What tension should there be on the stays?
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What tension should there be on the stays?
Here is what I have sorted out based on "Tuning Your Rig" by Brion Toss, our Pacific Northwest rigging guru.
www.briontoss.com
IF... IF you have 3/16" wire rope, breaking strength 4000 pounds.
Lowers: 10% of breaking strength (400 pounds)
Uppers, Backstay, Forestay: 15-20% of breaking strength (600-800 pounds). I use a Loos gauge for the dockside tune. Then you sail and adjust closehauled on port and starboard, the lee shrouds should be just slack -- too tight is wrong, too loose and you shock load the lee shrouds when you tack.
Now, I'm a cruiser. This is the set and forget tuning I use. The racers on the site will give you the go fast tuning.
Oh, yea -- always always keeping the mast straight and vertical side to side as you work.
I don't have much rake at all in my mast -- cuts back on the weather helm.