New toy - Rig Tension Gauge from Saltyjohn.

[Norman_E]

Having had a re-rig this winter I know that however well the riggers have set things up I will need to have the rig adjusted once the boat is launched, and almost certainly again once I go sailing.

With that in mind I have bought a Loos rig tension gauge for up to 10mm wire. Thanks to forumite Saltyjohn I got it at a very good price, and it looks a super piece of kit. Now I can't wait to try it out.

 

[MasterofHera]

Works well.......if it hasn/t got a lanyard on it be carefull you dont drop it overboard. Tye bit of string round your arm.

 

[MasterofHera]

Or was it tie.

 

[KRG]

I used to do my rigging by eye and feel, tighten then sail in breeze and watch the lee shroud and caps; then, I too, bought one of Saltyjohn's Loos gauges and realised just how far away from the optimum setting it was. Great bit of kit.

 

[flyingscampi]

I was looking at the Loos gauge as I'm going to fit new standing rigging when the mast is stepped in the spring.

My standing rigging has 5, 7 & 8mm wire though so a single gauge won't cover this range.

I guess buying the 7 - 10mm one and using a manual method of checking the 2 x 5mm intermediate shrouds is the answer?

Hopefully SaltyJohn might turn up to offer some advice /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Salty John]

That's quite a range of wire sizes. Usually there are one or two sizes, hence the overlap at 7mm between the PT2 and the PT3 gauges allows one gauge to cover most boats.
Your suggestion to set up the 5mm by feel and use the PT3 for the rest is probably the way to go. You will get some sort of reading on the 5mm wire which you could use as a reference, but it will be low down the scale and not very accurate.
I assume the 8mm stays are as per design for your boat. You might want to check with the rigger that they are not grossly oversized and could be replaced with 7mm. Then you would only need a PT2M or a Standard type B (90M).

 

[Norman_E]

John, Thank you for the quick delivery of the gauge.
Whilst I guess most sloops only have a couple of different wire sizes (mine are all 8mm and 10mm) I have a friend with an HR42 ketch, and that has some pretty small stuff on the mizzen, 5 or 6mm, and 8mm and 10mm on the mainmast. I think ketches might often have a wide range of wire sizes.

 

[flyingscampi]

Thanks SaltyJohn, it's a Westerly Storm 33 and the rigging sizes are correct I believe.

 

[Salty John]

Good point regarding ketches, although my 41' ketch only had two wire sizes.