| Author | Message | ||
     Mike Bergmann Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Eric, I use the original factory tuning guide, and I do fairly well with it. Basically, you sail to wandward in 15 to 20 knots with about 20 degrees of heel, and the backstay adjuster full on (about 4 to 5 inches of mast bend). The uppers should be just tight enough that the leeward upper is barely tight, with no sag. The lowers and intermediates should be just tight enough to keep the mast in column. When I am checking, I sight up the mainsail track, and it is fairly easy to check. I also have a furler (Selden), so I can't check tension there either. I don't adjust the headstay tension - I slack all shrouds and the backstay splits 10 turns each when I drop the stick, and I count the same turns back on in the spring. Teh factory instructions say to set the backstay for about 4 to 5 inches of mast bend when it is on, and about 7 inches with backstay and babystay both on. My helm is well balanced with the setup I use, so I don't have to play with rake. You can't always trust a tension gauge, as we rediscovered when tuning a friend's Ensign in the Nationals last year. Tension does not tell you if the mast is plumb and raked properly, and it does not always tell you if the mast is in column. Each pair of shrouds will generally have equal tension, since they are pulling against each other. When I do use a tension gauge, I first get everything fairly close with the mast plumb and in column, and use the gauge for fine-tuning only. | ||
| Eric Yaremko Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Lance, Had the guys from North help me with rig tune, last year. Can't measure headstay due to Harken foil. The upper shrouds measured 2000 lbs., the lower ints. about 950lbs. and the upper ints. were just barely on the gauge. Seems a little tight to me- but there it is. Eric | ||
| Lance Rating: N/A |
What are some of you using for tension on all the shrouds and forestay? Do you need the rod rigging gauge? I'm sure you must cause I've got two different sizes for wire gauge from my last boat. I sail in high winds alot and boy were the shrouds loose last week.(I've since tightened a bit) I read the stuff about care and feeding of my rod rigging but nothing about tension. Lance Symbiosis #51 |
