Standing Rigging

[ilikeraresteak]

I have a 40' Ketch, how tight should the rigging be? It seems to be too loose to me.

[delmarrey]

Which rigging?

You have to go by the wire size.

How*to*use*Tension*Gauges*|*Loos*&*Co.*-*Cableware*Division

[ilikeraresteak]

OK, but in general should they be so loose that they hang loose when the boat is heeled over?

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by ilikeraresteak

OK, but in general should they be so loose that they hang loose when the boat is heeled over?

Maybe in a 25+ knot wind on a reach or closehaul, more likely at 30º + heeling. But that depends on the boat. I don't know much about the construction of a 40 Morgan. Usually anything over 30º is a waste of air.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Rare,
Having had an old wood ketch many years ago (which is totally inappropriate for this thread) I used to tighten the rigging so that there was no flopping about when the boat was in its slip. Not a twang like a guitar string but just short of that. You must anticipate that your leeward shrouds will be slack when you are underway and close hauled. They should not be slack enough to have your spreaders flopping about and in danger of coming lose or slipping off the shrouds.
There will be other responses I'm certain but that should get you started.
kind regards,
JohnL

[ilikeraresteak]

thanks for the help

[GordMay]

See also the earlier discussion:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...sion-9844.html

[nonam]

Speaking generally,when the boat is heeled over ,a bit of slackness in the lee shrouds is OK.But they shouldnt be "sloppy".
Look up the mast when heeled over.Its OK for the top of the mast to curve off a bit but any "sqiggles" should be tuned out.

[ilikeraresteak]

ok thanks

[forsailbyowner]

Morgan manual says about the same as earlier posts. final tensioning is done under sail in moderate to strong winds sailing upwind. Take slack out of leeward shroud counting turns then turn in other shroud same amount when not under tension. Read one article about dockside tensioning that stated all 1x19 wire should have 3 mm stretch over 2 meter length. done with tape and 2 meter rule.
forsailbyowner

[Celestialsailor]

I feel there is way too much emphases placed on rigging tension. Nonam's solution is the way I do it. Beware though that rigging over-tightened on a poorly constructed boat will actually "bend" the boat. Another method I use to see if anything is going on is to "sound" the wires with a stick. Whack the wires and it should sound like a lazer guns from a Star Wars movie. Sounds weird but works for me. If one wire is lose, it will have a lower tone than it's opposite counter-part. No sound at all is way under tensioned.