Turnbuckle adjustments for trailer sailers?

[john6206]

Hey all,

The last couple years I've been sailing with my rig too loose. The mast won't go up with the rig tight, and I'm not racing or anything, so I figured what the heck? Just sail sloopy.

I adjusted the rig last week and the performance was enough improved that I won't go back. My procedure to lock down the turnbuckles is cotter pins and rigging tape to keep the pin ends from snagging the headsail. That's a lot of time at the ramp, cutting off the tape pulling out or cutting off the pins . . . etc.

A friend recommended zip ties. I haven't done a strength test but it seems like it wouldn't take much rotation to break them.

Velcro keepers (C. Sherman Johnson wrap pins) I also wonder about.

I don't think hairpin cotters would fit.

Split rings are a pain - They went in ok last week, I bend them coming out enough that I think they would be a one time use thing.

What's your solution?

Thanks -

John Kivel
Dexter MI

 

[JoeWhite]

You do not need any thing if you are going to lower the mast at the end of the day. To prevent the buckle from separating from the cable you can put blue lock-tight at the end of the screw.

 

[jviss]

C.S Johnson Handy Lock Turnbuckle

"The 01 Series Handy Lock turnbuckle is one of our oldest products and still stands the test of time. Neat and compact and positively locked without cotter pins or check nuts, the Handy Lock has all the features needed for easy adjustment in a compact package. There are no sharp points to catch lines or tear sails, just flip the lever up to adjust and down to lock. Use the Handy Lock anywhere an easily adjusted turnbuckle is needed."

 

[john6206]

@jviss are those easy to install?
im not with my boat right now so I can’t see how the turnbuckles attach to the shrouds and back stay.

nevermind . . . Just looked it up, it looks stupid easy to install.
thanks!

 

[jviss]

They come with a variety of ends on them. Only thing, they are expensive.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

I used them on my Hobie 16' . They are the cat's butt . I need to loosen my shrouds to raise or lower the mast .

 

[Project_Mayhem]

THere's a few variations on what @jviss posted but these things are invaluable for a trailer sailor. Well worth the $70 or so. I can't imagine trailering a sailboat without it. I had one on my forestay, quick disconnect (PTO) pin on the backstay and would leave the sidestays connected all the time. An electric winch for stepping the mast was probably the biggest upgrade

 

[pgandw]

I use the CS Johnson velcro keepers on my 19ft Mariner. I love them and now have a complete set for all stays (6 pairs). No more split rings or cotter pins when adjusting turnbuckles.

During trailer launching and retrieving a couple of times a year (Sweet P normally lives on a boat lift), whether or not I need to loosen upper shrouds or forestay to pin/unpin forestay depends on how much beef I have to pull on the jib halyard. If solo, I have a trailer winch on the gin pole which can pull the mast forward enough to pin the forestay. If two of us, I dispense with the gin pole and baby stays and walk the mast up and down with the helper holding an extension attached to jib halyard. If helper is willing to pull hard enough, I can pin forestay. If not, I loosen the forestay turnbuckle. On a Mariner, back stay is normally removed from chain plate for trailering, and is kept loose during tuning.

For trailering long distance, I remove the shrouds from the chain plates and tie them up to avoid shrouds rubbing on the gel coat. For short distances, not necessary.

Once mast is up, for tuning I attach a tape measure to main halyard (duck tape) and hoist to mast head. Mast rake is set by measuring from mast head to transom, and adjusting forestay as necessary. Shrouds are set approximately by measuring masthead to each side chainplate, and adjusting until equal distance achieved.

Final tension is set with Loos gauge (I use lower end of the racer's settings). Then backstay attached and tightened just enough to be tight.

I recently found out (and verified in photos) that the racers mount a bar between the chainplates (mounted to hull, not bulkhead) in the cabin to preserve shroud and forestay tension in heavier winds.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 #4133 Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC

 

[rgranger]

Hey all,
...what the heck? Just sail sloopy.

Hahaha... nice auto correct for a sailing forum. I guess you could also sail gaffy or cuttery

 

[john6206]

@rgranger

Sloppy!
Not sure how I could have typed that where it ended up “sloopy.”

in fact, just now trying to type “sloopy“ I got autocorrected three times (two of them to “sloppy!”

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Don’t use a cell phone unless you can remove autocorrect
@rgranger

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I recently found out (and verified in photos) that the racers mount a bar between the chainplates (mounted to hull, not bulkhead) in the cabin to preserve shroud and forestay tension in heavier winds.

Are you referring to extra bracing?

 

[pgandw]

Are you referring to extra bracing?

I don't know what you want to call it. I was sailing 13nm to windward solo in my 19ft Mariner in 15 knot winds with full sail - the forecast had been for 7-9 knots. The ENE wind had full fetch of Albemarle Sound, so I was in 4ft seas. I was not too sure of heaving too and trying to reef in those seas (and losing all that ground to windward in the process). Tacking angles were worse than I would have liked. So I was trying to figure out what I could do to make the distance to windward more efficiently in the conditions I had.

Jib halyard had stretched slightly, the forestay was sagging a little less, so had slight scallops in the jib leading edge. Strapped the jib in hard, eased the main slightly (no traveler on a Mariner) so the front 1/3 of the main was bubbling, and pinched as close I could while maintaining boat speed (4.2 - 4.6 kts on GPS) and the jib full. Settled into the best groove I could.

Then noticed the lee shrouds had no tension at all (I had set them a month ago to 160lbs on the uppers). This had me worried, but not much I could do it about it except continue on.

I wrote my experiences on the Mariner Class website. One of the racers said they used a pole between the chain plates (on the hull just inside the cabin) to prevent hull flexing in heavy winds. That it was hull flex under the conditions. Then I saw a picture with a pole being used in a Mariner in a regatta. So I'm taking measurements to make my own pole. Mariner construction has the chainplates (1 on either side for both shrouds) bolted to the inside of the hull (no bulkhead), so something like a closet rod between them - maybe with a lip to hold the rod in place.

Obviously class legal, and not a bad idea for non-racers in heavy winds. Being solo, rail meat is not an option.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 #4133 Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound

 

[rgranger]

@rgranger

Sloppy!
Not sure how I could have typed that where it ended up “sloopy.”

in fact, just now trying to type “sloopy“ I got autocorrected three times (two of them to “sloppy!”

But it was fun... so a lucky acident.