tuning piver tri rigging

[simon braithwaite]

Hi,
Ive recently brought a 32ft piver tri and have removed the wooden mast to repair some rot and repaint ect..

Mast is back in and ive tentioned rigging evenly and after a couple of sails tightened the side stays a little as they were ( what i thought ) a bit too loose.

Apart from that ive got no idea weather they are correctly tuned. Should the inner shrouds be a little tighter-looser? being a wooden mast should it be allowed to flex a little? Are the amas designed to be supported at all by a well tensioned rig?

Appreciate any advise- cheers Simon

[Steve Rust]

The amas should not need support from the rigging. As far as tuning the rig much depends on what type you have. On my Searunner I have a cutter rig with double spreaders on an aluminum mast. Basicly I have the cap shrouds and the lowers at the same tension. The intermediates are a little looser. The forestay and backstay tightest of all. I also induce a small bend aft in the head of the mast using an inner forestay and backstay. I just eyeball it and sight up the mast track as far as keeping it in column and adjusting the forward bend.

[jumpnkd]

I to have piver it is about 31 so i think we may have same it is the Nimble.
nice sailing boat, I set my rig so there is no slack on the shrouds on the down wind sides. I am going to rake the mast back to try to move my cg back a bit as my outer amas will dig a bit in heavy winds and even thou I have had her up to 16knts in a 20 blow in long isl sound, she should be faster and not so much weather helm. Have yet to fly one of the amas as i dont like to see the down wind ama under water!
In VA Bill white
31piver
37cc Irwin

Simon, I have a Lodestar that is still under major refit. The standing gang is in place. I will check my tension this weekend and post next week. Brian Toss' Rigger's Apprentice has some guidleines for tension, including differential between the shrouds and stays. I would recommend this book. In my expreience, a wood spar should always be rigged softer than an aluminum, but if your leeward shrouds are flapping in the breeze, it is too loose.
Since my boat has an aluminum spar, the tension will be different, but the difference between the shrouds and stays should give you a starting point.