Schooner Shroud Tension

[bobsummers]

I have recently purchsed a LOD 31', LOA 42, skipjack gaff schooner. Currently the standing rigging is loose when at the dock. Loose meaning that I can shake the each shroud easily. When sailing the leeward rigging is amazingly loose. The bowsprit whisker chains are likewise as loose and undersail the tip of the bowsprit becomes severely deflected to leeward, the forestay with the jib set creates an arc to leeward. The yard were the survey was done said that if nothing has broken, leave it alone!!

Doesn't make since to me!!! Last thing I want to do is replace a bowsprit or spar. I would like to begin adjustments by getting rid of all the slack at dock on both the foremast (2 shrouds each side) and mainmast shrouds (3 shrouds each side), the 3 bowsprit chains and the forestay. She has running backstays for the foremast with deck levers. This seems like a logical step to me (I have only owned bermuda rigged boats before this one). Is there any risk to the rigging with this as a first step?
Thanks

[Ian McColgin]

She sounds a bit loose even by schooner standards.

I have tuned schooners by getting "hand tight" at the dock and going for a sail. I was taught not to adjust the leeward shrouds and stays underweigh, but have hit on a modified way that works.

Don't take the slack right out of the lee shrouds. Rather, tighten from the weather side carefully sighting to see that the mast is at least straight. Stop before, well before, all the slack is out of the leeward side. Tack and work on the new weather side, counting turns to see if when they match the side you did first, the mast is straight. Get it straight, tack again and fiddle.

When you've a straight mast on both tacks and just a little sense of unloading, not real slack but definatly not highly stressed, on the lee side, find a quiet spot to get the sails down and check that the trucks are amidships. If not, carefully ease on one side and trim on the other till the trucks are centered and get them in colum. Set sail and tune some more.

Especially with gaff schooners, adjustment of the triadics is important in getting the jib's luff sag out. You really want to be sure of your bobstay and whiskers first.

Anyway, easy does it. These rigs should not be floppy but they are not like the highly stressed rod rigging you see on the tupperware boats.

G'luck

Ian

[bobsummers]

Thanks for the procedure on tightening the rigging, especially the suggestion of starting on the windward side rather the leeward.

Bob

[Ian McColgin]

I hasten to add, be sure the slack has some human cause and is not the result of starting chain plates, cruching mast steps, slipping softeyes, or worse.

G'luck

Ian

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I'll just add that a properly-tuned boat more or less duplicates, at dockside, the loads it sees under way. So if you tune it right, you won't be adding significantly to loads on the hull, just making them constant. Slack rigging, all to frequently-seen in traditional vessels, is most often a result of a desire to avoid putting excessive strain on what is perceived as a fragile structure. The unintended result is that the slack shrouds shock-load the hull and fittings, doing far more damage than too-tight rigging might have.
If this boat can't keep the rigging tight (see Ian's letter), tuning isn't the problem; the hull is.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss