Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

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jollyroger47
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Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by jollyroger47 »

I have recently acquired a 1983 Macgregor 25, I need to tighten the rigging and would like to know if anyone has a good way of doing so, and more closely, describing how to do so singlehandedly. The manual mentions there is a way to tighten the verniers by holding them in place with a screwdriver? After a quick attempt I am not sure of how to do so while having enough tension on the line to effectively tighten the shroud..

I would like to be able to adjust the shrouds on my own, and get them tight enough where I may feel safe taking my boat out for a sail. If anyone knows how to do this well or knows of a detailed description, photos, or video of a way to keep tension on the rigging while pinning it in place it would help me out big time.

Sincerely,

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Mike C.
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Re: Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by Mike C. »

There is probably a better way, but when I need to adjust tighter, I lower the mast just enough to reduce tension, then adjust, and raise the mast back into position and makes sure the tension is where I wanted it to be. The problem with this method is that it sometimes takes multiple attempts before the tension is where it needs to be. Takes some time. I know I have seen a tool that goes into the slots and pulls like a wrench.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by Tomfoolery »

I do what Mike C said - I use the MRS to unpin the forestay, slacken the side stays by lowering the mast a little, adjust as I think would be right, and bring it back up and repin the forestay. Be sure to slacken the MRS before checking, and be sure the backstay is at least very loose, if not unpinned, while checking tensions. You'll have an awful time trying to pin the forestay if you're fighting the backstay, and it shouldn't be more than 'not sloppy loose' anyway before the sail puts a load on it when sailing downwind.

You can use a pair of scratch awls to adjust them under load, as you can stick an awl into a hole that's almost aligned and pry a little more tension while using a second one to catch the next one that almost aligns. It's kind of clumsy (IMO), and I prefer to just slacken the rig and move the pin.

Use riggers tape to cover the ringding when done, so a sheet or dock line doesn't mangle the ringding which could allow it to walk out. And that can happen. I almost lost a couple of pins by being lazy about tape, including the forestay pin once. :o
Last edited by Tomfoolery on Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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grady
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Re: Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by grady »

X2 on rigging tape. It can save you from tearing a sail, also having a second item securing the pin in is alwys good when you are talking about keeping the mast up.

On the other hand I always used 2 awl's and did not have any issues.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by Tomfoolery »

grady wrote:On the other hand I always used 2 awl's and did not have any issues.
Well, one out of two ain't bad. Better than casino odds, at least. :D

In my case, I can't use the two-awl method on the upper sidestays, as it was at the longest setting possible until this spring when I readjusted it one full hole pitch tighter, which was the smallest adjustment I could make. The female part has a 1/2" hole pitch, with the male piece on the shroud having a 5/8" hole pitch, but unless you have enough overlap, you won't be able to use two awls.

Out of curiosity, I sketched the hole patterns, leaving off the last hole on each piece since it's only used for attachment to the chainplate and shroud, and dimensioned the smallest increment of adjustment starting with the longest possible setting. It's interesting that there are some jumps in the minimum adjustment possible until there's enough overlap for the vernier to fully take effect, which starts at 1-1/2" shorter than the longest possible setting.

With the mast having less than about 4 degrees of rake, like mine, upper side stay adjustment is somewhat erratic, though the lower stay is well into the full vernier range. I guess BWY makes them with the intention that the mast will have the design rake angle. :wink:

Image

It's too late to try, but I'm curious now where the mast would end up with the adjustment about in the middle of the full vernier range, or about 3" retracted. Maybe next spring. :wink:
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grady
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Re: Need help adjusting verniers on my Mac 25.

Post by grady »

Tomfoolery wrote: In my case, I can't use the two-awl method on the upper sidestays, as it was at the longest setting possible until this spring when I readjusted it one full hole pitch tighter, which was the smallest adjustment I could make. The female part has a 1/2" hole pitch, with the male piece on the shroud having a 5/8" hole pitch, but unless you have enough overlap, you won't be able to use two awls.
That is true. Mine always were in the middle of the range or so. I did get rid of them this year when I replaced the standing rigging. I went with the more traditional turn buckle set up. I think it is worth the extra when you are replacing the rigging. It makes adjustments a lot easier.
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