Rigging

[Guest]

I have a 18ft sailing boat that has a mast head rig with cap shrouds that lead via spreaders to chain plates at deck level and lowers that also come down to the deck. My question is which one is best led to the aft chain plate the cap or the lower? I have tried them either way but dont know if I have them the right way round?

 

[oldsaltoz]

G’day Leslie.
You don’t say what brand you boat is, but have you looked up the mast to see if the rigging is in line as it passes over the spreaders, if you have them back-to-front you should see a slight change in direction. If it’s all in-line you should be ok.

Avagoodweekend Old Salt Oz……

 

[vyv_cox]

Taking the lowers to an aft chainplate usually requires that there is a babystay to offset their load, otherwise the mast will bow aft. This is very definitely to be avoided. You don't mention a babystay, so I assume you don't have one. In this case I would expect the lowers to go the forward chain plates and the cap shrouds aft, perhaps with aft-swept spreaders. The overall effect would be that the cap shroud/spreader combination will tend to bow the mast forward a little and the lowers will mostly be there to keep the mast straight laterally.

 

[Guest]

Ther is something odd here, if lowers at not in line with the cap shroud, ie share a common chainplate then you would appear to have split lowers. In that case you need two each side, forward and aft to stabilise the centre of the mast. Check that the forward ones have not been removed!! If there is no sign that there ever where foward lowers.
The only other thing that occures is is it a high performance bendy mast with swept back spreaders? in which case the cap shrouds go to the aft chainplate and the lowers to the forward ones where they restrict side dend at the mid mast. This is not an uncommon rig but I heave never herd of it on a masthead rig, only on factional rigs. I would get a rigger to look at it unless you can tell us the class!

Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster http://www.voya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk//MW1/Intropage.htm

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your replies It is clear that the cap s should be led aft thanks again.LES