Drooping spreaders

[davidsamuelson]

Hi,
I have this boat with three sets of slightly swept back spreaders and discontinuous rigging. The V2s and V3/D4s are fixed lengths; all other wires are adjustable with rigging screws. I changed all wires and put it all back together. My lower spreaders were bent down at the tips about ¾" - oops. The upper and middle spreaders looked good so I went on the assumption that I had cut the new V2s too short. I removed them, shortened them 1 ½" and put the whole thing back together again. The tips of the lower spreaders are still down.
I have not measured tension on any wire but the whole rig looks and feels much the same as before. When the rig is loose the spreaders are straight - can someone hazard a guess and tell me what I should or should not be doing.
Thanks, David

[Brion Toss]

Hi there,
First, I assume you mean that you cut the V2's too long, yes? If so, then shortening them must have brought the spreaders up. If they are still too low, and nothing else is out of place, then there must be some other variable. It is unlikely that elasticity is responsible, as it would be hard to stretch even 7x19 that much, but it is possible that stretch is one component, assuming that the rig was quit slack on the first go-round. And if the D2's are slack now, then all of the V1 loads will go on to the V2's and above.
Next, it is possible that something has moved, like a masthead shroud tang throughbolt.
Finally, it would be really important to measure the tension on all components, in order to make any meaningful conclusions, especially on a multi-spreader rig.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss