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Rig Tension w/Spin ??
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=42322		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  RobPatt [ Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Rig Tension w/Spin ??
I put a I17 pole and F18HT spin on my H18. What a blast.

The spin guys all say make your rig basically as tight as possible, so long as the mast will still rotate... So that's what I did.

Tension on the forestay made it HARD to furl the jib.

My forestay wires came unwrapped about a foot above the furler; not broken, the outer strands unwrapped and became loosely wrapped from the center core wires... the rigging was about 2 years old.

I suspect the rig tension and me trying to furl/unfurl caused this.

Yesterday I went tight and just sailed w/o the jib. (squaretop main)

QUESTION - How should I tension my rig?

thanks, Rob.
Author:  [email protected] [ Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
Count yourself lucky that this happened now and not later. Personally I would say tension did not cause the problem ... rather poor shrouds were the issue.
Author:  ncmbm [ Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
I second that! Rig tension had nothing to do with it. You were twisting the wire before and didn't notice it until the tension stopped it from twisting. Your turn buckles are frozen.

The rig needs to be tight with the spin on. You need to always keep some main sheet tension as well. Depower the spin by traveling the main out but keep tension on the main sheet always. The main sheet acts as a backstay. By traveling the main out it gets backwinded and slows the boat. Its a bit hard on the H18 with the curved beam but it works.
Author:  SNovak [ Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
Personally, I would say that rig tension could well have compounded the issue (although there may well have been a weak spot in the forestay too). If the swivel (ncmbm, is this what you meant when you said turnbuckle?) at the top of the forestay is sticky/has a lot of friction to begin with, when you applied more tension to the forestay, it could cause it to bind up the rest of the way. If the swivel is bound up, and you force the bottom of the forestay to turn (by furling), something is going to give and the forestay wire may unwrap like yours did.
Author:  RobPatt [ Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
"If the swivel is bound up, and you force the bottom of the forestay to turn (by furling), something is going to give and the forestay wire may unwrap like yours did."

indeed, that's what I wanted to say... thank you. :-)

but the swivel is NOT bound up... if so, then only from the rig tension.

I'm thinking to move *maybe* one shroud... one hole looser... and see if that helps anything... then maybe I can sail with the jib... the option to furl or unfurl is really great... too much wind for a novice spin driver, snuff spin and unfurl the jib... otherwise, use both... or whatever...

ok so I'm going to loosen the rig ONE HOLE up on the shrouds... right now it's banjo wire tight.
Author:  RobPatt [ Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
oh... another question maybe mmiller can help...

how did the SX w/spin do for setup and tension?
Author:  Bacho [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
When I first set-up my spin I was under the impression to CRANK down on the main sheet. I found that was not necessarily needed and definitely slower than it needed to be. A friend advised me to ease up on the main until the leech tells flew and call it good, Before then I had no idea stalling the main would de-power so much.

On the rig tension, I got it snug but no where near banjo tight.
Author:  RobPatt [ Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
thanks for the tip.
going to experiement tomorrow...

1699 regatta at Ocean Springs. yeah!
Author:  srm [ Fri Apr 27, 2012 11:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
The upper forestay swivel on the 18 is not intended to operate with excessive mainsheet/shroud tension. If there's a lot of load on the forestay and you try to operate the furler, then the swivel will bind (even if it moves freely when unloaded) and this will damage the forestay for sure.

I've never run a spinnaker on the H18, but I imagine that if you waited to furl the jib until after the spin is up and sheeted in (i.e. powered up), it would probably unload the forestay enough that you could probably furl the jib at that point. Possibly also crack off the mainsheet just a hair to unload the forestay.

The other option would be to upgrade to a Harken ball bearing swivel which will operate under load. Or, you can just keep the jib unfurled with the spin up.

sm
Author:  RobPatt [ Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rig Tension w/Spin ??
I moved 1 shroud 1 pinhole up and it's good to go....

New thing to watch out for is when sailing w/o spin, the spin halyard gets a little slack (from mast to head of spin)... and this can get tangled in the jib... e.g. if/when you furl to chill out between races, park the boat (on the water), etc... so just have to watch that... otherwise, all works good now.

sailed in 1699 regatta (as in the year the french dude D'Iberville landed here on the coast in Mississippi)... at Ocean Springs YC... absolutely SMOKED the other "open A" boats... (4 bullets in 5 races... "bad" race was the first one when we want to the wrong mark) well it was a few hobie 16s (2 sailed by old diehard H16 guys who have sailed hobie 16s since the 70s)... a few other H16s... and 1 guy on a H18... it was sick. Great day. I take ratings hits for the squaretop main that's less than 5% larger, and under min crew weight (daughter and I total out at 260.. min is 295..) What fun double trapped w/you daughter.
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