Rig tension gauge

[lw395]

£12......i wouldn't get out of bed for that.

Me neither, but for less than that I bought enough chinese digital spring balances to weigh a racing dinghy. Just need some 56lb weights to calibrate now!

 

[haydude]

Where abouts in the UK are you?

You never know, someone may have a tuning gauge you could borrow to check your rig.....

Thank you Paul, I am afraid my boat is abroad and the next trip over there will in a month, to sail her back to the UK.

 

[bbg]

You could think of getting a cheaper rig tension guage ...

Trident UK

Compass 24

There may be others

Edit - I see - 10 mm. Maybe use the 5mm version and measure it twice?

 

[Lakesailor]

I don't know the OP's circumstances but if you can afford a boat that uses 10mm rigging the cost of a rig gauge wouldn't seem like a showstopper to me.
Big boats are expensive to run.

 

[30boat]

I don't know the OP's circumstances but if you can afford a boat that uses 10mm rigging the cost of a rig gauge wouldn't seem like a showstopper to me.
Big boats are expensive to run.

There's probably no money left?

 

[Norman_E]

I have the Loos 10mm gauge, bought from SaltyJohn, who is a forumite and gave me a discount. With the rig set up straight, and enough tension in leeward shrouds, I keep a written record of tensions, so that a quick re-check will immediately reveal any problem. It was cheaper when I bought it, but as a proportion of the total cost of the boat and its gear, it is not expensive, relative to the peace of mind it gives.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thank you, as I said I know the method, which is exactly what I did not want to use because it involves loosening the rig first, and it is useful only when installing the mast the first time. Not practical only to check once the mast is up and the rig needs just tuning.

I take issue with your suggesting that the 'stretch' method is only any use when the mast is first set up. I suspect what you really mean is that you don't want to slack off your rigging and start again from scratch - and yet that is exactly what most people do when they start to tune a rig.

Slack it off and get the mast upright and at the correct rake with the wires only just hand tight. Then apply tension according to the Selden guide and measure the stretch, check for upright as you proceed. All it will cost you is a couple of bits of tape and the use of your steel tape measure.

I know the Loos guages are expensive, and you can moan all you like, but there's a bit of supply and demand going on here.