[Public-list] Replacing Wooden Spreaders

[Gordon Laco]

Hi there -

Mine were that way too... I flipped them over so that the tips are slightly
aft.  The airfoil is wrong now but the spreaders work better now.

Even with masts like ours you want to set things up so that when the system
is under load the tendency is for the middle to bow forward slightly.  What
that will do is draw depth out of the main ever so slightly...and improve
your boat's ability to carry sail and remain under control in heavier air.

The way you spreaders and mine were - combined with the lower shrouds being
set up wrong - the mast tended to bow aft when under load.  That increased
the draught in the mainsail, which increased the healing which increased the
weather helm which made the boat feel out of control when being pressed.

I think the common feeling is that the lower shrouds should be set up with
more tension on the forward ones than the after ones.  That holds the stick
in column when at rest but allows some flex when it is under great stress.

So what started all that?  Oh ya, the spreaders.

I fitted mine with the tips slightly aft and whether or not an engineer
could measure the benefit... That was a small part of the many little
adjustments I made; the aggregate of which resulted in a better sailing
SURPRISE than the one I first sailed.

Cheers - Gord






> I want to ask everyone for some advice since I am getting ready to replace my
> wooden spreaders.  I have the mast down, and while taking a close look at the
> spreaders, I noticed that the spreader tips are swept forward a few inches
> from the centerline of the mast.  It seems to me that they should be on the
> centerline, but is there a reason they should be swept forward?  I'm not sure
> if the spreaders are original.  The spreaders are not symetrical, the leading
> edge is straight and square, the trailing edge tapers forward towards the
> spreader tip, and also tapers in the fore and aft direction.  I tried flipping
> the spreaders upside down, which brings the tips close to the center line, but
> was told that if the spreaders are tapered( fore and aft) the smaller edge
> would be aft.  I was planning on just duplicating the old spreaders untill I
> noticed this.  I basically have three questions:
> 
> 1) Should the spreader tips be on the centerline?
> 2) Since I am making new spreaders, I can make them to any profile I want.  Is
> there any reason they should be Asymetrical in profile(looking down from
> above)?  I was just thinking about making them symetrical, and tapering them
> fore and aft similiar to an airfoil.
> 3) Is there anything else I should consider while making these?
> 
> I'd appreciate any advice.
> 
> Philip Sparr
> Hull 172,  Chesapeake Bay
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