantage is the high cost and time of maintenance of the wire/terminals that are more prone to fatigue failure.

For a high performance boat with a 'bendy rig' (rake and pre-bend - on the fly) tapered carbon fiber masts with less spreaders seem to be a distinct advantage over aluminum with more spreaders ... for even 'higher' cost. I have one on an ILYA Scow boat and I can on-the-fly add about 3+ ft. of fore/aft 'bend' that can flatten the mainsail to look like a 'flat sheet of plywood' ... instead of 'reefing' when going 'upwind'.