Should the spreader caps hold the shroud in place?

demonboy

demonboy

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It's never occurred to me as I've not re-rigged my ketch before, but I was wondering if the end caps on the spreaders actually secure the shrouds in place, or if they simply act as a guide, to be tightened at the deck. Which is it?

Cheers
 
john_morris_uk said:
Best practice is for them to be secured IMHO. Years ago the spreaders sometimes weren't secured and it was possible for them to slip upwards or downwards and break with spectacular results.
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Seems you know your onions, John. I was interested in your comment (as per my previous post) about how to line up the shroud with the spreader. To reiterate: drop the shroud against the mast and mark it where it lies with the bottom of the spreader. Then take it to the end of the spreader and fix it so the mark is at the upper end of the cap. Correct?
 
demonboy said:
Seems you know your onions, John. I was interested in your comment (as per my previous post) about how to line up the shroud with the spreader. To reiterate: drop the shroud against the mast and mark it where it lies with the bottom of the spreader. Then take it to the end of the spreader and fix it so the mark is at the upper end of the cap. Correct?
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Correct. It then bisects the angle correctly. Ignore any stretch in the halyard, they do stretch but it will be insignificant.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Since reading about this bisection business here I have been looking round harbours, marinas and anchorages to try to spot a boat with non-horizontal spreaders. No luck yet, but I'll keep on trying ...
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It might not be obvious from below. Mine look horizontal from the deck or the pontoon, but when I was moored against a high wall recently, and walked back to the boat at low tide with the spreaders at eye level, I learned that they're actually swept upwards quite substantially.

Pete
 
When I had new rigging to fit I was pleased to find that the spreaaders had clamps that really could grip the capshroud so as to maintain the upward tilt of the spreader. On a previous boat, where I tended to be in charge of the maintenance schedule, the spreader tips simply clipped onto the shroud so a ferrule was crimped onto the shroud to prevent the spreader from drooping. I always wondered whether the ferrule would promote crevice corrosion in the SS, it should but after many years the mast is still standing.

Rob.
 
rob2 said:
When I had new rigging to fit I was pleased to find that the spreaaders had clamps that really could grip the capshroud so as to maintain the upward tilt of the spreader.
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In theory, if the angle is bisected, no grip is needed as the spreader will be in equilibrium.
 
JumbleDuck said:
In theory, if the angle is bisected, no grip is needed as the spreader will be in equilibrium.
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except that once you sail in a bit of a breeze,enough to make the boat heel more than about 20°, the leeward shroud will go slack then if there is nothing supporting the spreader and its free to do so it will droop.

I have little light wire stays running from part way along the spreaders to the mast above, which prevent the spreaders drooping.
 
VicS said:
except that once you sail in a bit of a breeze,enough to make the boat heel more than about 20°, the leeward shroud will go slack then if there is nothing supporting the spreader and its free to do so it will droop.

I have little light wire stays running from part way along the spreaders to the mast above, which prevent the spreaders drooping.
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And in any case I have a sneaking suspicion that a bisecting spreader isn't in stable equilibrium anyway. I doubt it matters much.
 
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