Tune standing rigging - spreaders angle above horizontal

[Hoodsail]

Had a rigger tell me to position my main mast spreaders about 15 degrees above the horizontal. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to ask him how w/o going aloft. Any pointers on adjusting spreaders (thankfully only 1 set) with the stick in? And suggestions on determining angle of spreaders above horizontal from the deck? Thnks

[mike d.]

Use some strapping ! Loosen the side stays. then push the spreaders up ! You want the angle of the wire above the spreaders close to 90 degrees, above and below, or equal angle above and below the spreader if you can't do 90 ! If you have spreader mounts that angle up some what just eye ball that angle as close as you can ! Our mast has welded spreader mounts, that are angled to make this easy !

[slug]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Had a rigger tell me to position my main mast spreaders about 15 degrees above the horizontal. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to ask him how w/o going aloft. Any pointers on adjusting spreaders (thankfully only 1 set) with the stick in? And suggestions on determining angle of spreaders above horizontal from the deck? Thnks

Spreaders are in compression and must bisect the shrouds

This means spreaders tips up

Google a rigging , tunning guide for a better explanation

[Hoodsail]

Thanks for the advice...will loosen stays and attempt to move spreaders just beyond horizontal...I had searched the CF earlier for info but no luck. Thnks

[MicHughV]

yah, the trick is to have the angle of the shroud wire the same from deck to spreader as from spreader to mast, at the spreader tip. ie, you want the load to be as near as damnit in line with the spreader. This means the spreader will usually be upturned, 10-15 degrees or so...you can have someone on deck eyeball this angle as you move the spreader. What I do, once the spreader is in the right location, I will tightly wrap some twine around the stay underneath the spreader tip to prevent the spreader from sagging. Once the shroud is re-tensioned, I will continue the wrapping above and below the spreader tip to lock it in place, the spreader should not move again after this. I've seen some people use a small stainless steel hose clamp for this purpose, wrapped around the shroud. You have to make sure the little tab is on the inside to prevent it catching on anything, but the spreader tip will use a have vinyl spreader guard wrapped around it.
Good luck.

[barnakiel]

Beware some spreaders will have a locking pin (bolt) that catches the wire. These require easing out the pin to let the wire slide.


b.

[dick sargent]

Without loosening the shrouds, try clipping the main halyard with attached tail onto the upper shroud to allow it to slide up or down. Tugging gently, tap the spreader tip upward. Reversing the process can be done using weighted bucket and a little creativity. The bisected angle is the correct setting. Another person can eyeball for you. Took me 20 years to figure it out. Ha ha.

[Cheechako]

Spreaders should split the angle to be equal either side of the spreaders. It has nothing to do with the deck.

[Hoodsail]

Sargent, I cant afford the 20 yrs of learning so will capitalize on your knowledge and attempt to use the main halyard with a line attached to it so I can nudge the end of my spreaders up and still retrieve the halyard.
Barnakiel - Thanks, I had checked the spreaders when stick was down this past winter and no locking pin.
Cheechako - looks like one of the illustrations from B Toss’s rigging book
Thnks all

[MicHughV]

you can nudge it up as described above......but you also need to keep it up....
when hard on the wind, the leeward upper shroud is likely to sag a little...and the spreader may fall back down due to lack of tension in the upper shroud......
'jes sayin'.....

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Thanks for the advice...will loosen stays and attempt to move spreaders just beyond horizontal...I had searched the CF earlier for info but no luck. Thnks

You don't want the spreaders "just above horizontal", you want them angled up enough so that the angle between the spreader and the stay is equal above and below. On single spreader rigs this applies to the only set. On multi spreader rigs this applies to the top most set. The Lower set(s) will be horizontal and have 90 degree angles at the tips for the cap shroud.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Thanks for the advice...will loosen stays and attempt to move spreaders just beyond horizontal...I had searched the CF earlier for info but no luck. Thnks

Stays are fore and aft supports, shrouds are lateral supports and have the spreaders.

You probably don't need to loosen the shrouds, but if you want to then it might make the spreader move a bit easier. I didn't, and it worked out fine. The hard part will be getting out there. Get stainless steel seizing wire, new spreader boots, and rigging tape. In bosun's chair or harness, put a line around the shroud before you go up. When you get to level of spreaders, pull in on that line to get ourself swung out to very near the shroud. It takes a bit of force to get yourself out that far. Fasten that line to yourself so you can free up your hands. Remove the spreader boot. Remove the seizing wire that is wrapped around the shroud to hold the spreader tip in place. Tap the spreader up to where it should be - you want to have a helper, ideally, on the dock somewhere to get a good look to tell you when the angle of spreader to shroud above and below is equal. Put on new stainless steel seizing wire. Tighten it well with pliars. Put on a new boot and secure it with rigging tape.

Now go do the other side. Lots of fun, eh?