ComPac 16 Mark II Spreader question

[Citroen/Dave]

I have a new genny with the"new" '87 boat, never been bent on. I recall reading that the spreaders get in the way of a genny.  I hope to get the boat to the Smith Mountain Lake next week for an official launch.  I'm still dealing with those thousand fiddly critical items, getting familiar with them all . . .

Question:  If I attack the spreaders, will I find kinks in the stays; are there any problems associated with removal of the spreaders?  Or should I leave well enough alone?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

[Pacman]

Leave it alone.

If you remove the spreaders your shrouds will be too long.  Also, your rig will not have the support that the spreaders provide to keep the mast in column.

The spreaders may contact the headsail while underway but that only happens when close hauled.

The spreaders can sometimes catch a backwinded headsail during a lazy tack but you will soon learn how to handle the sail during tacking to avoid the problem.

Have fun.

[JBC]

I remember that Keith Scott of The Sailboat Company commented in the Q&A in the Forum discussions on his website that the spreaders don't really work well on the 16 and can be removed.  Scroll down to the Sept. 20, 2011 question and response in the Answers menu on his site.  http://www.ipass.net/sailboat/

I assume that if removed, it would only take a little adjusting to re-tension the stays.  But I'm inclined to agree with Pacman that the spreaders (I have them on my Mk III 16) are not really that much of a problem and should probably be left alone.  However, I have a RF jib (110%) and not the larger genny, so I'm not certain how the latter sail would interact with the shrouds.  My Catalina 18 has a 135% RF genny, and that boat has lower and upper shrouds.  Only once in a great while does that genny brush up (on a full run) against those stays and spreader, and it's easy enough to back the sail off a bit.

[deisher6]

I have an 1989 C16III with spreaders and a 61 sqft genoa.  It works OK and I would leave the rig as is.  (As I have)
Spreaders were added when the forestay was moved up the mast in one of the modifications.
That being said I have broken two spreaders and have shortened a set to have spares.  I think that the rig would be effective without the spreaders and have been tempted to remove them but.......

regards charlie

[capt.brian]

Since we are on this topic can anyone post a pick of the wire attaching the spreader to the shroud. I had to order new spreaders that came with the wire to attach from Hutchins Company. I tried to wrap about a dozen or so times and could never get it to my satisfaction. Needless to say that I twisted them so much that both eventually broke. I am just not sure the proper way this is done. Thanks...

[skip1930]

Place those spinning white plastic 'wheels' over the standing rigging and allow these to 'sit' on top of the spreaders. This will prevent the head sail [or main when heaved too] from chaffing on the wires when close hauled.

The spreaders are there for a reason. Don't mess with the design.

skip.

[Salty19]

Brian,

You basically figure eight the wire around the shroud and the small holes at the end of the spreader.  Twist the wire together with pliers and tuck the sharp end inward so the sail will not catch on it.  Leave just enough play for the shroud to slide up and down the groove (it will need to move when lowering/raising mast), but tight enough so the shroud can't come out. Shouldn't have to mess with it ever again (or at least for many years).

The wheels skip mentioned are pretty cool.  I don't use them but am considering adding them for the 2013 season.

Yep, I would leave the spreaders on there.  Remember the later version have 7/8 rigged forestay, not 3/4 so the shrouds are higher thus more support needed due to a steeper angle of the shrouds without them.

BTW Dave, I gave Jim the pins for your shrouds as he had bimini-like pins in use, which was not safe (not forged). I suggested taping the cotter rings, to ensure they don't accidentally work themselves out, but didn't notice that was done.  Suggest doing so!!   I miss that boat already, Island Time is lonely now without another Com-pac a few slips away.   

[skip1930]

I might add on a CP-19 we have two lines, [shrouds, standing rigging, wires what ever you want to call them] one from near top-o-mast down and one from spreaders down.
Both lines have a separate chainplate to the hull so EACH line's turnbuckle should have it's own pin. Each pin and line will have a different angle and should not be pinned together with one pin. IMHO

skip.

[Citroen/Dave]

Salty,

I have not found your gift pins to Jim.  They may still turn up as I have not yet done a crawl all the way down the bunks.  I was going to purchase cotter rings but if I can find stainless steel wire, I will wire and tape the shroud turn buckles once I'm sure the rig is tuned.

All,

While I thought there might be enough adjustment left in the shroud turn buckles to remove the spreaders,  I might not have been able to tune the rig with the spreaders gone.  I very much think that Hutchins knew what they were doing when the set up the 7/8ths rig and I am very happy to leave it well enough alone.

Thanks to all for your experiences and comments.  Can't wait to get the keel wet.

Dave

[Salty19]

Dave, those pins are already installed on your shrouds and forestay.

[MacGyver]

Salty, good eye to catch that pin mistake......  I have seen people use all sorts of stuff for that..... even regular grade 2 bolts........ what a joke.......

Anyway, Id def leave that rig the way it was, and use clevis pins and cotter pins or speed rings (or even wire) to lash the turnbuckles from spinning free....... Then maybe get some turnbuckle covers to cover the whole bit to keep the sheets or any lines or the sail for that matter from snagging them.

We didnt do that and of course, just pre running the new lines and all that one got a snag and pulled a little piece of brand new rope core out....... pissed me off.....  But now I am good to go and look very closely at snag points.

On a boat, dont think of the cheap way out on any hardware, do it right and know that rig isnt going to cave in your head.   

Mac

[Citroen/Dave]

Yes Salty,  I found those in place with the white tape.  Thanks. 

I'm looking to wire the turn buckles once I tune the rig. 
Is that a more or less permanent adjustment or does anyone re tune the rig as passengers board and depart?

My sweetheart broke her arm this past weekend due to lineless-bifocal glasses.  She miss judged a step and took a fall.  Looks like it will be Autumn before I get to launch but that means more time to tweak and wax the boat.  I'm not complaining; taking care of two sweet gals is fun . . . one at a time.

[Bob23]

Sorry to hear about your mates fall. I found those types of lenses very disorienting...I'll never get another pair. Hope she heals well and quickly.
Bob23

[Salty19]

Dave,  Yep it's permanent until you are due to replacing the rigging.  Obviously that's just for the shrouds, not the forestay. Good..I'm glad Jim put tape on there.   Sorry to hear about the Admiral..Ouch!

[Short Sale]

I just had to replace both spreaders on my 1987 ComPac 16 II and this thread was useful to me.  Especially Salty's July 27, 2012, 01:09:48 about how to reattach the spreader to the shroud with the wire.  Thanks.  Hutchins shipped me a pair of spreaders with the SS attachment wire for about $50.  I noticed that the slots and the hole were of a different configuration than my original spreaders.  Making the "figure eight" and tucking the ends inside was harder than I thought.  The end result was kind of ugly, but I think it will work because it leaves "enough play for the shroud to slide up and down the groove (it will need to move when lowering/raising mast), but tight enough so the shroud can't come out." as Salty advises.  Here are some pictures of the spreaders for anyone who is trying to figure out how to do this.

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The Spreaders Arrive Neatly Packed.  I'm Pumped!

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Notice the different alignment of the slot and hole.  The wire here is very thin.

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Ugly Knot 1 with much heavier wire.

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Ugly Knot 2.