Attaching shrouds on a peaked gaff dinghy

[Ruffles]

Hi,

My old sailing dinghy has a tiny little mast held up by galvanised wire and a forestay. It's very primitive. I tie the shrouds on by half hitching cord onto the little chain plates.

Is that the correct way to rig it? Should I find a way to increase the tension?? If so how???

Here's the shroud:

The top is simply looped over the top of the mast:

 

[Lakesailor]

one of these on each shroud

and a rigging screw on the forestay.

 

[Spuddy]

I did similar to you but on a bigger dinghy as a stop gap cos I'd lost the thing that Lakesailor showed a picture of. Didn't get around to getting those things again until the sharp edge of eye cut through the line. Mast came down and fortunately had two paddles for long trip back to beach. Looping a shackle through the lower eye and passing line throgh this would prevent chafing and preserve your trad appearance. You could use longer but thinner line; several passes looped through would give you the effect of a crude tackle for tensioning.

 

[Peterduck]

Use a much lighter line [1/8" or 3mm] and run it from chainplate to shroud eye several times, say 5 or 6 times. This will allow you to tension the shrouds up like a block-and-tackle system. Finish off with a couple of half-hitches around the bundle of lines. Very cheap, very strong and infinitely adjustable.
Peter.

 

[oldharry]

No dont use stainless stay adjusters - they react with galvanised wire and rust it double quick. The 'proper' traditional way to rig a light dinghy is as Peterduck suggests - 3mm line set up like a block and tackle to give correct tension.

Its a wooden spar on presumably a wooden dinghy, and it is too easy with modern adjusters to overtighten and put an unfair permanent strain on the hull.

The wire stay masthead attachment is also exactly as has been done for many generations of sailing vessels large and small - look how the shrouds are attached on HMS Victory, Cutty sark etc. Its just the same on a larger scale.


As a matter of fact the deadeyes on a sailing ship are basically the same thing, the only difference being the size of the rope used, and the need to space it to allow sufficient tension.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Agree with everything said so far, but one other thing. The eye over the top of the mast looks as though it might be a little small. It also needs to be "leathered". ie. wrapped in leather to prevent the wire from sawing through the wood, or at the very least damaging the varnish and allowing water to get at the wood and rotting it. In your case a short section of plastic (red rubber tubing looks traditional from deck level) would do. You'd have to remake the eye of course.

 

[Lakesailor]

Errrm.
If you lighten up the pic a little you'll see its a grp dinghy.

so we aren't talking about "keeping classic" here. So straining the hull isn't an issue. Besides which I use a small rigging screw and just do it finger tight and that's on my wooden Heron.

I take it that the dinghy is not left with the mast up so there is nil chance of any corrosion from dissimilar metals.

 

[Ruffles]

So it's a trip to B&Q for thinner string. And 2 rings from the swindlery. I even have some calfskin somewhere for the wire. Cheap solution for once!

Thanks all,

 

[cliffordpope]

That chainplate looks a bit sharp. I'd put a shackle on it, and then just pass the string round more times to get a bit of purchase.

 

[Ruffles]

[ QUOTE ]
Errrm.
If you lighten up the pic a little you'll see its a grp dinghy.

[/ QUOTE ]
Can you lighten up my whole garage? I was working with a head torch on last night!

BTW this is not a speedy dinghy! I get overtaken by Oppies in Bembridge - I try to look the other way when this happens. Or pretend I'm not in a hurry.

Here's a pic of the shroud plates. They seem to be held on with copper rivets. And only two at that! It wouldn't take much to rip them out.

The thing seems to have been beautifully made but not well designed. The mast sits on the forward buoyancy - but there's no reinforcement underneath. So in a gust its a toss up between the shroud plates parting or the mast dropping through the boat.

Mind you the centre board slot is supported by the thwart with 2 small screws. So that'll probably go before the mast falls off.

The boat looks nice though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Lakesailor]

How about using a carbine hook on a short lanyard on the end of the shrouds to make stepping and unstepping easier?

And a multi-ply piece of board cut to cover the bouyancy chamber to stiffen the mast step, which would allow a bit more woodwork to lovingly varnish. If that is an access in the bouyancy chamber you could bond a strut in below the mast step to the keel moulding.

You could drill out the rivets and use some stainless nuts and bolts with some larger washers to secure the shroudplates more securely

And screw some chocks below the centre thwart to stop the centreboard casing moving sideways.

Oh. and get a light for the garage.

 

[Ruffles]

All items mentioned in hand.

Except considering NOT varnishing. The original was varnished then the boat was left up side down on a garage roof. The varnish kept it wet and it rotted from the inside.

And it'll be kept in a dinghy stand so I don't want it to look too smart.

BTW it has an excellent theft deterrent - a bronze drain bung that I can take home! Almost as good as the self deflating inflatable that I keep there now.

 

[Lakesailor]

Remember not to leave it at home!