OK. Thanks for the link. I'll have a read when I get home. I won't have time to sail before the weekend so I'm just trying to get as much info together as possible before my next outing. I know the 450 is a recreational boat that's why I chose it but it still has a lot more performance than I am used to. I just need to tame it a bit so I can get used to it a bit at a time before letting her rip. The mast is still at the factory setting and I will leave it so but I still like to understand how the adjustments affect performance/sail shape etc. There is a lot of good advice here for which I'm greatful and I'm getting a good idea of what and what not to do next time I sail.
Hello to you all,
Been out a few times lately. We have only had light winds 2-3 bft recently but that is fine until now. I've been trying out a few things and can now tack the boat reliably using the main only. Also been doing some sailing with the jib and as predicted she tacks much easier. One question remains, when I'm in the trapeze the shroud hangs loose. Now seeing as the winds have been light this may be OK but I'm not sure whether to tighten the shrouds one hole or not. Any suggestions?
Thanks for all the advice so far, it has really helped.
your lee stay will always have some slack in it.. as the mast is bending that way..
if your windward side-stay gets slack when you get on the wire... you got some issues.... it's almost impossible to have slack in your windward stay....
when rigging, you want tight stays and bridal. not so tight they inhibit mast rotation, but snug as a bug. lose rigging is not such a big deal in light air.. but not a good thing in heavy air..
Martin,
Your shrouds should be loose enough that you can rotate the mast just over 180 deg. from port to starboard. When sailing in light wind in the trap the windward shroud can have the slack that is normally in the lee shroud. If you weigh 176lb and the wind is exerting less than that on on the sail you will have slack. If the wind quits you can also pull the boat over, don't ask me how I know!