Sails and Rigging
12.9
Now you should tighten the headstay until it is
approximately half closed as well. This should induce
the appropriate amount of headstay tension. Never use
anything more than a pair of wrenches to tighten your
rigging. If you use an extended piece of pipe on the
handle of a wrench you can over tighten the rigging and
do damage to the mast or rigging.
It is necessary to go up the mast in a bosun’s chair
to tighten the number 2 diagonal shroud (D2 or inter-
mediate shroud). Always use caution when “going aloft”.
You should always use a mountain climbing harness
or Bosun’s Chair intended for this use. Always tie into
the harness with the halyard using a bowline and then
secure the shackle as a back up as the knot is more
reliable than a mechanical fastener. The person hoist-
ing you aloft should keep the halyard stopper closed to
prevent falls. Good communication between the two
of you is also important. Tighten the D2 until it has just
become tight and then add two complete turns. While
at the first spreader, look up the back of the mast to see
if it is straight (rather than bent from side to side). If it is
not straight then adjust the appropriate D2 to straighten
it.
Have the person on deck carefully lower you. They
should keep the halyard wrapped at least twice around
the winch and should always have one hand able to
stop the halyard from running free. Once on deck look
up the back of the mast and see if it is straight (rather
than bent from side to side). If not then adjust the lowers
(D1) until it is.
If you have the standard rig you need to attach the
struts at this time. Attach the lower end of the strut to
the smaller hole in the chainplate. Adjust the length by
turning the ball joint bearing in the upper end of the strut
until the holes in the pin can be attached. It is normal
to have some play between the strut and the chainplate
and strut bracket
The final test is to go sailing in 10-15 knots of wind. If
when sailing upwind, the shrouds on the leeward side
are slack then tighten them to remove about half the
slack keeping note of the number of turns. Then tack
and do the same to the other side. Do this until you
are happy with the tension and the leeward side does
not get loose when the boat is heeled. Now sight up
the mast to be sure it is still relatively straight from side
to side. If it is not then adjust to appropriate rigging
to correct it. For example: if the mast is straight until
the upper spreader and then hooks to the windward
side then you will have to revisit steps 6 and 7 above.
Remember to always tighten the leeward shroud, tack
and tighten the new leeward shroud the same amount.
This prevents damage to the turnbuckles and is also
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
much easier to do. Keep in mind it is also possible to
have something too tight such as a diagonal shroud.
. At this point you should have adequate head-
stay tension. The sails are built for an average of
14” [350mm] of headstay sag, possibly more or less
depending upon light or heavy air. The bend in the stan-
dard mast should be about 4” [100mm] and 1” [25mm]
in the furling mast and it should be nearly straight from
side to side when sailing upwind. If any of these are not
true then revisit the appropriate step above to correct it.
If the sag in the headstay is too much then adding ten-
sion to the verticals will fix it.
. Once the rig is tuned you should make sure to add
the cotter pins to all the rigging bending back the ends
and taping them to prevent snagged lines, sails and fin-
gers.
Note:
Remember that rigging, like everything else, can age.
As it gets older it may need to be replaced. The fre-
quency for which this becomes necessary depends on
the climate and conditions in which the boat is sailed.
For example: if you sail in the Caribbean it should be
replaced every 2-3 years compared to every 10 for the
great lakes. You should consult a professional rigger for
advice.
12.12 Protecting your Rigging
Without careful inspection and proper maintenance, the
rigging is subject to fatigue, wear, discoloration, and
therefore, product failure. Remember: regular inspection
and cleaning will increase the life of your investment and
secure your rigging. We suggest the following:
Always rinse your rigging with fresh water after sail-
ing, especially salt-water sailing. Salt can create corro-
sion pits, causing cracks and deterioration.
Clean with a water-soluble chlorine-free detergent.
Nonabrasive cleansers are best for hard white vinyl
coated cables.
Inspect rigging for stains. Rust stains may indicate
stress cracks or corrosion. Remove stains with synthetic
or brass pads. Never use steel wool pads.
Look for broken wires- a sign of fatigue in rigging.
Replace standing rigging if wires are broken.
Never mix stainless steel and galvanized metals on
cable, fittings, pins, cotter keys, etc. If mixing dissimilar
metals, electric currents may conduct between metal
causing rapid deterioration
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