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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Forestay Tension ?

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Kim Luckner
1st Mate

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USA
99 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/03/2013 : 11:30:45

I have a 135% Genoa on a Harken MKIII furler and I'm curious if there are recommendations for judging the preferred amount of tension in the forestay. The furler manual only talks about making sure the proper threads are covered and that there is no more than 2 inches of thread exposed. I'm not concerned with racing and 4 or 4.5 knots doesn't matter. I am concerned with maintaining and using my equipment properly. When I have the genoa out I might see something less than a foot of bow in the foils, it might be 6 inches. I know it's not straight when I sight along the mast. I tension my back stay so that the mast is vertical and straight. I have no problems furling or unfurling with the drum.

Seeadler
'79 C25 SR/FK #1432
Mentor Lagoons

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2013 : 12:45:35

I suggest reading the "technical tips" on rig tension and adjustment. A good book is also "Sail and Rig Tuning".

The forestay turnbuckle is primarily used to adjust mast rake. The backstay adjustment is used to tension both the forestay and backstay.

Does your boat have a backstay adjuster, or only the turnbuckles?

A properly adjusted rig not only helps you go faster, it keeps the boat more upright and helps you point higher. All of these are useful things in all conditions, not only racing.

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jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2013 : 18:54:01

A Loos gauge is money well spent as well. I had my rig to loose. I only had my cables loaded at 5% tension. They felt tight, but nowhere close to where they should have been. It sailed much better after I got the proper tension on everything. Just my $0.02.

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windseaker
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2013 : 20:30:56

What is the proper tension reading on a loos gauge

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jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2013 : 20:49:01

Lot's of opinions on what is proper. I set my mainstay, and upper shrouds to 15%. I set the lower shrouds to about 10% with the backstay adjuster all of the way loose. When you pull it tight, the front lowers tighten and rears loosen a bit. Sails great at those tensions.

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Ape-X
Admiral

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USA
662 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2013 : 04:11:04

jduck: When I tension the backstay, my mast bellies in the middle, pulling the middle forward and loosening the forward lowers, tensioning the rear.... ??what am I missing?? (just when i thought I had it figured out.)

edit: OH, I have NO forestay length adjustment possibilities. YEP, no turnbuckle...maybe that is the issue? any rate, the top of the mast does not shift with tensioning,as the mast bends only

Edited by - Ape-X on 10/04/2013 04:16:14

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2013 : 04:13:35

Windseeker, there are no "proper" tensions. What ever you like and then make sure it is consistent between shrouds. I forget what Loos I have but I would get the mast in column then tighten until I liked the sound of the plucked stay. It is easy to think there are certain "settings" on things but there truly are not, it is what ever you like. Loose rigs are faster, tighter rigs are less nerve-wracking. What I mean by that is the leeward stays on a loose rig will scare you when they literally flap around but if your hardware is properly swaged then it is fine. A forestay on a boat with a Harken furler is adjustable with the backstay adjuster and the halyard tension is almost more important. jduck00 is sailing like most of us.

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jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2013 : 04:49:09

Ape-X. I don't get much bend in the mast and have almost no mast rake. Probably need a longer forestay. The backstay adjuster gets maybe a couple inches at the very top when I pull it down. I definitely can't get it to belly in the middle.

I'll check those tensions again. Either way its was only one or two ticks on the gauge.

A roller furling is on the short list. When I do that, I'll probably add a couple inches to the forestay.

Edited by - on

jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2013 : 20:44:42

I put the mast back up today and retuned it real close to the way I had it before. With the back stay loose, I'm at about 7% tension, with it tight the backstay is at 15% or so. When I pull it tight the lower forward shrouds stay about the same and rear lowers loosen a couple of ticks. The upper shrouds also loosen a couple of ticks when the backtsay is tensioned.

I might not have enough bow in the mast to get the bend at the spreaders when I tighten the backstay. I don't see much change in the mast shape until above the spreader lower shroud attachment.

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cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2013 : 09:18:15

Good advice I saw along the lines that said there is no "proper" target tension, its what makes the boat sail the best.....

Through the years I have found a "loose" rig sails much better than a tight rig on Confetti. However, the "tuning" of the rig (referring to the relative tensions in each shroud and stay) has to work together to make sure the mast stay in column, and that it stays reasonable centered above the mast step (i.e. side to side).

If you have a backstay tensioner, then you can sail with a looser forestay with the backstay tensioner off. That makes the boat sail much better in light air, or if you need to power into chop, or if you are operating a roller furler (even though they do have bearings). And you can adjust the tension to balance the helm for the conditions against your desire for power or pointing. When the wind is up I honk down HARD on the backstay tension, to balance the helm, and pop it loose if I hit a series of waves that stop Confetti, so I have power to go through them, then tighten back up.....Thats for racing, for daysailing I simply leave it at a tension that balances the helm and accept the slowdown from waves, etc.

A loos gage is a handy gadget, but to me its only value is to get the rig to a good starting point, and to re-produce the settings you find for the shrouds and the Stays that have the boat sail its best for you. (i.e. reasonably loose, but the mast stays in column no matter what point of sail or wind speed). Your hull flexes (a lot more than you think!). And no two hulls probably flex exactly the same. And they do not flex symmetrically. For those reasons, you may have differences in the tensions of each part of the standing rigging to get it where it needs to be....

We do not have fractional rigs, so the backstay is not used to bow the mast to take fullness out of the main and help move its draft forward. On Confetti, at the dock, the tightest shrouds are the uppers, followed by the forward lowers (to keep the mast from bowing aft), and then the aft lowers. Under sail, the lee uppers are totally slack and move around, as do the aft lowers. The fwd lowers are under very little tension. This is simply due to hull flex and works well (at least for the last 37 years of winning races with Confetti). It also keeps from sitting there during the week with the rig unnecessarily tight, which is hard (IMHO) on the hull and rig.

Jus' my 2cents worth....

Chuck

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