"Benefits" of spreaders on a dinghy?

Searush

Searush

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Oct 2006
Messages
26,779
Location
- up to my neck in it.
back2bikes.org.uk
I have 2 masts for my ancient (almost 50 yo) GP14. It came with spreaders fitted & I have aquired a spare rig with a plain mast.

There are minor problems with both rigs, and I'm not sure which one to sort out & use. So can someone enlighten me as to the benefits (or otherwise) of using spreaders on a very old wooden dink that will be used for family pottering & fun?
 
These chaps manage without :D

IMG_0442_zps607c7ae8.jpg
 
The spreaders control mast bend.
You get more control over sail shape, and the mast section can be lighter.
You might be OK with an old style rig with no spreaders, but bear in mind it might not be compatible with a modern, powerful kicker.

If your family sailing extends to capsize drill, the lighter modern rig might be an advantage.
That's assuming the modern rig is actually lighter, I'm not that au fait with GP class rules.
 
As above the ( aft swept) spreaders will induce mast bend which will increase as the tension in the windward shroud increases with increasing wind strength.

There are some rigging guides on line which you will find if you Google for GP14 rigging guide.

For the boat you describe and your intended use probably the spreader-less rig is the one to concenrtate on , unless the other requires less work to sort it out
 
Last edited:
I have never seen a boat like a GP 14 rigged without spreaders. Stick with the spreader rig setup.

The spreaders hold the mast much straighter in the sideways direction (where the mast width is less). Holding the mast in two places - the spreader root and the hounds, where the shrouds attach, gives much better bend control
 
dunedin said:
I have never seen a boat like a GP 14 rigged without spreaders. Stick with the spreader rig setup.

The spreaders hold the mast much straighter in the sideways direction (where the mast width is less). Holding the mast in two places - the spreader root and the hounds, where the shrouds attach, gives much better bend control
Click to expand...

Here you go. Late 50s. My Dad, me (on left) & my brother with Dad's Bell-built GP14 - no spreaders in those days.

Honeytop-Aberdaron.jpg


Happy days
 
Yes. Repair the cheapest and easiest. If it's the spreaderless one it'll easier to transport and rig as well.
If they built one without spreaders they must have thought that OK at the time. As you're not racing I can't see the proble.
 
It depends on where one is sailing, and how much of a pain or danger it would be if the mast breaks.

I've sailed boats like this and Fireballs without spreaders, the alloy masts bent alarmingly right in the middle and I can easily imagine a wooden mast breaking; the spreaders give crucial support, they're not some computer generated exotic racing add-on !
 
Many dinghy classes (EG GP14s, Enterprises) were originally spreaderless. As noted above, spreaders give lateral rigidity and control over mast bend (which is closely related to sail shape.) They also help prevent masts "panting" in higher winds or rougher water.

I'd certainly go for spreaders but you may have to change the shrouds for slightly longer ones (which may have to be made around the spreader end fittings.)
 
I would also go with the rig with spreaders, for all the reasons listed above. In addition, if you ever fly a kite it will help stop the rig inverting, but above all IMHO if your boat is 50 years old it will allow you to give more support to the rig without excessive rig tension, and with reduced mast compression.
 
Hhmmm, both masts are alloy.

The shrouds for the non-spreader mast are too long anyway - not sure why on what is effectively a one-design, but maybe the fittings were outside the hull rather than inside it.

It will be interesting to try the spreader mast shrouds on the non-spreader one to see if they are within the adjustment scope of he shroud plates. The non-spreader mast also has spinny fittings on it which may be fun to try sometime.
 
GP14s originally had wooden masts, of course; when metal masts came in (we are now talking about 40 years ago, or thereabouts) they would be with or without spreaders. Proctor masts had spreaders but another popular type (can't remember which) of metal masts, used at the time, didn't.
Spreaders could be adjusted, to some extent, for width and angle to accommodate different crew weights.
Up to you which you use.
Shroud lengths would vary depending on whether shrouds were fixed at deck level or went through the deck to be fixed lower down. Obvious comment to anyone new to this game: examine shrouds and forestay (and jib halyard) with a supercritical eye and replace anything not completely OK (a single broken strand in a shroud means replace both shrouds).
 
If you ever plan of reefing the mainsail, then you will need the spreaders to stop the mast bending the wrong way making the sail fuller when you least need it to be full and baggy.
 
Hmmm. So why did one mast manufacturer design a non-spreader rig?
Did they suppose no-one would reef or fly a spinnaker?
Or did they make that mast sturdier?

If you want to get maximum performance use the spreaders. Here's a handy tuning guide(.pdf) from our local loft. Where the GP14 World and National champions work.
 
Last edited:
Lakesailor said:
Hmmm. So why did one mast manufacturer design a non-spreader rig?
Did they suppose no-one would reef or fly a spinnaker?
Click to expand...

I have never seen anyone reef a GP14.

Also the spinnaker block is only just above the forestay - not high enough to make a much of a difference to mast bend. The spinnaker is also hardly any bigger than a hankerchief.
 
Why you don't reef a dinghy main?

An interesting question. I don't know of any dinghy class which reefs the main. The 18ft Skiff class do have available 3 different rigs for various wind strengths. It seems to me a matter of what peer pressure allows.
I was involved way back with a junior sailing school using a small 10ft dinghy peculiar to our club. The mainsails were fitted with eyelets for reefing. hough had never been used reef. I found that being able to reef the main just extended the wind range where the sailing could be enjoyed. It is actually easier to sail ina strong steady wind with a reef than in light winds.
We have a class of 27ft keel boat at our club and for their own reasons (peer pressure I think) they never reef. Again I think this is madness. Especially so if you are not racing.
So I would strongly suggest to Searush that he get reefing eyelets put in the mainsail. You don't need fancy lines to the cockpit. Just use lanyards to pull tack forward around mast and down around boom and for the clew lanyard around the boo and another out tot he end of the boom. Make sure you have a decent slug at the top of the main not just bolt rope as their can be a fair but of force pulling the sal out of the track when not up to the top of the mast.
I think I would go for mast with spreaders.
good luck olewill
 
Vern of these forums has a main with reef points on his Osprey, the boat came with it and a normal full main; he also acquired an Enterprise main for similar purposes, obviously he / we plan cruising type trips not racing.
 
The reason few dinghies reef the main is that a reefed main will not bend the mast the same as a full size one, so you end up with more fullness high up, not good for reducing heeling.
Also, the mast no longer bends in response to gusts.
Modern dinghies can flatten the sails so much that a full size main can be handled in most weather.
Also modern sailcloth holds it shape very well on a dinghy sized main.
If you want to reef, you ideally need a sail cut with that in mind in the first place. Training sails are often very flat in the top half, with a straighter mast than you'd use racing.

Also, training boats often reef the sails to keep things easy in the early stages of instruction, not necessarily because it is windy, often more because the people are on the small side for the boat.

You sometimes see people struggling with reefed sails when a well set, full size main would be easier to handle.
For the GP, you can get a jib with a small overlap in place of the racing genoa. That is definitely a good call for singlehanded use or pottering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top