Mast Bend

Michael, you are correct, but that unit only handles up to 1/4" wire.
Delmarrey, very good point. I thought it several times, but just couldn't seem to remember to type it.

[ozskip]

One thing not mentioned is the compression post and ply cabin roof in good order i have seen this create some interesting mast issues.Also on the plans hartley recommends a mast rake of 15in for your ketch rigged boat.Greg

[Alan Wheeler]

Arrr Greg, now that's interesting. 15" sounds an aweful lot. Is the Mizzen the same angle?
Ummmm, I don't suppose you would have a spare copy of that or could photo copy your plan or what ever and mail it. Or even scan and Email or what ever. I have a blue print for just an overall layout, but no real measurments as such. I would love some greater detail.
Another thing that differs fromt he originla plan, I believe that there was some brace thingimy out over the stern that the "single" aft stay' attached to. My boat does not have that. Nor do I really want it, it's to darn ugly and cumbersome. So hence the double aft stays to the aft corners.

[Alan Wheeler]

Just so as everyone can see what some of the rigging looks like, take a look at these links.
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...=7&the cat=500
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...ort=1&the cat=
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...ort=1&the cat=

That was a lot guff, so I hope it works.

[CaptainK]

Mast doesn't look bent in these photos?

With all due respect Alan. When did you have your eyes examined?
You be surprised what an eye exam would reveal.

It happened to my brother 12 years ago. That's for sure. It took a car accident to make himself go get an eye exam!!

Yep, it worked. Fairly typical rig. The original design you mentioned with a boomkin would not fit with the style of your boat. From everything I have seen here, I really think you have the rig too tight. Hard to tell from the photos of course. When you are beating in moderate wind, how tight is the leward shroud? If it still feels guitar string tight, that is a good indicator that the rig is too tight. So, where were the photos taken?

[Alan Wheeler]

K, the bend will not show up in any of these pictures. You can see it directly side on, of which I don't have a picture of, but may go get one.
Kai, it was on our D'Urville trip last year. Very light air and motor sailing? You will notice the tell tales not doing much at all and one shot the headsail is backwinding abit cause our boat speed is sitting on the same wind speed.
I suspect you maybe right about rig tension. It all makes sense. And if I can tension that Triadic via the Mizzen, then it will pull the top of the mast back. I am not going to tension it too much and bend the mast, I am just going to use the Traidic to keep the mast straight. I take it that trying to get pre-bend is of no importance to this rig and boat huh??

Not really. On a cruising boat, the rig does not benefit as much from precise tuning. From what you have told me so far, it sounds like the forestay was not tight enough. You put more tension on it by tightening only the forestay, and it pulled the top half of the mast forward. If you release tension on the forestay, and tighten the triadic this should give you the desired result and straighten the mast.
A quick and dirty tool for checking rigging tension can be fashioned with a fish scale and a piece of flat stock with 2 screws in it. Without a reference point you will not ba able to get accurate readings as to the tension, but you will be able to determine if the tension is equal on all the shrouds. You can also use it to get the forestay back to the same tension after adjusting the triadic.

[CaptainK]

I see. Said the blindman, to his poor deaf buddy?

So these photos where taken from a different angle?

Were these photos taken today?

[Alan Wheeler]

Yeah K, they were just some photo's I took for fun.
I had about 40mins of daylight left, so I just shot out to the boat and took a few snaps. So here are some pictures hot off the press.
The first one is of the spreaders. Gord made a comment about spreaders which also made me think I have an issue there as well. So do I just give these a belt upwards with a hammer???
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...sort=1&thecat=

This next one is of the mast head. You can see what I am talking about with the forestay attachment being higher than the aft. Please note, the aft's are normally in at the same terminal point as the Triadic. I extended the aft terminal point as a temporary suck and see experiment. So now you all see it, am I simply chasing a red hearing there??
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...sort=1&thecat=

The last one is of the mast from top spreaders up. It is very hard to see the bend, but you can just make it out. The bend lower down the mast is about the same the otherway, but in a positive direction of course. The bend is actually worse than what the picture depicts, but I just could not get a good shot of it.
http://cruisersforum.com/photopost//...sort=1&thecat=

Hey Kai! big buddy, mate, friend err, Ok I'll stop groveling. Any chance you could take some measurements of that tension device for us and what sort of pull measurment you place on it for some different wire gauges. I recon I could make something and do some maths on getting a reasonable close approxamite to the right tension.

[ozskip]

The rake of the mizzen is 9in on the plan i have.I will see about getting a copy made to send.Greg

[ozskip]

Also on the weekend i made up the rigging for my mizzen and will not be fitting a triatic stay leaving the main and mizzen independent of each other.

[CaptainK]

Hey Alan.

I noticed in the first photo, that the spreader is drooping downwards on the starboard side. That I noticed right off the bat!!

Well, with the right tension device. You'll get it all figured out!

[Alan Wheeler]

Greg, whats the advantage and disadvantage of the Tiradic then, seeing as you can leave it out of the picture.
And also, is the rig plan any different to mine then??

[Alan Wheeler]

Yeah K, looks like Mickey mouse on a bad day. I give the spreader a kick when I go past, but they don't move, so I didn't want to force the issue, incase that was what they were supposed to do. Looks like I need a bigger hammer
Also, seee, I am really quite normal. I may know stuff about some things, but when it comes to things I don't know, I am really quite lost.