Knut Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 I have been wondering about how to avoid having to tighten and loosen the shroud turnbuckles every time the mast goes up and down. It takes time, the shrouds may get out of adjustment etc. I coupled a spanner into the forestay arrangement as shown in the attached picture (spanner is closed). Once the mast is up, the quick-connect/release shackle is connected to the open spanner (giving enough slack to easily do this). Then the spanner is closed and the stays are all back to the same tension every time without any need for adjustments. To lower the mast, just open the spanner, disconnect the shackle and lower the mast. No long-time experience yet, but I am very pleased so far. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannah Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Knut, is there another word for the gizmo you're calling a spanner? The only meaning I know for this word is the English term for wrench. How long is the gizmo and why do you use a shackle to connect it to the eyebolt? Couldn't it be connected directly? From whom purchased? Thanks for putting up with all the questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Pyeatt Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Also curious as to the overall length of the combination before you get to the forestay. :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Mellema Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Knut That looks like an interesting device. I do not know what it is called but it looks like it would make an easy adjustment of the tension on the forstay. I think it would be about as easy as just hooking up the shackle that they recomend in the plans. I have not completed my boat to the point of doing any rigging yet but will get it done soon so I don't have much experience with this type of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jones Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 if that's what I think it is, it's called a Hyfield lever. Opens up to slacken, then snaps closed to tension. There should be some sort of locking mechanism to keep it closed. Can't figure why all that is needed, rather than just tensioning the jib halyard and putting a shackle into the eyebolt, then slacking the jib halyard. Looks very complex to me. And I really prefer things to be as simple as possible in rigging. Why not put the lever right on the end of the wire and do away with the turnbuckle even? And why do you need to change the shroud turnbuckles to raise and lower the mast? The guy I built the Weekender for never changes them and I never do on my larger trailerable sloop. What's the reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hagan Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 The spanner looks a lot like a "stay adjuster" as seen in the West Marine catalog ... made especially for small boats. Charlie, I've always had to loosen the shrouds to be able to attach the forestay on my boat. Not enough strength to connect the forestay, I guess. Then I tighten them to the point where they make a kind of musical note rather than a dull note, and seems to be tight enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T. Nelson Surbrook Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Wow, I don't tighten my shrouds even close to that much. I can attach the forstay by pulling hard on it to reach the eye on the end of the bowsprit and slip the shackle over the eye and lock the pin in place. When under way the shrouds on the lee side are loose enough to move around a little and the ones on the windward side you could play a tune on. I didn't think we should have the standing rigging so tight that it would "twang" when not under sail. Have I been doing this wrong? It works just fine for me but now you have me wondering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Knut' date=' is there another word for the gizmo you're calling a spanner? The only meaning I know for this word is the English term for wrench. How long is the gizmo and why do you use a shackle to connect it to the eyebolt? Couldn't it be connected directly? From whom purchased? Thanks for putting up with all the questions.[/quote']Johannah, the gizmo is called a lever (pls excuse my trouble with English terminology) and is called Jonson Quick Release Lever. I bought online from Annapolis Performance Sailing. They have two versions, one for maximum 1/8" wire and one for 5/32" wire costing 46.50 and 49.05 respectively. It can be directly connected to the bowsprit eyebolt, but I have to grind off a little of the eye thickness to make it fit (plenty strong enough anyway), so the shackle was only a temporary connector. The overall length of the 5/32" unit is less than 9". The first hank(?) (jib connector to the forstay) is more than 20" from the lowest grommet, so this assembly is not in the way of the sail. If you want to check online: http://www.apsltd.com/Depts/dept1784.asp I hope this gives you the necessary details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeStevenson Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 I agree with Mr. Surbrook: these shouldn't need so much tension. We tend to run ours with just enough slack to connect the forestay, then give the t-bucks two turns or so to tighten up things. If you get in the habit of loosening and tightening the same amount, they'll stay pretty close all the time. Don't run the standing rigging too tight. We keep the shrouds tight enough to avoid getting slack in the lee side too much, but not enough to place undue loads on the tabernacle. If the mast stays straight while sailing, that's enough--if it gets a slight kink at the tabernacle, tighten the shrouds a bit. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knut Posted February 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Hi everybody, thanks for the comments and questions. As always, this is not a black and white issue where this is right and this is wrong, end of story. My point is in short as follows: As Mike is hinting at, the stays should be tight enough to avoid that the shrouds on the downwind side are going slack. As far as I can find out, this is already tight enough that it is impossible to manually connect the forestay directly (without first slackening something). I may add that to be able to point well into the wind with a jib larger than in the plans (which makes a major difference in performance) the stays need to be tensioned a little more than just barely avoiding slackening. This is necessary to avoid too much sag in the forestay which would bring the jib out of shape. The simplest way of slackening and tightening (provided we agree that this is needed) would be using a turnbuckle on the forestay (and leaving the shrouds fixed). And it works well with the loosening and tigthening that goes with it. The quick release lever I am using can do away with the turnbuckle exercise every time (and it may even replace the turnbuckle entirely). Hooking up and disconnecting can be done with a good slack, no need to fight and it is very quick. The lever has a locking pin with a spring loaded locking ball. It cannot accidentally open while sailing. Happy sailing whatever solution you choose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt jake Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Works just like a chain binder; that would be a NW term, or a trucking term!! Great idea!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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