Carbon Rig Tension

[Chuck Ballew]

I had a setting guide, downloaded from Boston's website, I used to tune my old aluminum mast for different wind conditions. Using a carbon mast now, I can't locate a tuning guide for the carbon rig. What are the other carbon stick owners using for light, medium and heavy air setting??

[Michael Eisenberg]

I use a Harken Tune Tool.  It is electronic, and reads in KG.  It appears to have no accurate corallation to my old Loos gauge.  In any event, I started out setting the shrouds to 112/70 for 10 knots wind.  I set to 130/80 in 15 knots wind. I think I am now running less lower tension, basically just tight of slack. I don't actually adjust the lowers as the wind comes up, they get tighter just by having the spreaders push the mast forward against the lowers as the uppers are tightened.

[Jim Pearson]

Use Loose Ga. Model RT-1.
0-15 knots Outers at 31,  Inners flopping
15+  Outers at 37, just starting to get snug
Inners always left soft enough to get 1/2 of side sag at spreaders. Check with your sailmaker to see what he is building into your main. Tensions depend entirely on the design cut of his sail . One  group of settings will not work for all brands of sails.
Jim Pearson CAN 200

[Billy Ellis]

Jim, In heavy I am having difficulty getting enough headstay tension with the carbon rig settings the Bostons have recommended. ( just taught lowers).  What are your thoughts about this. It seems that tightning the lowers would help reduce mast bend as you tighten the upper giving more head stay tension. Is mast side bend vs head stay tension a compromise and if so has it been determined to compromise in favor of side bend?

[Jim Pearson]

Have not experienced excessive sag at these settings but sheeting very hard on main to act as backstay and lots of vang.
Jim Pearson
CAN 200