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Seizing spreader tips?

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
Question for all the rigging experts out there:

When I step the mast complete with new standing rigging what is the process for seizing the shrouds to the spreaders? Should the seizing wire be tight to the shroud to lock it in or should it be loose enough to allow the wire to slide if it needs to?

The spreader tips are slightly worn from the obvious movement of the wire. If the seizing needs to be tight, do you do this after the mast is stepped and rigging tensioned? Obviously a trip aloft is in order.... I guess the same question goes for spreader boots, on the ground or after step?

Lastly, is it recommended or worth it to use a short section of tubing, like piece of those long split things that protect the genoa from chafing, right where the wire contacts the spreader tip?

Thanks all! RT
 
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Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
The seizing wire should be tight to the shroud to lock it in place, and tight enough to help prevent spreader droop.

Yes it gets seized after the mast is up, AND you have correctly adjusted the spreaders.

Spreader boots are a personal thing. They have a tendency to make short life of the spreader ends. I don't recommend them. Again the trap moisture and promote corrosion.

NEVER use anything that traps moisture in an non-oxygenated state against the rigging!!! Those white things are referred to as Riggers Retirement plans!



Guy
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Rob,

I have leather covering my spreader tips and I was advised to get some small braided line and to use a couple constrictor knots above, and a couple below, the tips. The constrictor knots are described out there if you search the world wild web. I was told they should be tight.

Since you're using covers, then the line will not degrade in sunlight.

That's one option anyway. I haven't tried it yet.
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
That is very interesting, thanks for the info! My spreaders are a socket mount style so they would have to break to droop. If you don't use spreader boots then how do you keep the genoa from chafing to death?

FWIW, my spreaders are also so wide that the boots don't really fit, they just kinda get taped on the outside of the wire. They are quite open on the inner side so there really shouldn't be a moisture problem.

I just sandblasted the spreaders and primed them so the tips are like new. Want to keep 'em that way....

Lastly, since the standing rigging is new, should the spreaders be cut and re-seized after the wire stretches? Maybe overkill?

Thanks, RT
 
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ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
New boots from Rig-Rite. Only place I could find that had them to fit our spreaders. You need to tell them which kenyon spreaders you have.
 

jgarmin098

Member II
I seized my shrouds to the spreader ends before stepping the mast last year on my '88 32-3. The starboard upper shroud would not slide through the lower spreader end enough to allow the riggers to secure the turnbuckle to the chainplate. When I arrived at the boat that night to check it I about sh*t my pants. Had to go aloft to loosen the seizing wire in order to secure the shroud. That was a trip aloft I never want to have to do again.
 

ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
Might I suggest you employ a better rigging company in the future? Not sure who would leave a shroud unconnected simply because it was seized at the spreader. That type of service, requiring a customer to go aloft, is simply not acceptable IMHO. Not sure what area you are in but my company Southbound Crusing Services in Annapolis would be glad to help or refer someone local to you.
 

Mort Fligelman

Member III
My Experience

Rob:

on all of my previous boats the spreaders were fixed so that the proper angle was a given.

I was told from the beginning that the shrouds should move in the spreader.

On my last boat the spreader ends (A B&R Rig) slid out to allow the shroud to be inserted, and then slid in and held in place with a No 8 S/S machine screw.

I never used spreader boots.....had patches put on the sail...and they never really wore......had the boat for 26 years....replaced only one main that was really blown out....

On my E35 I ran the seizing wire through the holes for same and the shrouds move through them.....BUT....I taped the ends of the spreaders being carefull not to restrict the shroud movement....did not use boots....

To Quote many in this group....my $.02 worth....
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Reason for seizing the spreader tips?

I was told that in a knockdown, or other event that caused the spreaders to move significantly up or down the wire, that the geometry change could result in rig failure. If the spreader bracket or the spreader itself got permanently bent to the wrong angle, the rig would surely be weakened. Does the overall rig design dictate how the tips are to be secured?
 
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Howard Keiper

Moderator
Sea Quest's (E35-II) spreaders are not firly fixed at their bases, so they're allowed to move up or down slightly...maybe an inch or so. Interestingly, Islander boats of the same generation and size are the same. Anyway, the shrouds are held in place with a small cap that screws into the ends of the spreader. The spreaders can and do move. The stainless wire and the aluminum spreader don't play well together and, having had the spreader tips rebuilt, I made 'insulators' out of 5 mil drafting Mylar by wraping a turn or two loosley around the wire so the resulting tube was free to move with the spreader. It's (the tube) invisible and works very well indeed. No further corrosion in 6-7 years.
Howard Keiper
Sea Quest
Berkeley
 

CaptDan

Member III
Sea Quest's (E35-II) spreaders are not firly fixed at their bases, so they're allowed to move up or down slightly...

This is more of a question than an answer:

Seems to me double spreader rigs are a different beast; the upper shrouds should be set to a slightly upward angle relative to the lower ones so the loads are properly spread between the inboard and outboard shrouds.

The common wisdom maintains the spreaders should bisect the shroud angle. But which spreaders? I've always set my upper spreaders a few degrees upwards, leaving the lower ones virtually perpendicular to the mast. Seems to me the lowers would suffer extra stress when forced into an unnatural position; they're pretty beefy units that don't appear to be designed to flex that much.

So, how do you E35II owners set your spreaders? Upper and lowers evenly, both cocked a few degrees up, or not?

Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"
 
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Howard Keiper

Moderator
Very good question. I've gotten into some serious discussion about this on another forum...left unresolved. I think you're right about the intersections, but if it were really critical, I imagine that Ericson would not be so casual about the construction of the bases....which allow for considerable up and down (maybe an inch or two) motion. No fore and aft motion though. The spreaders always seem to settle at their slightly upward position anyway without any encouragement from me.
hk
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
My spreaders, which are a tube-n-socket affair, do allow some movement as stated above maybe an inch or so at the tip. Maybe more and maybe this is from time and wear in the socket setup. The spreader angle is fixed by the mount that each spreader slides onto and the spreaders themselves are machined to fit to the mast at the correct angle. It would seem that tightly seizing the wire to the spreaders makes sense once the rig is broken in. You certainly wouldn't want the tips sliding about and the wire would cut deeper into the tip. I need to ask the rigger who built my new standing rigging and see what he has to say. Seems that in rigging, like many other things, there is more than one way that will work. RT
 

CaptDan

Member III
"The spreaders always seem to settle at their slightly upward position anyway without any encouragement from me."

My thought too. When our mast was unstepped a few years ago, I inspected the mounts, and they definately are constructed to naturally angle when secured to the mast. Plus, the shroud slots are machined to grab the wire just enough to secure it without binding or excess drift.

Perhaps the design philosophy was different in the early models that featured wooden spreaders. There may have been good reason for the changeover to aluminum, besides any alleged cost or manufacturing advantage.

Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"
 
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