Gear test
It’s vitally important to ensure that the tension of your
boat’s rigging is within the correct limits: Alex Bell tests
four rig tension gauges to assess their accuracy
4
rig tension
gauges
G
etting the correct
tension on the
shrouds on my
various boats over
the years has
always worried me. Too slack,
and I know that the sails won’t
be working as effi ciently as they
can: and, worse, the rigging and
mast fi ttings can be subjected
to shock loads and fatigue.
Too tight results in extra strain
on the various attachment points
of the rigging and the shrouds
themselves, and can distort the
hull as the loads are transmitted
through the chainplates. Most
mast breakages occur when
the mast is overloaded, either by
the wind or, more frequently, a
collision. Modern stainless steel
shrouds themselves rarely break,
but the fi ttings to the mast or the
boat do fail, with consequent
failure of the mast.
Fortunately, there are devices
available on the market that
enable one to measure the
tension and make sure it is set
within the right limits. There are
currently three makes of rig
tension gauge on the UK market
designed for yacht rigging:
■ The Loos, which comes in
Standard and Professional
models, each in three different
shroud diameter ranges, from
2.5 to 10mm.
■ The SureCheck, which comes
in four sizes, from 2 to 10mm.
■ New on the market, the
Spinlock Rig-Sense is only
available in one size at the
moment: 2 to 5mm diameter.Yacht rigging
Whether a yacht has a masthead
or fractional rig, they all have
common rigging features: a
forestay and a backstay to
support the mast longitudinally
(ie forward and aft), and the
lateral rigging supporting the
mast across the boat. Many
yachts will have an adjustable
backstay in which the tension can
be varied: such adjustments will
always affect the tension in the
forestay, particularly with a
masthead rig. The lateral rigging,
known as the shrouds, requires
a fi xed tension to keep the mast
upright in the transverse plane.
Most sloop-rigged yachts will
carry two sets of shrouds. One
set will terminate just below the
spreaders – the lowers. The other
will pass through the ends of the
spreaders and terminate at
the masthead (masthead rig)
or lower down at forestay level
(fractional rig) – the cap shrouds.