Hi All,
I have recently bought a Parker 27 (Steni Vala). Does anyone have or could provide me with recommended rig tensions for this model. I would like to get set it up correctly so I can cruise comfortably with a spot of club racing thrown in also.

many thanks

Andy

Andy
Steni Vala

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Hi Andy,

I have a Superseal 26 which is very similar to the 27 and the mast comes down every winter. So every spring I have to step the mast and set the rig up again. When properly set up the wires will feel scarily tight. My boat has 5mm rigging and in order to keep the leeward shrouds tight when well pressed the shrouds are set to around 22-23% breaking strain. The lowers are set up to give the correct pre-bend in the mast for the cut of the mainsail, and generally slightly less than the caps. (but it will depend on your mast stiffness and cut of the mainsail)

When I first had the boat I used to try and set it up by eye and by puling on the various wires to try and get a feel for the tension. Very unscientific, and not very repeatable. I then invested in a rig tension gauge (Loos ones are about £50 on ebay and very good) and "Illustrated sail and Rig Tuning" by Ivor Dedekam (published by Fernhurst Books). Since then I've never looked back, except to see the opposition when racing. The boat performance seems to be the same year on year, and it takes me about 2 hours to step the mast and set the rig up at the beginning of the season. The rig tension gauge provides the confidence to know exactly what's going on and that it's set up correctly. It may only be used once a year but having the assurance that it is right makes it worth every penny.

John Guess
SS26 Evangeline

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Hello Andy,

Firstly, I endorse everything that John G has to say about the Loos gauge.

Secondly for relevant posts, see the 325 forum, April 2011 re Rig Tension, and also the SS26 forum, August 2009 posts].

Thirdly, I purchased a P27 last year. The rigging was set up at launch by the seller, and further adjusted by a rigger, but my old Rotostay furler wasn't at all happy to furl smoothly! A visit to another well known rigger & £40 later, my forestay had had a very great deal more tension applied to it, my Rotostay was happier, but still not totally happy , all my rigging was much, much tighter, but, thanks to my Loos gauge, I found that Rigger 2 had set up my lowers much tighter than my Caps, AND way over 25% breaking strain (!). Hard on the wind with one reef and well heeled [lee rail under, should have had 2nd reef in, but a good way way of finding out if one's shrouds are tight enough or not!!!], I found that both Caps were still slack....

So, I decided that I could probably do just as good a job myself.

After researching various sources, including the S26/SS27/P27 handbook, Kemp Sails' very helpful website, a couple of specialist tomes & some Googling, I compiled my own guide & reset all bar the forestay tension myself. I have yet to repeat the Lee rail under practical test, but I am much happier and so is my Rotostay.

If you [or anyone else] would like a copy of my guide notes and settings, use the forum email system to send me your email & I'll send a pdf of it to you. NB my 27 has 5mm forestay, 6mm shrouds & 5mm backstay.

sincerely



Geoff Sheddick
Parker 27/146 "Stroller'

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Oh, and for the benefit of others as ignorant as I was to start with, I should have mentioned re keeping the Rotostay happy that, if one has relieved the genoa halyard and back stay tensions, on leaving the boat, or when running downwind, one must always remember to re-tension both of them before furling the genoa.

Geoff Sheddick
Parker 27/146 "Stroller'

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Hi Geoff, and Andy,
i too believe a rig tension gauge is necessary to set up the boat. Our local chandlery will rent one out for a short time for just such use.
Up to now I have set up Artemis to around 450 Kg on caps and around 420 on lowers but suspect a little more would help with the furlex rotation. Geoff, i love a copy of your notes: chrisdnichols at googlemail.com
Cheers
Chris

Hi All,
Thanks so much for all your really valuable advice, its really appreciated. Last week i borrowed a rig tension gauge from a christchurch club member and after checking the tension of some other Parkers, ended up setting the Caps at 32, and lowers at 26. This seems to be middle of the road and i am now just waiting for the opportunity to give the rig a test.

Will keep you abreast of developments and, we very much look forward to meeting you all at a rally in the future.

thanks again

Andy


Andy
Steni Vala

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