rigging tension on hunter horizon

[laurafulcher]

We took our mast down in the winter and have got it back up but I don't know how tight to make the stays. It is a hunter 27 with one lot of stays up to the top, passing over the cross trees( cap shrouds?) and another lot halfway up and pulling slightly backwards.
The cross trees bend back a bit ( is that a swept spreader?). Someone told me about tightening one lot and then the other... Please answer in plain english or explain your terms. I'm a bit worried bacause I have just read an article about a mast breaking in half because of badly tensioned shrouds.many thanks.

 

[misterg]

Hello!

The Selden rigging guide has step by step instructions, and explains things from the beginning very well, I think

http://www.riggingandsails.com/pdf/selden-tuning.pdf

You have a fractional rig with swept back spreaders, by the way (pages 42 & 43, but read it all!) - don't worry if it isn't made by Selden, the instructions still apply.

 

[sailorman]

these work well

http://s118.photobucket.com/user/orwellbridge/media/Public/rigtensioner-1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=59

 

[Salty John]

Some information here: http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/resources/Rig tensioning using the Loos.pdf

The Seldon site mentioned earlier is excellent.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

All information help, but you also need to buy a Rig Tensioner; it is a very good investment because you will be able to tune and adjust your own rigging as often as you want, bearing in mind that the rigging should be adjusted at least twice a season; also a well tuned rig will allow you to go faster and closer to the wind. I have a Macwester Wight which is a very slow boat by design; however, I overtake many faster boats only because I keep things tuned.

 

[john_morris_uk]

You don't NEED a rig tension gauge although if you are feeling flush they are useful. You can measure tension pretty well with a steel tape and some bits of electricians tape and measure the wire stretch.

 

[boguing]

Having read the guides until you are happy that you know what to do (and asking is a sure sign that you are on the right track).

A few observations:-

No yacht is entirely symmetrical. Accurate meauring of mast to each toerail is probably a waste of time. Get the mast upright by looking from in front of, or behind the boat. It might not be level itself, so sort that out first.

On one boat that I had, the mast (deck-stepped) was about an inch to starboard of the 'centreline' (judged by a plane defined by fore and backstays.

The keel was an inch to that side too. Both were right in the middle of the moulded mount points. The mould plugs were wrong.

There was a production 41ft boat that was exactly the correct beam, but ddisplace by a whole inch to one side.

Looking up the mainsail track to see if it is straight when tensioning the lower shrouds? If you aren't sure, then it isn't! It's obvious when it is.

 

[laurafulcher]

Hello!

The Selden rigging guide has step by step instructions, and explains things from the beginning very well, I think

http://www.riggingandsails.com/pdf/selden-tuning.pdf

You have a fractional rig with swept back spreaders, by the way (pages 42 & 43, but read it all!) - don't worry if it isn't made by Selden, the instructions still apply.

thanks so much. it looks like a great document. I'm going to print it off and study it. And thanks for telling me what rig I have _ they don't tell you these things!! I think my rigging was far too loose last season!!