Tension Gauge for 1/2" wire

[Dennis1]

Bob - You're a genius !! All along the solution has been staring me in the face, but I missed it because I failed to keep looking up ...

Your assumption that I have a double-spreader rig is right on the money (Genius and psychic?). I didn't even realize it, but there is the 1/2 inch line that runs from the bottom of the lower spreader to the deck and another wire that runs from the lower spreader to the top. I took a look from deck last night and it does appear to be a smaller gauge wire, but I'll have to go aloft over the weekend to confirm it.

By the way, I have all of Brion's videos and I think almost all of the equipment he sells other than some recent additions and a few items here or there. I also hear both of you about the dynamic tuning, but I wanted to get somewhat close to the proper tension at the dock since I'm not ready to take the sailboat out just yet.

In fact, your solution actually raises some questions that I haven't seen addressed in Brion's videos. How do you tune when you have two different gauge wire lines running from the deck to the top of the mast in a double spreader rig? Any and all ideas on this are welcome, indeed !!

Thanks again, Bob, for such a brilliantly simple solution. It's one of those that just make ya say, "Doh! How could I have missed that"

I can't upload pictures so let's try a very crude attempt at showing my rig:

[]
/[]\
/ [] \
/ [] \
|---[]---| Upper Spreader
| /[]\ |-> Different gauge wire line (hopefully)
| / [] \----> Wire line from outside of lower spreader to
|/ [] \| inside of upper spreader
|---[]---| Lower Spreader
| [] |
| [] |
| [] |
| [] |-> 1/2 inch wire line
| [] |
| [] |
Mast

Scary, huh? Well, maybe it will convey the basic idea ... maybe ...

[Bob Pingel]

Dennis-

If your rig is designed correctly, the V1 should be larger than the D2 and V2/D3 -- it is carrying the load of both. I would guess those smaller wires would be 3/8 or smaller - meaning you can use a large Loos guage.

On my boat, the D2 has a turnbuckle, but the "upper" does not. I tune the "upper" to roughly 12% by tightening the big turnbuckle on deck. I tune the D2 to 10% since it is so short.

From there I go sailing and tweak it...

Good luck,

Bob