Spreader loads

[mariner2k]

Hopefully I word this correctly. How does the load divide on the spreaders, on a mast with two sets of spreaders?
Kevin

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
Load on the spreaders varies with the tension on the wires, and the angle they form on the spreaders. If you speak trig, it is a quick calculation, but you can also represent the load graphically, with the same diagram you might use to calculate block loads.
The upper spreaders will usually see a higher load, partly because the upper shrouds are usually more heavily-loaded than the intermediates, and partly because the lower spreaders usually give a more generous angle for the intermediates.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss