Rig setup

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Rig setup

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Castoffs
France
30 Posts

Posted - 07/01/2013 : 21:14:26 Castoffs's Homepage Edit Topic Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Topic
Can anyone point me in the direction of some rig setup instructions/tensions?
Castoffs
France
30 Posts

Posted - 17/01/2013 : 14:16:16 Castoffs's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
OK, I have the 10" rake angle. Has anyone got any tension figures and sequences?
Thanks.

sabre27
178 Posts

Posted - 18/01/2013 : 20:05:28
Hi Peter,

There are no 'Official' rig tensions for Sabres. Owners make their own choice. Sabres are not modern racing boats and may suffer if you over-tighten the rig, there is nothing to be gained by making the rig 'sing'.

For cap shrouds: when sailing to windward in F3-4, my lee shroud will be just slack.

The forestay/backstay should be as tight as you consider prudent. Note the article in the Handbook - 'Mast Compression'. Do not try to bend the mast more than one inch, it is too strong!

I have a 'backstay tensioner' for temporary use when sailing upwind,
that allows my rig to be under less stress for the great majority of the time.

Paul Howard. S27OA Technical Officer.

Castoffs
France
30 Posts

Posted - 12/07/2015 : 11:59:56 Castoffs's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
To complete the record, after lots of investigation, here's what I did.
It got us across the channel and trips round the Med including the Balearics and the rig's still standing, which is not to say it wont destroy yours of course (disclaimer).

A little knowledge and common sense is required and a Loos gauge B metric or equivalent.

1. I set the rake by adjusting the length of the forestay
2. I set the mast upright using the main halyard as a measure.
3. I set the tension of the mainstays by alternate half turns either side to 3% of the breaking load of the wire (7mm and 140kg in this case)
4. I set the tension of the forward lower stays by alternate half turns either side to 3% of the breaking load of the wire (6mm and 100kg in this case)
5. I set the tension of the aft lower stays by alternate half turns either side to No. 15 on the Loos (6mm wire and off the lower scale in this case)for later adjustment
6. I set the tension of the back stay to 3% of the breaking load of the wire (7mm and 140kg in this case)
7. I sailed to windward in F3-4 tacking and adjusting the aft lower stays by alternate half turns either side to take up leeward slack until finger tight each side.
8. Still sailing to windward I tightened the backstay to minimise forestay bend. There's no backstay adjuster so this was a permanent setting.

During the process I continually looked up the mast to make sure there were no kinks and checked the mast was still upright.

This seemed to give a stable but low tensioned/stressed rig up to F7, beyond that I don't know.

As I press 'post' I can hear the shrieks of horror, hey-ho.
Edited by - Castoffs on 05/11/2015 11:05:54

sabre27
178 Posts

Posted - 08/11/2015 : 10:52:23
I hope that your cap shrouds mountings in the head and the opposite hanging locker, have been appropriately strengthened to take the mast compression strain. See the Handbook article 'Mast Compression'.

Paul Howard. S27OA Technical Officer.

yerffoeg
United Kingdom
48 Posts

Posted - 10/11/2015 : 08:59:52
A lot of the website advice on rigging relates to modern boats, with modern rigs set up for racing. The tensions that they recommend are going to cause damage to the coachroof on an old boat like the Sabre. That's not to say that the rigging should not be tight, but certainly not overtight. It's not a science - get it approximately right as described by Paul Howard.

Castoffs
France
30 Posts

Posted - 10/11/2015 : 10:10:13 Castoffs's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
It would be interesting to see a description of how others set up the Sabre 27 rig.
Peter

dave
United Kingdom
67 Posts

Posted - 21/11/2015 : 16:21:10 Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Send dave an AOL message Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
at leigh we have to take our masts down when we lay up so i have to set up my rigging every spring
the first thing i do is to try and get the mast as straight as possibleby tightning everything up little by little until there tight but not overtight then i ajust the backstay so the top of the mast comes back about six inches this should tighten the forestay enough to prevent sag
then go and sail the boat on return go round the srouds and lowers and tighten
if the boat has weather helm tighten the backstay bit by bit until the helm is neutral
i hope this helps we race our sabre with some sucsess but we do have very good sails and a well sorted boat
regards
dave smith
gentle nimbus
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