Jimmy J,
No male testosterone here. Nothing to prove to anybody. I've owned my R22  
for 15 years and have been a member of this forum in one way or another for 
that  same period. Opinions are varied. I'm simply relating what works for 
me. I also  have the experience of knowing several owners who tightened their 
stays to the  point that they did significant damage to their hulls. I'm 
simply saying that  there is no known statistic for the R22 using the Loos 
gauge. Certainly nothing  from General Boats. Common sense wins out on this 
topic. Taking nothing away  from Mary Lou. 
Time to have a rum and diet coke.... or two....or three...........
 
Rummy
 
 
In a message dated 6/2/2009 5:49:47 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jimtracyjohnston at centurytel.net writes:

Great  topic to open the season for many of us up "NORT". I have been 
sailing for  many years and now have a beginner's badge. "Tuning" the 
rigging has  always been a concern. Over the years my brute strength and 
ignorance  methods have created many interesting moments. My wife seldom 
enjoys the  thrill of sailing because of frequent experiences. The 
shrouds have not  been abused by me, to my knowledge. But, to get a 
tight head stay and  allow the furling system to perform smoothly I have 
cranked in the split  back stays so a pluck of the stay(s) vibrates a 
three octive "C'  tone.  Cool until you go below and the base your mast 
support that is  supported on the cabin sole (floor) is bowed downward 
in a "U" shape.  Oops! Live, learn and write the checks. This site is a 
great resource of  information, but, the information I get from our 
tendor mates (Mary Lou)  send to have more common sense and less 
testosterone. Have GREAT summer.  Jim J

Quoting David Culp <dculp at hsbtx.com>:

> John:
>  I have a Loos gauge that I use to balance the rig as well.  I think you  
have
> your rig too tight based on the numbers you quoted.  In  fact, I don't pay
> much attention to the numbers I get on a particular  shroud except as a
> comparison to their opposite counterpart.  
>
> Stan has advised that the factory recommendation is "hand  tight" on the
> shrouds.  I would have to look at the Loos  instruction pamplet again but 
I
> believe that the recommendation from  Loos is that the lee shrouds should 
be
> at "zero" tension when the boat  is healed over at its max angle.  Let's 
call
> "zero" as being  slack and anything less then that being "loose".  After
> raising  the mast, I go out and sail the rig a few times watching the
>  shrouds.  At max heal angle with all sails hoisted, I just begin to see  
a
> little looseness, just slightly beyond slack so that I can see  it.  I 
can't
> get there. with merely hand tight usually.   Don't tell Stan, but I hold 
the
> top of the turnbuckle with a small  wrench and give it about 1/2 or a full
> turn tighter with my hand to  get it where I want it.  Stan's hands maybe
> stronger then mine is  how I rationalize it. 
>
> Anyway, my rig is still basically "hand  tight" but meets the Loos 
philosophy
> of not going too loose and mast  pumping.  My numbers are a lot less then
> yours.  Who knows  what kind of a rig Loos based their numbers on?
>   Personally,  I would not use their recommendations unless I had a  
reason
> and a keel-stepped mast and then I would loosen it every time I  berthed 
the
> boat.  I have already observed first hand what an  over-tightened rig can 
do
> to a cabin-stepped mast.  Maybe your  top is OK now, but what about the
> chain-plates that you can't  see?   I think Loos is good for racers and
> anyone else  demanding consistent, peak performance and willing to pay for
> the  consequences.  I'm not sure that our boat qualifies as a "racer"  
though
> I do pretty well against all the comparable ones on my lake  even at hand
> tight. 
>
> I don't remember my Loos numbers  but I think I am less then half of what 
you
> are at, maybe 180 at  most.  I'll check them if you are interested in
> knowing.  
>
> David
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 10:30:02 EDT
> From: R22RumRunner at aol.com
>  Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Re design of Rhodes Interior and
>   elimination of  compressi... 
> To:  rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Message-ID:  <c4f.468f947f.3756916a at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Having no experience with the loos gauge  puts me at a disadvantage. I can
> tell you that my method of testing is  done by touch. My stays are taught,
> but  not tight. I test each  of them until I think they are all about the
> same,
> being   careful not to over tighten. I start with each turn buckle at the
> same  point and  then I and another person count rotations making sure  
they
> are
> the same. I  repeat this with each one. My  leeward stays are always loose
> when the sails are  filled. That's  the way they are supposed to be. 
> Roger was a wonderful resource on  this list, but please keep in mind that
> he is an engineer. My  experience with engineers, including Roger, is that
> they  have an  extreme tendency to over think things and make them much 
more
>  difficult  than they need be. 
> I would be concerned about the  crack that has widened. The crack tells me
> that at one time the stays  were to tight otherwise the crack never would
> have  appeared.  Keep in mind the geometry of the deck and hull and how 
they
>  all
> work  together. 
> Good luck and I'm envious that you  are out sailing and I'm waiting for
> paint to dry. 
>
>  Rummy
>
>
> In a message dated 6/2/2009 9:57:09 A.M. Eastern  Daylight Time,
> jsbudda at verizon.net writes:
>
>
>  Rummy,
>
> Glad to see you have a lake with water and a   shinny new boat to play 
with
> (nice color) hope the weather cooperates.  
> The loos gauge applies a transverse tension on the wire being  tested.  
The
> wire is pulled with a set amount of force and the  amount of deflection  
is
> measured on a scale which translates to  lbs of force. I take the  
accuracy
> of
> those numbers with  a teaspoon of salt but to obtain the same  number on 
all
> four  baby stays and the 2 side stays indicate balanced  tension  
throughout
> the rigging system. I order to get a consistent  reading  you must try to
> measure each wire at the same point on  its length as close  to the center
> point as can be safely reached  by standing on the  deck. 
>
> John  Shulick
>
>
>
> R22RumRunner wrote:
>  >
> >  John,
> > Your numbers from the loos gauge  mean absolutely nothing to me,  but 
your
>
> > comment  about a 1000 pounds of pressure on the mast  support troubles 
me.  
> > Anyone  else have any thoughts or  experience with the  loos gauge?
> >
> > Rummy
> >
> >
>  > In a message dated 6/1/2009 11:01:33 P.M. Eastern  Daylight  Time,
> > jsbudda at verizon.net writes:
> >
>  >
> > Hi  all,
> >
> > The boat has been in  the water for  three weeks now and the rigging  
has
> >  bin
> > tightened  gradually to what I consider normal. In that  time the  boat 
has
> >  been hit by several cold fronts  sweeping through the area with  winds 
 of
> > 30
>  > mph with gusts to 50. I've been out sailing (10 to 15  with   gusts)
> trying
> > out
> > my new mainsail from  sailcare.  and can report no problems  aside from
> >  getting
> > used to  some squeaks and groans as the 34 year old  cabin  adjusts to 
the
> >  new
> > load. The  interior picture shows the arch under a mast  load  of  
approx
> > 1000
> > lbs. 
> > 120 on the baby  stays  and 240 on  the side stays as measured on the 
loos
>  > gage. 
> >
> > John  Shulick
> >   http://www.nabble.com/file/p23825735/DSCF0298.jpeg
> >
>  >
> >  --
> > View this message in context:
>  >
>  
http://www.nabble.com/Re-design-of-Rhodes-Interior-and-elimination-of-compression-post.-%28update%29-tp23825735p23825735
>  . 
> >  html
> > Sent  from the Rhodes 22 mailing  list archive at   Nabble.com. 
> >
> >   __________________________________________________
> > To    subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go  
to
>
> > http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> >   __________________________________________________
> >
>  >
> >  **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See  Yours in Just 2 
Easy
>
> > Steps!
> >
>  (
>  
http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585042x1201462767/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun
>  >  eExcfooterNO62)
> >   __________________________________________________
> > To   subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to
>  >  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> >   __________________________________________________
> >
>  >
>
> --
> View this message in context:
>  
http://www.nabble.com/Re%3A-Re-design-of-Rhodes-Interior-and-elimination-of-compressi...-tp23832100p23833015.html
>  Sent  from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at  Nabble.com.  
>
> __________________________________________________
>  To  subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go  to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>  __________________________________________________
>
>
>  **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2  Easy
> Steps!
> (
>  
http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585042x1201462767/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun
>  eExcfooterNO62)
>  __________________________________________________
> To  subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to
>  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>  __________________________________________________
>



__________________________________________________
To  subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to  
http://www.rhodes22.org/list
__________________________________________________


**************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy 
Steps! 
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222585042x1201462767/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun
eExcfooterNO62)