After mucking about for the last three weeks trying to get sheeting lengths and jib/main angles correct for a new boat, it makes me think that perhaps it would be easier to use flat rectangular spars
for the jib and main booms. Easier to drill multiple holes through a flat carbon spar than trying to figure out a simple way to secure on a 6mm round, and make it adjustable.
Any thoughts? I have done allot of internet research on this subject, trying to find the most easy, simple way to make adjustments quickly,not many answers, What do you do?
I have seen the rubber o-rings and wound wire thingies, but wonder if there is another lighter way to do it.
Kurt
Kurt…
For my Jib, I use fuel line clamps from my hobby store. Cheap and light. Look at the Jib in this pic. It is not a '65 but is is a 6mm jib boom 
Grav
These work great. I just tie the line to them and clip them on.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/29_149_151
i use fuel tuping cut into 1/8" section. mulch like the rubber oring. i deadman the sheet below decks and have all my adjustments on the booms… one hole directly above the fairlead. on the end of the sheet, when fully sheeted in with trim the fishing snap hook is almost at the fair lead.
http://www.fishingtackleunlimited.com/p/fishing/c-terminal-tackle/SAM-RDS-50-Z-P.html
on the boom is a loop that is tied through the fuel tubing such that when passed through the hole in the boom the fishing snap hook attches to the loop. then I can slide the fuel line tube up or down the boom to fine tune the sheet angle. this what I do on my victoria, soling (only difference is wood spars) , and RG65. I have a similar setup on my EC12(aluminum spar), but I utilize a Z bent wire in place of the fuel line tube with holes drilled into flat side of the booms that the Z bend hooks to.
Also keep in minds that once you get your settings nailed down. this is not an adjustment you have to continually adjust…
These are all great ideas, I like the fuel line clamps have never heard of those before. plastic clips look interesting as well.
Marc, I have a Vic as well and have thought about using some sort of elastic setup to dump the jib in a gust, but look I’m getting
off my own topic now. As far as the RG class it seems to me that weight is imperative and simplicity of design, ease of adjustment
are key. Everything else is in your thumbs. Always allot of good information here at RC Sailing.Net.
I use lots of grommets from radio shack for boom adjustments. the variety pack is ~$2 and has a bunch of sizes. Once you find the place that they need to be permanent, you can glue them to the boom if needed. I use them from RG up to M sized boats.
I just ordered some carbon tubes, 6mm round and 5mm square. My idea is to use the round for the mast, with the shrouds attached at the front of the mast. and use the 5mm square for the booms.
I can easily drill lots of holes in the square spars for sheet adjustments on jib, main, booms. On my Vic and my simpatico the shrouds are located on the side of the mast, my thought is to place
them centrally at the front of the mast so there is less interference with the sail sheeting out in a reach or downwind. This would also let me locate the stays on the deck further forward, which
could allow a better sail shape on the down wind legs.
Any thoughts?
Kurt
Kurt, is your mast roll wrapped or pultruded. I have found the the pultuded carbon are not on ly “heavy” but also much more bendy than the roll wrapped tubes.
one way to make attachment points on carbon tubes with out having to drill them is to wrap a fitting to the mast, much int he same way a fishing rod guide is wrapped to a pole. and then a light dab of CA will “lock it” in place. nice thing about CA one you star “unwrapping” the string it will break free such that if you need ot move it you can.
I have done this with small cotter pins which had been bent to suit my needs. since they are folded in manufacture to create a circleular cross section, each side of the wire is a semi circle make it much easier to wrap it.
not sure if the 3mm is going to make that much difference with sail shape on a run…
on my vic mast, I drilled 4 holes for the shrouds and I terminated the shrouds at the aluminum mast head crane such that there are now stresses on the holes in the mast.
“Sort of” on topic…
Was looking at some carbon tent pole replacements tonight at Wal-Mart. Under Coleman name. They have metal slip-fit ferrules, and I couldn’t find a “for sure” size. As I recall, they are packed four rods per pack, 27 inches long each (2 tops, 2 bottoms) and “I THINK” 6 mm dia. (???) and look to be pultruded - which I am guessing, since the pop-up dome tents like bendy tent poles.
I wouldn’t use these on any hard-core race boats, but they might work where weight isn’t critical. The package was under $10.00 (US) so might be of some interest/use.
Just a thought and am passing on in case anyone might want to visit the sporting goods section to look. They were in the tent repair section - and of course it is almost end of season here in the upper mid-west for most fair-weather camping.
Dick, any idea is welcome, and you never know where things can be sourced from. I didn’t realize when I ordered my carbon fiber material that it was being shipped from china.
So I guess I’ll have to weight for it and see how things weigh up. ARGH!
Marc, I am just thinking that the sail would rotate better if the shrouds were attached at the front of the mast rather than the sides.
Kurt
I use silicon tube 4mm ID this grips well on both 6mm and 5mm carbon tube for all my adjustments on both swing rigs and conventional rigs, I have a rigging diagram that can be down loaded from the following address:
http://modelgraphics.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/mm-rig-ga-new.pdf
This Diagram is for the Micro Magic but I use the same set up for my RG-65.
I have also looked at the photograph of the Emirates boat and in my opinion it is far to heavy for a boat like an RG-65, if you use wrapped carbon for the mast then it can be shroud less making the whole thing easier and lighter
Barrie…
I am sorting out two boats this fall, both of them share the same sail suit so it is not optimal.
I would rather start over the next season with a better match.
Have you started new hulls with foils and bulbs?
Send me an PM.
Kurt
There is no need for shrouds on the RG65 if the mast stiffness is correct, I use 6 or 7mm wrapped carbon tube with 5mmOD 3mmID pultruded carbon in the bottom third of the mast to give it stiffness, John Tushingham of Graphite in the UK has had some 7mm OD 5mm ID wrapped carbon tube made although very expensive it is fantastic for Hi aspect ratio A rigs on the RG both swing and conventional with no shrouds it makes the rigging simple and it is quick to change rigs
one of the issues with going shroud less, though. your mast tube has to be dead nuts on perfect in regards to fore’/aft/port/stbd vertical alignment as well as being located properly for your CE/CLR if its off, then you’ve lost potential performance…
One reason I like decks stepped shrouded rigs is that you can always tweak them and much more adustability…
now that I have a milling machine and can build things “square” I may take a delrin or teflon block or hunk o luminum and give it a go… but then it means I need to modify all my current rigs to be shroud less…so i have more options in regards to rigs…
for the “yanks” Aerospace composites sells roll wrapped tubes in their online store, as does goodwinds… I have had flawless service from both…
M16, going back to a comment you made in an earlier post, do NOT rig the jib to ease in a puff on your Victoria! Main maybe, jib no.
hew, yes you are quite right, my Vic loves to round up into a breeze so quickly that it is hard to control in gusty conditions.
I think I need to make adjustments so there is less drag on the servo at windward.
My RG65 rig for my Simpatico had some issues with the sail not being able to rotate around the mast near the shrouds.
Things kind of bunched up. so I will be moving them to the front of the mast and see if this helps.
My other RG “blue splash” unfortunately is a disaster,so I have something else in the pipeline.
Stay tuned, I can’t wait to see my next RG!
great rigging info in this thread, thankyou gents.
has anyone got tips for making a set of spreaders for a carbon mast? i’d like them removable if possible but struggling to come up with something without drilling the mast.
How about something like this (crude drawing)
Ideally you would want to glue the stainless steel rod into the mast, but you might
get away with a good tight slip fit and be able pull the carbon tube spreaders and
steel rod out of the mast. On ether end of the carbon spreader tubes glue wire loops
or insert cotter pins as guides for your stays.
My Vic has a pulltruded mast and a hole drilled through it for the spreaders and it has
sailed in some strong winds with no problems.
depending on what kind of boat. are you sure you need spreaders. I have had a spreaderless rig with a roll wrapped tube on a vic for many many years. to attach stuff to the mast I used to take cotter pins and “whip” them to the mast on either side and then brush in some CA to lock it all in place.
since then I just drill a hole and then fill the hole with a solid rod that extends about 1/4" on either side and then hook the shrouds to that.
you could do something like this and then using the lower tangs whip them to the mast on either side… similar to the way guides are installed on fishing poles.
Spreaders can become a problem if you use a topping lift on your jib and things get snagged.