how shroud and stay tension effect sailing performance

[Whistlingdixie]

Hi Guys,

so this is embarrassing but I'll start with it anyway. I have been sailing my 84 Mk1 for about 5 years now. I recently got a new forestay with Johnson lever on it from Gerry at compact . I love it. So after installing it appeared to a little looser than I have my original forestay set. I started checking the side stays and turnbuckles and noticed that one side was tight the other side not so much.  one turnbuckle was adjusted way tighter than the other . After doing some reading I learned that the tensions on the stays to matter and do effect performance.

the embarrassing part is that in 5 years I have always checked the condition of the connections of the shrouds and stays but didn't give much thought to the tension and making sure that they were all pretty much the same tension.

Any of you guys out there have any experience or knowledge about what is best for the MK1? So far I have read that too tight my not be a good thing . Please share you knowledge.

[Jim in TC]

I for one am happy that you have opened this topic. I have tinkered with tension, adjusting shrouds for tight-but-not-too-tight tension and have wondered how to optimize. Advice I have read online has been less than fully satisfactory.

[brackish]

Older discussions on the topic.  Nothing to do with optimizing but talks about minimum tension or starting point.  That is where I leave my 23.

http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=11495.0

[Jim in TC]

Thanks...useful discussion with advice I can relate to.

[UpNorth1122]

Howdy- not sure if anyone is still checking here.  But after recently purchasing an ?89 16/3 I am also curious about stay tension.  There is an excellent YouTube couple that documents all their DIY and travel (Sailing Soulianis) and in one episode they tinker with their tensions. The pic I screenshotted is too big to post, but check it out!  They called it a tensioning tool or something- It was cool to see it in action.  Still searching for the right tensions on my boat but she sails beautifully. 

(Episode 33 right after the 7min mark)

Charles

[nies]

Hutchins says that the stays should be equally taut and only purpose on 16 is to hold the mast up.......nies