Using a Y spreader on mizzen lowers

[oddjobbob]

The angle of the mizzen lower shrouds make the side-deck of my boat very cramped going to the stern. I have been toying with the idea of mounting a Y-shaped spreader 3-4 ft down from the shroud attachment point on the mast to "push" the shrouds out so the shrouds would be at or nearly at vertical from the chainplates. I don't have any measurements at this time but I am just wondering if this can be done safely without negatively affecting the mast's stability.
On a further visual inspection, without actually climbing the mast and making any measurements, one potential problem is the angle the shrouds would make over the spreader tips would be rather more severe than the angle made by the mizzen uppers, or either the main mast uppers or intermediates. I'm not sure if this bending would be injurious to the wire.
Thanks for any guidance anyone may have.
Robert Booth

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
While it is technically possible to create deck space by putting spreaders on the lower shrouds, it would be difficult. You would need long, sharply-angled spreaders, and you would need tangs that were likewise sharply angled, pulling sideways on a bolt and a mast that were not engineered for the pull. Among other problems. the bend in the wire is another issue entirely.
Do you have pictures you could post of the current setup? A configuration change might be available.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss