Standing Rigging / Spars

Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Standing Rigging / Spars / Tensioning rigging
 
 
Author Tensioning rigging
Bruce Ferry
Newburgh NY

Boat Name: Seneca T

Model/Year: 22 / 1975

Hull No. 4842

Hailing Port: New Hamburg NY
07/12/2011 10:32 PM Pacific Time

OK, new sailor slowly reconditioning a '75 to actually sail again after 2 seasons of just hanging out on the mast-less hull. I could have done that forever, but it dawned on me that I am missing its full potential and it would be a great way to use the breezy May and September days that are wasted now.

Bought the boat, a truckload of gear and a prepaid season's mooring for 1000 bucks. Am gradually spending more money to recondition it than I would have paid for a new boat. I'm sure I'm not the first to do this.

Stepped the mast myself using a self-devised rig to stabilize it on the way up - like natural childbirth, I'm not sure I would ever do it again but I can say that I did it once. Spent the next few days on a ladder untangling the rigging. Basically, I made every mistake that has ever been made and invented a few new ones.

Now, I'm at the point of tensioning the rigging. Brand spanking new Loos PT-1 in hand, I attacked the job, thinking, "Slam dunk, I'll be out of here in a half hour." Two hours later - POd, sunburned, and tired of providing entertainment for the knuckleheads with the beer bellies on their overpowered bass boats - I gave up.

As recommended, I began with the forestay and backstay. Loosened the lowers 'til they were floppy and the uppers that run down thru the spreaders (I don't have all the terms down yet) enough to release tension but not enough to let the mast fall over. Started turning the turnbuckles one turn at a time on each end until the forestay reached the recommended 21 on the gauge, then tried to get the backstay to the same point. When I got the backstay to 21, the forestay was at about 25 so I loosened it back to 21, then the backstay was too loose... I did that for about an hour, then tried the ones at the sides. Same result - if one was right, the other was way wrong.

How can this be? If the masthead were fixed in space it would be one thing, but since it - and the mast below it - can (theoretically) move freely in any direction, shouldn't the two ends or sides reach a point of equilibrium where both ends or sides are equally tight??? Have I entered a separate universe where the conventional laws of physics don't apply???

Very frustrating day. Help.
Linda Hoffecker
Lancaster, PA

Boat Name: t/c

Model/Year: '82 Cat 22

Hull No. t/c

Hailing Port: Havre de Grace, MD
07/12/2011 11:19 PM Pacific Time

I feel your pain! I did the same kind of spending, including launching and berthing. Then, broke my wrist (not even on the boat)! So there it floats with everything flapping in the breeze but me who is flapping only jaws. When someone comes up with a way to tune the mast w/out fancy instruments, let me know for when I am 'castless'. At one point, the yardman said he'd tune it twice; second time after the stays, shrouds, etc got settled in, but after getting invoices for every nut, washer, cotter pin, I realized that this was not going to be out of the goodness of his heart. Soooooo, this is why we love sailboats, right?
Ted McGee
Cumming

Boat Name: GA

Model/Year: MKII/1996

Hull No. 15370

Hailing Port: Lake Lanier Georgia
07/13/2011 4:52 AM Pacific Time

We have an adjustable backstay and so I never pay attention to the tension on it. I am guessing yours is fixed. While it is possible to get them to the same tension, if that is what you want to do, they are of different in length, so setting one to a tension of 21 won't ensure the same on the other. You would have to approach this a little different. Tighten one up a little. Measure both, tighten the one that has the least tension a little, measure both. You should only tighten in small increments. The closer you get to the tension you want the smaller those increments should be.

Same thing on the uppers and lowers. If you tighten the port upper to 20, for example, starboard may or may not be 20. They could also be of a slightly different length if the mast has even the slightest lean to one side. In the case of the uppers and lowers, they will be much closer to the same length than the forestay and backstay and when you tighten one its opposite will be much closer to the same tension. So again, tighten in small increments one side then the other. When the shrouds are loose to start with you could take up a couple of turns at a time. When the shrouds start getting tension take only one turn on the turnbuckle at a time. When you start getting closer to the tension you want take only half a turn at a time. As you slowly increment the tension on your lowers and uppers you can sight up the luff groove of the mast to see if it is twisting to one side or the other. To make sure the mast doesn't lean from one side to the other user the jib halyard as a measurement to a point on both sides of the boat as you tighten up the uppers. To be even more accurate use the jib halyard to pull a tape measure to the top of the mast. You would probably need a 50 foot measure to do this as a 25 foot measure is not quite enough.
R. C. Luiken
Milford, DE

Boat Name: Ricochet

Model/Year: C-22 Swing Keel/1986

Hull No. 13560

Hailing Port: Milford, DE/St. Michaels, MD
07/13/2011 5:59 AM Pacific Time

At the risk of being totally wrong, I think you may have a sequencing problem. I use the North Sails Tuning Guide. Google that and find the Catalina 22 under th One design selector. Follow that sequence and see what happens.
 
 
Standing Rigging / Spars
Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Standing Rigging / Spars / Tensioning rigging