shroud tension question?

[Bob_S]

And here it is, yet another one of my many questions lol. Thank you in advance for your help.
I am about to launch my CD-27 for the season here in Connecticut. The mast was pulled and my understanding is, while they will do a general setup. the rig won't be exactly tuned. My uppers are 7/32nds and my lowers are 5/32nds. I have the manuals for the boat and they describe tensioning the shrouds to some approximate amount of deflection (going from memory - I don't have the manual in front of me) I do have the proper Loos tensioning gauges for each size shroud but was wondering if anyone has a number to shoot for...? I did measure them when I was getting ready to put the boat away last fall...none of the pairs matched was getting readings around 30 for the uppers and low twenties for the lowers but again, the pairs didn't exactly match...

As always thank you all...this board has been my favorite winter reading Ha!

Regards,
Bob S.

[Jim Walsh]

https://loosnaples.com/how-to-use-pt-se ... ion-gauges
You really can’t go wrong by following their recommendations. I started with their initial settings and decided what was best for me. Now I just go back to the settings I prefer year after year. There is nothing like objective proof that your rig is tuned. Every other method is subjective.

[kerrydeare]

And here it is, yet another one of my many questions lol. Thank you in advance for your help.
I am about to launch my CD-27 for the season here in Connecticut. The mast was pulled and my understanding is, while they will do a general setup. the rig won't be exactly tuned. My uppers are 7/32nds and my lowers are 5/32nds. I have the manuals for the boat and they describe tensioning the shrouds to some approximate amount of deflection (going from memory - I don't have the manual in front of me) I do have the proper Loos tensioning gauges for each size shroud but was wondering if anyone has a number to shoot for...? I did measure them when I was getting ready to put the boat away last fall...none of the pairs matched was getting readings around 30 for the uppers and low twenties for the lowers but again, the pairs didn't exactly match...

As always thank you all...this board has been my favorite winter reading Ha!

Regards,
Bob S.

Jim mentioned tension gauges which work well. I have one for sale (at a good price) so let me know if you are interested (via PM).

[John Stone]

I use the loos gauge too. Very happy with it. It’s calibrated for 1x19 and since I have 7x7 standing rigging I have to make some allowances. It seems very accurate. I have found I can easily reset shroud and stay tension with it.

[fmueller]

Bob ...

Loos instruction PDF ... good generalized tension info ... use their generic loading info and I think you'd be good to go ... except you may need asymmetric tensions on the lowers to keep the mast straight ... but at least they give you some good starting values ...

http://newcontent.westmarine.com/docume ... NST-07.pdf

Fred

[Keith]

I also use the loos gauge and am very happy with it. I thought that my tensioning by feel was pretty good but when I started using the loos gauge I quickly realized that my feel was not very consistent.

Keith

[Bob_S]

As always Thank you one and all!!
Fair Winds,
Bob S

[John Stone]

Something we have not mentioned is how to tune. The sequence is important. There are various rig tensioning guides out there and I guess they are probably mostly similar. I use the Selden guide even though I have a Sparcraft mast. I just like the way the guide is laid out. Anyway, go to page 37 and they have the tuning sequence and percent tensioning amounts for mast head single spreader with fore and aft lowers.

http://www.seldenmast.com/files/595-540-E.pdf

[gates_cliff]

I've had a guy I know sailing with me and he observed/commented that he thought the shrouds were too loose. Please note, he is not a rigger.

My wife has had some ongoing medical issues, so I haven't had as much time as I'd like so I havent attended to all of the things I should. So one day I was going to meet him and another guy on my boat to go out for a sail. I get there and, God bless them, they were tensioning my shrouds.

That night I was looking through the Cape Dory owner's manual and noted an entry that the shrouds should not be "bar tight"and that there should be about an inch of play in leeward shrouds and that with too much tension might damage the mast/rigging.

I don't have a tensioning gage but guess I'll have to get one.

[tjr818]

You will find that the tension gauge does not have a reading for "Bar Tight"

[John Ring]

Ivar.PNG

I've always found this little book (and a Loos gauge) to be very helpful.

John Ring
CD36 Tiara