Does anyone have some information about tuning the rigging of my 1975 oday 20. Any rule-of-thumb advice for tension on the shrouds and backstay. It does have a roller furler for the jib. Thanks.
tuning an oday 20
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Tuning an O'Day 20
Sam, Probably the best way to tune your rig is to get a stay tension gauge. I have a small Loos Gauge that I picked up years ago that fits the thickness of my rigging which ranges from 1/8" uppers stays to 5/32" lower stays. I'm giving you a link to a gauge that can be attached temporarily to your stay which is different from the one that I have, which you have to hold on to the stay and pull to a mark on the gauge to read it. These gauges have gotten ridiculously expensive since I purchased mine, but I did see a large used one in a Newport RI Marine consignment store a couple of years ago for about $5.00. My gauge has numbers that correspond to the thickness of the stay and also offers you a weight to choose from. I have a CDI Furler on my O'Day 222 also. For my upper stays, I'm using the number 30 on my gage, and for my lowers, I'm using number 25, and this works for me. I'm told that the lower shrouds should be a little less tension than the uppers. Each number represents a tension, and you have a choice of different tensions for the thickness of your stay. Just pick a low tension number in the range for your stay and try it out. At least with the gauge set at equal tensions, you know that your mast has got to be straight. I don't know how your back stay is going to tension out with the furler on the fore stay. You may have to just eye out your mast standing athwart-ships, to make sure that it's straight and has no bends. Joe
Sam, Probably the best way to tune your rig is to get a stay tension gauge. I have a small Loos Gauge that I picked up years ago that fits the thickness of my rigging which ranges from 1/8" uppers stays to 5/32" lower stays. I'm giving you a link to a gauge that can be attached temporarily to your stay which is different from the one that I have, which you have to hold on to the stay and pull to a mark on the gauge to read it. These gauges have gotten ridiculously expensive since I purchased mine, but I did see a large used one in a Newport RI Marine consignment store a couple of years ago for about $5.00. My gauge has numbers that correspond to the thickness of the stay and also offers you a weight to choose from. I have a CDI Furler on my O'Day 222 also. For my upper stays, I'm using the number 30 on my gage, and for my lowers, I'm using number 25, and this works for me. I'm told that the lower shrouds should be a little less tension than the uppers. Each number represents a tension, and you have a choice of different tensions for the thickness of your stay. Just pick a low tension number in the range for your stay and try it out. At least with the gauge set at equal tensions, you know that your mast has got to be straight. I don't know how your back stay is going to tension out with the furler on the fore stay. You may have to just eye out your mast standing athwart-ships, to make sure that it's straight and has no bends. Joe
Mast rake
Sam, I have not idea on my mast rake. I have the O'Day 222, but to tell you the truth I've never really measured it. I'll have to check it some day just out of curiosity sake. Those tension gauges are just so ridiculously expensive now. I never paid no where near what they are asking for them now. That nice Loos gauge that stays attached to the wire when you measure the tension, was selling for about $29.95 about 4 years ago, and the one that I bought was about maybe under $20.00. I would just tighten the stays to about equal tension, and sight up the mast to make sure that its straight. A little weather helm is what you want, but not too much. You may be able to find a used gauge at a marine surplus, or ebay. I saw a large Loos gauge in a Marine consignment store two years in Newport, for $5.00. You'd want to find the small one that corresponds to the stay thickness of our boats, which is 1/8". Good luck with it. Joe
Sam, I have not idea on my mast rake. I have the O'Day 222, but to tell you the truth I've never really measured it. I'll have to check it some day just out of curiosity sake. Those tension gauges are just so ridiculously expensive now. I never paid no where near what they are asking for them now. That nice Loos gauge that stays attached to the wire when you measure the tension, was selling for about $29.95 about 4 years ago, and the one that I bought was about maybe under $20.00. I would just tighten the stays to about equal tension, and sight up the mast to make sure that its straight. A little weather helm is what you want, but not too much. You may be able to find a used gauge at a marine surplus, or ebay. I saw a large Loos gauge in a Marine consignment store two years in Newport, for $5.00. You'd want to find the small one that corresponds to the stay thickness of our boats, which is 1/8". Good luck with it. Joe
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