Hi All
We have recently taken delivery of Blue Moon 325/32.
She was lorried to Milford Haven obviously with the mast down.
All the shroud bottlescrews were in pieces so we have no idea of the correct rig tension and there is no indication in the Parker manual.
Can anyone help us on this ?

Jan

Hello Jan,

Since no one has replied specifically about the 325 yet, I'll offer my own suggestions based on tuning the rig on my 235, which are to read a rig-tuning guide for a double-spreader fractional rig and to get hold of a tension gauge! It's well worth it.

I can recommend Sail and Rig Tuning by Ivar Dedekum (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sail-Ri...t-description/1898660670 ) and there is also the excellent Selden Guide, which can be downloaded for free (http://www.seldenmast.com/page.cfm?id=6740 ).

Having tried it both without and then with a tension gauge, I heartily recommend using one. It makes the job much quicker, easier, more accurate and repeatable. It also enables you to check rig tension later, during the season, to see whether it's slackened off a bit after use. I bought the simplest 'Type A' here: http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/riggingtensiongauge.htm  (I've no connection with any of these companies, by the way. But I did spend a surprisingly long time messing about with my rig and yours is more complex, having double spreaders!)

Hope that helps.

Anthony Russell
235/02 Sea Wyche

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Hello Jan,

I fully endorse Anthony's suggestion that you get hold of a tension gauge, whether you are trying to set up your rig from scratch, or simply to check/monitor/maintain a professional rigger's settings.

I too just have the Loos Standard Type B [90M] wire gauge, and it has been an immense help, firstly in establishing what tensions that a professional rigger applied to my P27, and secondly in allowing me to fine tune them.

Another tuning reference that you may wish to compare with Selden's is the Kemp Sails Technical Guide to fractional rigging:
http://tinyurl.com/6fj3j7r 

sincerely

Geoff Sheddick
Parker 27/146 "Stroller'

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Hello Anthony and Geoff
Thanks for your reponses and the useful links.
I have downloaded the Selden info and bought a Loos type B .
Deciding what was vertical for the mast was tricky , I was told to use the main halyard cleated and measure to each side but this was not practical as either the Halyard is stretching or the mast is bending according to the force put on it. So I ended up with the gross assumption that the shrouds were the same length, so using caliphers between the ends of the bottlescrews we equalised the lengths to within 0.2mm,well below any tolerances used to make the shrouds I think. Then we wound up the bottlescews to the tension recomended , an unpleasant feeling really, waiting for something to go bang. Use of the Loos guage is interesting looks like plenty of scope for error and wear on the gauge, anyway we have some consistent figures and the mast appears upright so we will have to see how she goes.

Jan
325/32

Hi.

I have the tension figures for Lucky Devil, given to me by the previous owner. Unfortunately, they are on board - I'll put them on the forum after my next visit.


Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/32

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Jan,

One of us has our boat number wrong - we can't both be 32!



Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/32

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Jan,

My profile was wrong, now corrected!



Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/35

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Further to rig tension: the following figures were given to me by the previous owner. Using a tension guage:
Cap shrouds 41
Intermediates 23
Lowers 31.

When I had the standing rigging replaced, a professional rigger set the tensions "by eye". This resulted in some very high tensions and deformed the structure so that the forecabin door would not shut! Since reverted to the above tensions and all seems well to this non-expert.

Hope that helps.

Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/35

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Hello Mike
Thanks for the figures , can you confirm that this is a Loos type B gauge . We will then have a fiddle, certainly the intermediates and lowers will have to be wound up.

Jan
325/32

Jan,

Your message stimulated me to check my tensions today - one lower was quite out and since corrected.

Looking at the information I have, the figures I quoted are for the raw measurements, without correction for the wire diameter, so not the true tensions. The diameters on Lucky Devil are caps and lowers 7mm, intermediates 5mm.

As to the type of tension meter, I regret that will have to await my next visit to the boat.

Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/35

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Hello Mike
I have assumed your was a Loos type B and tensioned my rig to your figures , this allowed me to slack the cap shrouds a bit, for which I was grateful. Setting the lowers to 31 is in effect just taking up the slack on a 7mm wire so that was quite sensitive and I can envisage the figures moving a bit.
Anyway its all standing and looked Ok whilst sailing.

Jan
325/32

Hi Jan.

The tension meter is by Super Spars (International Sailing Products) and looks very similar to the Loos Type B.

Diagram at
http://www.superspars.com/downl...uctions%20%281%20%29.pdf 

Mike

Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/35

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Mike the web address you mention doesn't work

Roger

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Hi.

The address does work if you include all of it right to the end of .pdf

Mike

Mike Lockwood
Lucky Devil
Parker 325/35

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