baby stay yacht

How to Tune a Sailboat Mast

Here are some general guidelines for tuning your mast’s standing rigging . please see our blog on  how to properly adjust a turnbuckle  before you begin. as always we recommend seeking the advice of a professional rigger for more specific tips and tricks regarding tuning your boat’s rigging..

Your boat must be in the water. Begin by just slacking off all of the side shrouds as evenly as possible, so that all stays can be adjusted by hand. Once loose, try and adjust all turnbuckles so that they are pretty much equally open (or closed) from port to starboard respectfully. Also go ahead and line up the cotter pin holes (if present) in the studs so that they are in a pin-able position. Now is also the time to balance out the threads, between the upper and lower studs of the turnbuckle, IF they are not even. Do this by unpinning the turnbuckle from the chainplate – BE CAREFUL HERE –  to ensure the mast is secure before unpinning any one stay. Lastly, loosen all halyards or anything that may pull the mast to port, starboard, forward or aft.

1.  Check by sighting up the backside of the mast to see how straight your spar is side to side. You can take a masthead halyard from side to side to ensure that the masthead is on center. Do this by placing a wrap of tape 3′ up from the upper chainplate pin hole on each upper shroud. Cleat the halyard and pull it to the tape mark on one side, mark the halyard where it intersects the tape on the shroud. Now do this to the other side, the mark on the halyard should also intersect the tape similarly. Please note: when the mast is equipped with port and starboard sheaves, instead of just one center-line sheave, it will appear slightly off to one side. Just keep this in mind……

2.  Using the upper shrouds as controls, center the masthead as much as possible using hand tension only. Some masts are just crooked. If yours is(are) crooked, it will reveal itself when you loosen all of the stays and halyards initially and sight up the mast. Although you should use hand tension only, you can use a wrench to hold the standing portion (the stay portion) of the turnbuckle. If for some reason the shroud is totally slack and you still can’t turn the turnbuckle by hand then the turnbuckle may need to be serviced, inspected, and maybe replaced.

3.  Tune the mast from the top shroud on-down, making sure the mast is in column.  Remember:   as you tension one shroud by adjusting the turnbuckle, to loosen the opposing shroud the same amount.

4.  Once the mast is fairly straight from side to side, tighten the shrouds all evenly using tools for tensioning. Typically, for proper tension, the shrouds should be tightened using these guidelines; uppers are the tightest, and then fwd. lowers, then the aft lowers and intermediates should be hand tight plus just a turn or two. ~ With an in-mast furler it is recommended to tension the aft lower a bit more to promote a straighter spar (fore and aft) for better furling. 

5.  Now you can tension the aft most backstay (s). If the backstay has an adjuster it should be set at a base setting (500-1000 lbs). If the backstay simply has a turnbuckle then it should be tightened well. After this has been done, in either situation (adjustable or static backstay), one should site up the mast from a-beam and notice that the masthead has a ‘slight’ aft bias. If there is no aft bias, too much, or the mast is inverted (leaning forward), then the forward most forestay (s) will most likely need to be adjusted to correct this. If a furler is present then seek the council of a professional rigger or refer to your furler’s manual for instructions on how to access the turnbuckle if there is one present.

6.   Finally, sight up the mast one last time and make any necessary adjustments.  

7.  MAKE SURE ALL TURNBUCKLES AND PINS HAVE  COTTER PINS AND ARE TAPED NEATLY  TO PREVENT CHAFE!

Read HERE for how to use a LOOS & Co. Tension Gauge!

Here is a little vid from our friend Scott at  Selden Masts  (click the link then hints and advice for more info) on rig tune…..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCALZ4x6R4&w=420&h=315]

Is your mast fractionally rigged, only has a single set of lowers or is just plain different? Be sure to leave any  questions or comments below.

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58 Comments

I have a fractional rig with a cap shroud and one lower V1. The spreaders are swept aft with no backstay, and the rig is set up for a fathead main. The worse diameter is 5mm. The boat is 23 feet long. Could you provide any tuning advice for this style of rig. The past owner said he set the rig up at 10% breaking strength on the upper and 4% on the lowers which seemed really low for this style of rig. Any input would be very helpful as we go to rig the boat tomorrow

If you look at our reply below for the FarEast 23R tuning explanation, this should help shine some light on the topic. As far as percentage of breaking strength is concerned, just ensure a good static (dock) tune, then sail-tune setting tensions to the minimum requirement, and don’t exceed 30% of breaking strength.

Cheers, ~T.R.C.

Any hints with tuning a sportboat that only has a set of uppers, a short forestay and no backstay????

Just got an email from someone else with almost the same question, for a FarEast 23r. Since I don’t know what Sport boat you have, I’ll just copy and paste my reply here. Generally, these “guidelines” work for just about ANY type of sailboat. The article is trying to focus on the concept of mast tuning rather than specific numbers, but also touch on how a guide can be created that is specific to YOUR boat and your style of sailing.

Thanks for the comment and enjoy the read.

“The Fareast 23r looks like a fun boat and simple in terms of rigging. I am a bit surprised that there isn’t any real support offered to the aft end of the top of the mast given the masthead kite. The boat must sail at enough of an angle downwind when loaded that the main leech and vang support the masthead….. but it must work.

As for appropriate tension, in terms of what’s fast, you will need to dig into the class a bit and figure out who’s figured out what. Ultimately the maker of your sails should have some data in terms of prebend for the mainsail and perhaps even jib luff curve (a.k.a. intended sag). If you can gather that info, I would do a static dock tune and then make adjustments until I achieve the sailmakers recommended pre-bend.

Additionally, you may be able to start with the Fareast 28r’s base setting for just V1 and D1 and try that to get started. Or at least see how that compares to the previous owners’ notes.

I haven’t’ sailed the boat but as a general guideline, and as you will read in the comment section of this article, you will need to start with good dock tune. The amount of tension is irrelevant at this point, contentedness and straightness is numero uno….. and then just the order of tension.

Order of Tension (Single aft swept spreader rig) – the uppers are the tighter of the two: upper and lower. The upper is in charge of providing you headstay sag (or tension). The lower will allow the mast to create mid mast bend, or keep it from bending. The forestay length gets adjusted to affect the mast’s rake, the amount aft lean.

Once a straight and centered mast with adequate rake and a touch of pre-bend is achieved (static tune), using hand tension only and you can’t tighten it ‘by hand’ any further, add three or four whole turns to the uppers and one full turn to the lower. If you have pre-bend recommendations, now check them and adjust as needed. Then go sailing close hauled, ensure you are trimmed and canvased correctly given the condition, and observe the leeward shrouds.

IF the leeward shrouds are flailing about loosely in the lulls, add tension by hand while sailing until they just begin to fetch up. Count the number of turns, tack and do the same thing on the other side.

IF the leeward shrouds aren’t slightly moving in the lulls, you’re likely a bit a tight and you should do the opposite of the above procedure.

For me, while sailing close hauled, properly trimmed, and properly canvased, if I see the leeward shrouds just starting to slack in the puffs or waves, then I feel like the boat’s tune is typically pretty dialed in. Then if I want to make cheat sheet “Tuning Guide” when I get back to the dock, I pull out my loose gauge, pen and paper and note: today’s wind and wave condition, and the Loos Gauge setting that I thought was ideal.

Soon you’ll have created the Fareast 23r Tuning Guide😉

Hope that helps.”

I have a 1965 Alberg 30. On a starboard tack the boat has more weather helm than on a port tack. I have not been able to achieve a balanced helm on either tack. New full batten main, new 150 roller furl genoa.

Other than the boat being evenly ballasted from port to starboard, e.g. holding tanks, fuel tanks, below deck furnishings, and storage items, I would check the rig from side to side. A crooked mast or poor static tune can result in the boat sailing differently on both tacks. A good way to test this is either sighting up the mast at the dock to ensure that the mast is relatively straight side to side and in column. You can also see that when beating (aka hard on the wind), you have to make adjustment’s to the mainsail sheet tension (NOTE: the traveler will likely need to be adjusted to mirror the same setting as on the previous tack). If notice that with the traveler in the same position on each respective tack that the sail is bubbling or flogging more on one tack than on the other, it is likely necessary to re-tune the mast. This can be done at the dock by following the guidelines in the article once the everything has been appropriately loosened to tension.

Let us know if this helps.

Any Hints, tips for tuning a 1977 Whitby 27 sloop 1/4 ton rig?

Nothing special that I can think of. Just follow the guidelines in the article. From what I can gather there are only a single set of lowers correct? Are the spreaders aft swept at all or just straight out? If it is single lowers and no sweep to the spreaders you’ll need to set the rake using the forestay adjustment to set the rake and the backstay to control the forestay tension. If you are interested in optimizing sail tuning, like in racing situations: higher wind sailing conditions will desire more tension on the shrouds, a bit more tension on the lower than the upper, but only slightly; and in lighter winds loosen them up a bit, a tad looser on the lower than the upper.

Hope that helps, and good luck.

How do I tune /2 in rigging. Neither of the loos gaug s are large enough?

Thanks for the question. Yes, I think the Loos gauges only go up to 3/8″ wire. First let me say that a tension gauge is not a must for proper tuning, more for tension recording and also not exceeding max tension which is typically hard to achieve without additional fulcrums or wrench extensions. Having said that, if you know that you need one simply search google for cable tensioning gauges. There are a few others like this one https://www.checkline.com/product/136-3E , pricing is not easily apparent and may be excessive for your needs.

My recommendation is that if you have a good local rigger have them do a static dock-side tune and perhaps sail-tune in the boat’s ideal conditions. Perhaps they can provide a tutorial on their process for you to be able to make rigging adjustments over time.

Hope that helps.

Hi. Nice article. I have a Mirage 27 (the Bob Perry design). It’s a masthead rig with single spreaders and the shrouds on each side come to the same chainplate. I have been tuning so that tension on the lower and uppers is the same and trying to set them so that (as you say) the leeward shrouds are just slightly slack. But how do I induce mast rake? I have a split backstay with a 6:1 purchase on the adjuster; should the mast have rake even with the adjuster off? or do I just haul on it? or should the tension on the inners and outers be different?

HI Michael,

You will need to lengthen the headstay and shorten the backstay. This can be done a few ways either with turnbuckle adjustment or actually shortening and lengthening cables, sometimes you can add or remove toggles also.

Hope that helps!

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I recently purchased a 1988 Catalina S&S 38 and experienced my first launch this season, including stepping the mast and tuning the rig. As we prepared, we found that the Cap Shroud and Intermediate Shroud were clamped together at the four spreader ends. The folks at the yard had never seen that, and I certainly didn’t know why it was there … possibly to keep the spreader ends and shrouds consistent? Anyway, as I am learning how to tune my rig, it seems to me that these clamps would prevent me from tuning the cap shroud and intermediate separately and correctly Thoughts? Should I remove them and re-tune the rig?

So it is a double spreader rig I take it? The upper shroud wire should run freely through the first spreader, or the closest one to the deck, and be clamped at the top spreader. The intermediate shroud wire should be clamped at the lower spreader.

Before stepping, if this was done correctly, both upper spreader and lower spreader should be clamped equal distance from the mast attachment point, when looking at the mast from port and starboard.

In other words, you should measure the distance from where the upper shroud attaches to the mast to the end of the upper spreader and it should be the same distance on the other side, port to starboard. Then the same goes for the intermediate shroud and the lower spreader. The upper shroud should run freely through the lower spreader although it is covered by the clamp, but not actually clamped at the lower spreader, j ust the top one.

If all 4 spreaders are clamped equally port to starboard. You should be good to tune from there. The spreaders should show a slight up angle, to be specific slightly more up at the upper spreader than at the lower, but all of them should be just ever so slightly pointing up. You even want to think about clamping them slightly higher than that before tensioning, as this will pull them down and into their preferred angle, just slightly up. Specific angles are really only determined on the spar builders drawing and vary for manufacturer to manufacturer. Generally it is pretty clear where they want to sit. With the shrouds loose if you find that angle that appears to be the right one, and push them up slightly from there then clamp. This will allow them to be pulled down slightly once tensioned.

Kind of a tricky thing to explain in writing but hopefully it helps.

Have further questions? Give us a call 443-847-1004, or email us [email protected]

I have a Catalina 275 fractional rig with single swept back spreaders and an adjustable backstay. My questions are: how much rake, tension on cap and lower shrouds and on chain plate should cap shroud be forward and lower aft. I am racing and want the best performance. Thanks for any help. Bill

If the two shrouds are on the same plate, right next to each other, and the pin holes are the same diameter, and the plate is configured in a fore and aft configuration, I would choose the aft hole for the lower shroud and the forward one for the upper shroud.

In terms of specific rake, you will need to look towards the maker of your sails and or the boat manufacturer. I discuss how to measure rake in the preceding comments.

“You can measure rake by hanging a small mushroom anchor from the main halyard, with the boat floating on its lines, if you wish”

For racing I would start off with a good static tune at the dock by following the points in the article. If you know it’s going to be light day, start off with light rig tension. Be sure to use either Velcro wrap style cotter pins or simply lash the upper and lower shroud turnbuckles together to secure them. This will give you access to removing the pins or lashing while sailing and adjusting the stays.

From there you will need to sail tune for that days specific conditions, your shrouds will tell you what needs to be tighter and looser. I have answered how to do this a few times already in the comments below, please take your time to peruse the comments section to see what sail tuning entails. Doing this will always ensure that the cable tensions are set up ideally for the conditions and the boat can be sailed at maximum potential.

“For racing, ideally once the static tune at the dock (the part we just talked about) is done, go out and sail tune. Do this by going hard on the wind and checking to see if the leeward shrouds are just starting to dance, this is ideal. If they are swaying about they are too loose for the current conditions. If the leeward shrouds are tight, they may be a touch to tight. Tension and loosen as needed; count what you did and to what shroud, then tack and do the same to the other side.

ALWAYS secure the turnbuckles when you are finished adjusting them.”

Just hit ‘Ctrl F’ and search the page for “sail tune” and “rake”

I am trying to tune a Hallberg Rassy HR36 masthead rig. The rig has two in-line spreaders. The cap shroud is 3/8 inch and terminates at the lower spreader. From the lower spreader, the cable transitions to a 5/16 inch cable passing over the upper spreader to the masthead. A second 9/32 inch cable runs from the lower spreader to the mast (just below the upper spreader). The Selden rigging suggests that the “upper shroud” be at 15 percent of the breaking strength of the cable. In this situation, is it 15 percent of the 3/8 inch lower portion? If so, how should the upper 5/16 inch and 9/32 inch cables be tensioned?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Bryant, good question. Once proper alignment and centering of the spar has happened (static tune), and you are perhaps a hair tighter than hand tight on all shrouds, you can begin to tension things to a percentage of breaking strength. Do this by using the cables at the deck and use their diameters to determine the tensioning amount.

The V1 (aka cap shroud) in your case is a 3/8″ cable which supports the two cables above ii, hence its large diameter. The 5/16 V2,D3 and the 9/32 D2 total 19/32. So if 15% of the 3/8 cable is achieved you will below that threshold for the cables aloft. Does that make any sense?

With that in mind there is a range of acceptable tension from light air to heavy air. 15% sounds like a good middle of the road tension. Generally you do not want to exceed 30%. Sail tuning in ideal conditions is generally the best way to determine the right tension, but 15% of breaking strength sounds like a good place to start.

Don’t forget your cotter pins and tape, especially aloft.

Hope that helps and thanks for the question.

T.R.C. Thanks you for the clarification regarding the V2,D3 and D2 load distribution. When I set the V1 tension to 15%, the tension on the V2,D3 was at 8 %. I then tensioned the forward shroud to 12 % and the aft shroud to 10 %. Then I tensioned the backstay to 14 %. After doing this, I measured the tension on the V1 to be 10 %. The only information I could find regarding tension on the D2 was that is did not have to be tensioned much. I tensioned it to 5%. The mast sights straight and I used a bossen seat on a halyard to measure to the lower part of the V1, which also indicated that the mast was straight. Did I overtension the fore and aft stays? Is the tension in the D2 too much or too little? Again, I appreciate your advice.

When you tighten the backstay it usually induces a bit of aft bend in the mast which will soften the upper shroud (V1) a bit. You can just take up on it again to get it back to 15% if you like. As I said there is a acceptable range for all of the stays, which you are well within. Everything else sounds like you did a pretty good job. Next up sail tune and see if there is excessive waggling on the leeward side, but in moderate breeze. The shrouds will begin to sway as the breeze builds, this could be a telltale to either reduce sail a bit or you can add some tension to the shrouds all the way around.

Should be all good as they say.

T.R.C., your advice has been invaluable. I took her out in 12-15 knots and was very happy with the sail luff and stiffness of the rig. Thanks for you help!😁⚓️

Hi , can you provide any tuning guides for a Swan 38 Tall mast single spreader rig with baby stay, I am keen to set the rig up for new North sails and race her competitively. The mast is an exact Nautor factory replacement in 1998. She shall not have furling sails.

Hi Peter and thanks for the comment.

Unfortunately we do not have a guide for that boat. I would ask the sailmaker however to see what info he or she might have. Alternatively you can always start with a good static tune and then sail tune the boat as I describe in some of the comments below. This is the best way. I may use a Swan 45 Tuning guide as the template and then just fill in my own numbers over time. This is ideal, but infidelity start with asking the sailmaker you are working with, he should have some good info.

This may seem like a silly question, but it has me perplexed. How long should my cotter pins be? Long enough to ‘jam’ against the surrounding body, to prevent rotation? Otherwise, I don’t see how they’ll prevent my stays from loosening.

The length should be the minimum amount to just be able to bend the legs. Too long and they get caught up on things, too short and you can’t adequately bend the legs to keep the pin in place. The head of the pin is a actually providing the security.

Does that help?

Great article to get me started, thanks! I just have a few questions…

I originally owned a Tanzer 7.5. Her mast was rigid and simple to tune with a LOOS and an eyeball. I however now own a Mirage 33 (1982) and things are a bit more complex (but not too much). When I bought her the mast was already stepped and the owners said they replaced the forestay (inside the furler) 1 season ago. I went about the boat tuning the rig as best I could but I started second guessing the rake. I found noticeable rake in the mast with virtually no backstay tension on. So I think my forestay stretched (being “new”) and I need to bring it forward.

How do I measure how much rake (at rest on the tensioner) is enough? With my rig as is I felt worried that if I pulled down on the backstay tensioner I might buckle my mast by bending it too far. It seems to me it’s ALOT of downward pressure on the column when you pull down on her especially if the mast was already raked or maybe in my case leaned too far back to start? She has a babystay too, I wasn’t sure how far to tension that other than to assist adding bend\rake but since I had too much already I just lightly tightened it and hoped for the best!

Thanks for the question. With the backstay tensioner completely off, you should be able to adjust the static/ base tension of the backstay with a turnbuckle (s). Loosen the Baby Stay so that it is completely loose, sloppy, to take it out of the equation. Then mark furling line spool direction and remove the line. Next, open the furler up to gain access to the turnbuckle inside, if present. Remove all cotter pins or locking nuts to free the turnbuckles on the headstay and the backstay. You should then loosen things so that the headstay and the backstay can be adjusted by hand. Close the headstay turnbuckle and open the backstay turnbuckle to reduce rake, and vice versa if wanting to add rake.

You can measure rake by hanging a small mushroom anchor from the main halyard, with the boat floating on its lines, if you wish. Then once you achieve the desired mast rake go ahead and tension the forestay and backstay a few turns equally with tools; not too tight, but a good base light air setting, or as loose as you can imagine the headstay ever needing to be. Lastly, tension the baby stay a bit until it just starts to tug on the mast, helping induce bend. From here the backstay tensioner will do the rest: wind it on and it will tension the headstay and induce mast bend via the baby stay. You may have to take the boat sailing and adjust things as you find out how it performs at various degrees of rake and bend.

I hope that’s not too wordy, but helps explain it all a bit. Feel free to email or call with further questions.

Regards, ~T.R.C.

Can you provide some specific information regarding rig for 1980 C&C 32. Looking to purchase new main and want to get the most from it for Wednesday nights. Boat currently does not have a pony stay, it has been removed. Can replace that track/car. What should initial bend look like, keel step is fixed so assume I need to some chock aft of mast at deck? Have rod rigging but no Loos gauge for same, should I acquire one? Love this site, very helpful RayK

Thanks for the compliment. This may be less technical than you might expect. I would start with the basic guidelines given in the article to ensure a good base, static tune setting. A Loos gauge is good but not needed. If you focus on getting the spar straight, side to side, with a slight aft bias and then the tension is set so that it feels fairly tight. I know that sounds vague, but keep this in mind: if you are anticipating heavier wind make things a bit tighter, and loosen things up if less windy. The order of tension, in regards to the which shroud (upper vs intermediate vs lower) is important; more so than the amount of tension. Make sure nothing is so loose it is just flapping about.

The headstay should have some good slack to it with the backstay adjuster totally off. Adjust the backstay and headstay turnbuckles, with them in the slack position until the masthead is favoring a slight aft lean or rake, but only slight. From there, tension the backstay adjuster very tight and see what the headstay tension feels like, should be very tight.

PLEASE NOTE: if the backstay adjustment is totally bottomed out at this point, the backstay needs to be shortened a bit. Just pay attention to how this affects the rake. …

This part is where the pony stay or the baby stay will play a critical part, for mast bend. You may even find the pony stay to be good for mast pumping in light air and waves. Making this baby stay removable is a good idea, as well as, we’ve found that Dynema rope is the best choice here.

So… a centered mast head, side to side. A straight, in column mast from the top on down. A slight aft rake to start with…and as you begin to wind on the backstay and the baby stay you will add some rake but also a good bit more bend.

Take this set up for a few test sails and see how things act, in different conditions. After that you can make some adjustments here and there as needed: weather helm, shroud tension, mast rake, pre bend, etc…Moving chocks and using a Loos gauge.

ADDT’L TIP: Chocks and mast step position affect bend and rake properties. Want more rake? Chock mast aft in collar and move step forward. Want more bend? Chock mast forward in collar and move mast aft. As all things, there is more to it than that, but that’s the gist of the whole chocks and mast step thing…

“Sail Tuning” is a blog we are in the works of, but the punchline is that if hard on the breeze, and the leeward shrouds are excessively loose, and you are sure you aren’t over canvased…then go ahead and take turns on the leeward side until they just stop waggling, count what you’ve done, tack and mirror the turns on the other side.

Once the boat is set up for that specific condition, and you return to the dock, you should take your loose gauge and record these settings…creating a tension gauge setting for various conditions.

Hi, Thanks for your information. I have a Dehler 34. 1986… How much mast prebend and rake is recommended? The boat is new to me in March. Raced ok but I want to get a new main and want it to fit a well tuned mast. What do you think of a 2 degree rake and 4″ prebend at the speaders? Also, I have a Harken furler, How do you measure the forestay tension? Thanks, Duke

The answer, this boat is pretty sporty so it should show some rake. The spreaders are swept slightly aft so this will produce some natural bend just to tension the headstay.

Head-stays are always tough to measure with any sort of gauge, there are some class specific tricks for using a gauge in funky ways in order to get data, but they aren’t really reliable in my opinion. If you live in a typically windy area, go for bit more shroud tension, headstay tension and mast bend, and see how the boat feels. This will take some trial and error. If the forestay feels too stiff, slot too tight, loosen the uppers a bit, thus reducing bend and slackening the headstay.

Once the boat is sailing well in the ideal conditions, record that bend and those tensions. This is where I would leave things set, record it, and then just adjust shroud tension to affect bend and headstay in order to compliment different wind strengths and sea states. It takes quite a bit of back and forth, and documentation to get it right. One designers have already worked all of this out and then they share it for others…..very helpful. The rest of us will have to be the trailblazers for this type of information for other boat owners with the same (similar) boats to benefit.

Hope that helps, thanks for the kind words, and good luck. Once you figure things out post a link here for others with the same boat…..would be helpful.

Hello, Thanks for all of this great info. I just purchased a 37′ boat with a 3/4 fractional rig and a tapered mast. I was wondering if there were any special considerations when tuning the fractional rig? Currently the stays and shrouds are a little loose and can be wiggled (borderline flopping) by hand although the mast stands and is visually centered. (We are in SW Florida and the boat went through a direct hit by hurricane Irma like this and still stands tall!) Also is it advisable to increase shroud tension in small increments first on one side and then do the same on the opposing side? Thanks so much for any info

Hi Nathan. There are some thoughts, so fractional masts are usually fitted with aft swept shrouds and spreaders. If so, this means that the uppers also tension the headstay and create mast bend. The lowers then also act to reduce mast bend, so the tighter you make them you are actually reducing mast curve, thus powering the mainsail up. So be conscious of these two thoughts when tensioning the shrouds. The rest is fundamentally the same as the guide suggests. Loose or wiggling shrouds (excluding the scenario where we are talking about the leeward shrouds under sail), should be tightened. Doing things in increments is definitely a good idea.

Hope that helps. Thanks for the questions.

Thanks!! Now that you say that about the swept spreaders helping create mast bend it makes perfect sense. I had an ‘oh duh’ moment. I’ll probably err on the side of looser lower shrouds knowing if we need more power we can always tighten them up. Thank you again this helped immensely!

I want to buy a tension gage. Most familiar with Loos. But do I need Pt 1 or 2? (Pretty sure I don’t need 3 or Pro.) I have two rigs to tune: a 1972 Morgan 27 and a Catalina 22, I think 73 or thereabouts. The Morgan 27 is mine, fresh water for life, and 99.9% most likely factory wire. The Catalina 22 is a borrower in the Gulf, but pretty sure the owner has never tuned it. My problem is I can’t find the gage of wire for either standing rigging anywhere! Any help?

I think this one will do… https://sep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-70220623433298_2270_120385950 . The Morgan is likely 3/16″ wire and the Catalina is likely 5/32″, that’s an educated guess. Hope that helps.

I just purchased a 1980 C&C 40. I was told that I need to replace the rod rigging as it is “too old”. The mast is down and the rod rigging seems ok but I have not done any penetration testing. Does rod rigging need to be replaced due to age? Thanks Rigging Co.

Not replaced, but re-headed. This can mean that some stays need to be replaced as a whole, but not typically not the whole set. There are instances where you’ve almost replaced all of it anyways, so full replacement just makes sense. Other than those scenarios, full replacement is due after a certain mileage with rod…60,000 NM. Please keep in mind these standards are very general recommendations. It sounds like in your case, you should send in the rod, tangs, and chainplates for service and inspection. once we receive everything we will make a quote for the recommended services and/or replacement.

Hope that helps and give us an email for more info.

I have had a problem with securing the spreaders to the shrouds, resulting in the spreaders dropping. I am using stainless wire to seize them but still having a problem. Any tips on how to do this properly?

Seizing the wire onto spreaders with hinged spreaders is a bit of a trick of the trade that requires some practice. We use the X’s and O’s method. The end result should be something that looks like this… https://theriggingcompany.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/2012-06-07_14-26-09_899.jpg?w=900 . A trick to make the wire bite into the spreader end a bit more is to wedge a small piece of leather between the spreader and the wire before seizing. Also parceling and serving the wire where it intersects the spreader will help create more bite too. Lastly, and I don’t like this method but you can install a bull dog cable clamp beneath the spreader, nuts facing in, to keep it from dropping when slack.

I hope that helps a little. Thanks for commenting.

I am struggling to get enough rake into my mast. 33 foot Charger 33 keel stepped. Have loosened forestay and moved mast foot forward by about 10 mm. Should the chocks in the collar be adjusted? Runners and 2 spreaders, and check spreader. Spreaders do not have much aft angle. Move mast step more forward? Outers are tight with inners looser. Thoughts?

Hey Bernard,

Yeah, it sounds like chocks are the last thing. Maybe remove the chocks with the rigging slack and see if you can get the mast to sit where you like it with just hand tension. Then chock it where it wants to sit. It sounds like you are on the right track everywhere else, perhaps add a toggle into the headstay and shorten the backstay is next. Good luck and I hope that helps somewhat.

Hi, We have a Lagoon Catamaran with fractional rig, upper and lower shrouds, fore stay and upper and lower diamonds. No back stay. The mast has a degree of pre-bend. I do not plan to drop the mast.

I may have to do some work on the port side upper diamond. Is it as easy as just undoing the turnbuckle? Or do I need to loosen the starboard one at the same time. If it needs replacement should I also replace the starboard one even if in good condition?

As a further question, what happens if a diamond breaks, does it result in mast failure?

You would need to loosen the other counterpart to that stay for sure. It is just good practice, will keep the mast straight, and also make your life easier for removal install. Now, do you replace both? I don’t know. How old is the standing rigging? Why are you replacing the one? If it is not all due for replacement and you are just replacing due to damage, just do the one, but loosen both sides to do this.

Hope that helps and thanks for the visit.

Hello! I recently purchased a keel-stepped 1982 Goman Express 30 which came with an Alado Furler. I have been sailing it since May of this year. My question is this: Despite relocating mast wedges at the cabin roof to bias the lower mast aft about 2″, I still have a pronounced backward bend (10 degrees or so) just above the highest spreader. When sailing on jib alone, most wave action causes the mast to pump right at the bend point. I have a split backstay that is as un-tensioned as possible and the forestay only has another inch of adjustment left. There is no baby stay.

How can I get the bend out of the mast? How concerned should I be that the mast might break at that point?

Thanks in advance for your reply!

Eric Hassam – Delta Flyer

Thanks for taking the time to comment on our site. It sounds like you are on the right track. So one other adjustment that you have is the mast step position. This greatly affects mast bend on keel stepped masts. For a stronger bend and less rake, move the mast butt aft. For more rake and less bend (probably what you need to try), move the mast step forward a bit. If neither of these help, you may be off to have your headstay shortened and this means it is too long. This is likely not the case, but it is a possibility.

Keep in mind….A mast should have a slight aft rake bias along with a small amount of mast bend. This is quite normal. You can send us a picture if you’d like a second opinion on if it is over-bent. Having said all of that, even if you remove all of the mast bend, the mast may still pump. This is a design flaw in many spar designs that lots of end users have experienced. This can be remedied by redesigning the stay lay out. Is there a place for a staysail stay and/ or runner backstays? If so add them. Is there a place for a baby stay? If not, that may be a consideration.

Thanks again and I hope that helps.

Hi, I have a 48 foot yawl with a 7/8 fractional rig, is the tuning procedure the same as a masthead rig? I seem to have trouble getting aft rake and proper headstay tension. Also, is there a particular tension number the upper shrouds should have? many thanks in advance

Hi Bill, thanks for taking the time. 7/8 is very close and I would treat it like a masthead rig, especially if the none of the spreaders are aft swept. Tesnsion the headstay using the backstay(s). This should pull the top of the mast aft. If there are any other forward stays, i.e. stay sail stay, forward lowers, or anything else that could be holding the mast forward, go ahead and loosen those completely. You then may need to tighten the Tri-attic (the stay that connects the top of the mizzen and top of the main) if present. OR if the mizzen needs more rake too, then lossen all forward stays and pull it back using the available aft stays for this as well.

Hope this helps and please email us and send some pictures if you need more help.

I have a 1972 Morgan 27, which has both forward and after lower shrouds. I wish to remove the forward lowers so I can trim a 110% jib inside the stays. I see a lot of boats without forward lowers and think this will work OK, but wonder if I should increase the size of the aft lowers and beef up the chain plates. Any suggestions?

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT. I AM GOING TO REMOVE THEM ANYWAY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. “HOLD MY BEER, WATCH THIS….” FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

Lol! Good luck. Call us if you need assistance.

I have rod rigging on my Beneteau 32s5

Any other guidance on tuning them vs wire rigging

Hi and thanks for commenting.

Just follow the guidelines in the write up. The over all goal is that the mast needs to be straight and in-column when looking at it from side to side.

Fore and aft, the mast should show a very slight lean aft. Depending on whether or not the spreaders are in-line or aft swept; you should also see some slight bend if there is any aft sweep to the spreaders just from the tension of the uppers.

A Rod stay tends to run a bit tighter than wire, so keep that in mind.

For racing, ideally once the static tune at the dock (the part we just talked about) is done, go out and sail tune. Do this by going hard on the wind and checking to see if the leeward shrouds are just starting to dance, this is ideal. If they are swaying about they are too loose for the current conditions. If the leeward shrouds are tight, they may be a touch to tight. Tension and loosen as needed; count what you did and to what shroud, then tack and do the same to the other side.

ALWAYS secure the turnbuckles when you are finished adjusting them.

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Wow, I would hate to be charged by her for three trips up the rig and forget the screw driver the rubber plugs that are sacraficial and replaced everytime removed just to clean the stainless 1×19 rigging.

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Opinion Is Donald Trump okay?

His story about hypothetically being electrocuted is another glimpse into a mind that is unwell.

It is irresponsible to obsess over President Biden’s tendency to mangle a couple of words in a speech while Donald Trump is out there sounding detached from reality. Biden, who is old , at least makes sense. Trump, who also is old , rants like someone you’d cross the street to avoid.

We in the media have failed by becoming inured to Trump’s verbal incontinence — not just the rapid-fire lies and revenge-seeking threats, but also the frightening glimpses into a mind that is, evidently, unwell. In 2016, Trump said outrageous things at his campaign rallies to be entertaining. In 2024, his tangents raise serious questions about his mental fitness.

His rally on Sunday in Las Vegas offered a grim smorgasbord of examples, but the obvious standout (and not in a good way) is the story he told about being aboard a hypothetical electric-powered boat . He posits that the battery would be so heavy that it would cause the craft to sink, and he relates his purported conversation with a knowledgeable mariner about this scenario. Bear with me, but it’s worth reading the passage in full:

“I say, ‘What would happen if the boat sank from its weight, and you’re in the boat, and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery’s now underwater, and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there?’ “By the way, a lot of shark attacks lately, do you notice that? Lot of sharks. I watched some guys justifying it today: ‘Well they weren’t really that angry, they bit off the young lady’s leg because of the fact that they were not hungry but they misunderstood who she was.’ These people are crazy. He said, ‘There’s no problem with sharks, they just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming.’ No, really got decimated, and other people, too, a lot of shark attacks. “So I said, ‘There’s a shark 10 yards away from the boat, 10 yards, or here. Do I get electrocuted if the boat is sinking, water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking? Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted, or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?’ Because I will tell you, he didn’t know the answer. “He said, ‘You know, nobody’s ever asked me that question.’ I said, ‘I think it’s a good question. I think there’s a lot of electric current coming through that water.’ But you know what I’d do if there was a shark or you get electrocuted? I’ll take electrocution every single time. I’m not getting near the shark. So we’re going to end that, we’re going to end it for boats, we’re going to end it for trucks.”

Trucks? He’s actually talking about the transition to electric vehicles , which he has vowed to halt. That entire hallucination is part of Trump’s rationale for one of his major policy positions.

Trump has told the electrocution-or-shark story at least once before , at a rally in Iowa last October. Stormy Daniels , the adult-film actress who received $130,000 in hush money to keep quiet about her sexual encounter with Trump — a payment that led to the former president’s conviction on 34 felony charges — has said that Trump is “obsessed with sharks, terrified of sharks.” Way back in 2013, he declared on Twitter: “Sharks are last on my list — other than perhaps the losers and haters of the World!”

The White House press corps would be in wolf pack mode if Biden were in the middle of a speech and suddenly veered into gibberish about boats and sharks. There would be front-page stories questioning whether the president, at 81, was suffering from dementia; and the op-ed pages would be filled with thumb-suckers about whether Vice President Harris and the Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment . House Republicans would already have scheduled hearings on Biden’s mental condition and demanded he take a cognitive test.

The tendency with Trump, at 77, is to say he’s “just being Trump.” But he’s like this all the time.

Also during the Las Vegas speech, Trump tried to deny the allegation by one of his White House chiefs of staff, retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, that he refused in 2018 to visit an American military cemetery in France, saying it was filled with “suckers” and “losers.” Trump told the crowd on Sunday that “only a psycho or a crazy person or a very stupid person” would say such a thing while “I’m standing there with generals and military people in a cemetery.”

But he wasn’t “standing there” with anybody. He never went to the cemetery .

Except in his mind, perhaps, which is a much bigger problem than Biden fumbling a name or garbling a sentence.

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Breaking news, billy joel reacts to justin timberlake’s dwi arrest near his hamptons home: ‘judge not lest ye be judged’.

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Only the good get pulled over?

Music legend Billy Joel cautioned outsiders from casting aspersions about Justin Timerblake following the pop star’s arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated on Long Island this week.

“Judge not lest ye be judged,” Joel, 75, told PIX11 News on Tuesday afternoon – just hours after Timberlake, 43, was pulled over in Sag Harbor.

The “Piano Man” singer spoke to the outlet while he was eating at the American Hotel, where Timberlake was spotted partying before he was nabbed by cops.

The swanky spot is also a short walk from Joel’s home on Bay Street.

Timberlake was stopped by police just after midnight on Tuesday, and was also cited for running a stop sign and failure to keep in his lane, court documents showed.

The “Sexy Back” singer – who is in the middle of a world tour that includes upcoming dates at Madison Square Garden – told the officers he had just “one martini, and I followed my friends home.”

He also refused three times to take a Breathalyzer test, and failed a field sobriety test, according to charging documents.

A witness at the American Hotel told The Post that the singer was “wasted” — and even downed someone else’s drink when its owner went to the restroom.

Stay updated with the latest on Justin Timberlake’s DWI bust

• Justin Timberlake had ‘bloodshot, glassy’ eyes, claims to have had just ‘one martini’ before DWI bust: complaint
• Jessica Biel gushed over her ‘rock’ Justin Timberlake, spotted filming in NYC before his DWI arrest
• Justin Timberlake busted for DWI, other traffic violations in Sag Harbor

“When [the man] came back, [Timberlake] was drinking his drink.

“The guy goes, “Justin, that’s my drink!’’ the source said.

Timberlake, who shares two children with wife Jessica Biel, has admitted in the past to struggles with “excessive drinking.”

The “Mickey Mouse Club” alum is hardly the only star to run into trouble with the law on the far reaches of Long Island.

In July 1992, Joel and a commercial fisherman with the East Hampton Baymen’s Association were arrested and charged with catching striped bass illegally during a protest against fishing regulations.

The charges were eventually dismissed.

Joel – who entered rehab for alcohol abuse in the early 2000s – also crashed his car into a tree in Sag Harbor in 2003.

He was hospitalized but never arrested or charged in connection with the incident.

With Post wires

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'Below Deck' Alum Kate Chastain Welcomes First Baby, Son Sullivan Cay: 'Hard Launch'

Kate Chastain is celebrating welcoming her baby boy

Kate Chastain is officially a mom!

The Below Deck alumna, 39, has welcomed a baby boy, she confirmed on Instagram Friday.

Sharing a selfie where she holds her newborn son, who appears to smirk at the camera, while wearing sunglasses and a white button-down, she wrote, "Hard Launch: Sullivan Cay 💙."

Chastain's news was met with congratulations from across the Bravo universe, including Garcelle Beauvais , Gizelle Bryant, Tamra Judge and Margaret Josephs .

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE reported news of Chastain's pregnancy exclusively in December, with Chastain saying that she'd long hoped to have a child of her own one day. " I am absolutely thrilled to become a mother ," the reality star raved. "It's something I've always hoped for so this is truly a dream come true!"

Asked by Cohen on WWHL 's After Show if she was "doing this on your own," Chastain said, " I'm doing it solo and perhaps with some help, but I'm happy to do it alone ."

She also said that she has a name picked out already — "a family name."

Chastain first joined Below Deck in its second season, which debuted in August 2014.

She was a staple on the series for six seasons before departing the show in February 2020. She went on to executive produce and host Bravo's Chat Room , is a regular on the network's series Below Deck Galley Talk and was one of the contestants on Peacock's reality competition series, The Traitors .

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Campaign denies Donald Trump planning to stay in Chicago during 2024 Milwaukee RNC

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former President Donald Trump's campaign denied he is planning to stay in Chicago and commute to Milwaukee for the 2024 Republican National Convention in July, as multiple sources told ABC7.

A high-ranking law enforcement source who is not authorized to comment on the decision publicly, but who has knowledge of the decision, told ABC7 Political Reporter Craig Wall that Trump intends to stay in Chicago and commute to Milwaukee for the convention. A second source confirmed those plans.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

A third source told ABC7 the former president is making plans to stay in Chicago during the RNC. Those sources said the city has been preparing for weeks for Trump to stay here and travel to Milwaukee.

But Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, responded to ABC7 saying, "The president is planning to stay in Milwaukee for the Convention."

"We did have solid indications he was originally planning to stay in Chicago, at least for some period of time," said 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, who's also chair of the city's public safety committee. "Campaigns change schedules all the time. The Trump campaign is like any other; they react to circumstances, they react to the optics, and I think in this case it looked pretty bad to not be staying in Wisconsin, which is a battleground state for him. So, frankly, I'm not surprised they changed their mind not to stay in Trump Tower."

One high ranking law enforcement source confirmed sweeps had been done at the Trump Tower just last week.

Trump is campaigning in Racine Tuesday afternoon, days after reportedly calling Milwaukee "horrible" behind closed doors.

Trump's event Tuesday comes less than a month before Republicans gather in Milwaukee for their national convention, where they will nominate the former president for the third time in eight years. At a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill last week, Trump referred to his party's chosen convention host city as "horrible," according to a source in the room.

The Trump campaign pushed back on some of the public characterization of the alleged remark, saying he was referring to crime and "voter fraud." As his alleged comment reverberated around the Badger State, Trump clarified to a Fox News reporter, "I love Milwaukee. I have great friends in Milwaukee" before also criticizing crime there and the city's stewardship of elections.

The Republican National Committee chose Milwaukee as the RNC host city because Wisconsin as regarded as a state that helped send Trump to the White House in 2016. He then lost the state to President Biden in 2020.

Trump frequently railed against Chicago during his first term in the White House.

And while his campaign now insists the former president will be staying in Milwaukee when he accepts the Republican nomination next month, city officials in Chicago said the campaign's reversal doesn't change their planning here.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report

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• Start date 17 Dec 2001
• 17 Dec 2001

I have just upgraded my boat and the new girl has a Baby-Stay. I can see that it it set up such that it's tension can be adjusted easily, or it can be diconnected. What I am struggeling with it what it is there for in the first place. I have scoured a number of books and little refernece is made to a Baby-Stay, the few time it is mentioned it is about mast bending. Can anyone give me a short description on where and when I would use this. Note, while the boat is a fast cruiser (Shipmen 28) I intend to cruise with it, not race. Thnaks in advance  

Twister_Ken

Well-known member.

There are generally two uses that might be of value to you One, it stops the mast from flexing too much when beating into the sorts of waves that stop the boat. Two, its a good place to hoist a small jib or storm jib, if've you've got a roller furler on the forestay. Going to windward in a blow, a roller furler gets very baggy and inefficient. Rolling it up and setting a smaller purpose-built sail on the baby stay makes a lot of sense, provided halyard and sheet leads permit it.  

Is it a baby stay or a cutter stay? My notion of a baby stay is one that goes approximately to the same hight on the mast as the lower shrounds and is often used instead forward lowers but not so good for using a forsail on and mostly not detachable. If it goes up higher, do you have runners at the same hight?  

Hmm, don't know which it is. I will have to look next time I a at the boat. At the moment the mast is down and all rigging removed. TH resasons that I can see that it is removable are: 1) there is a secondary stay under the fordeck that baraces the pad down into the hull. This is removable, possibly to allow better access to the fore-bunks. 2) the botly-screw and the bottom of this stay has one of those wheel things on it to allow easy adjustment. I would say that the pad on the foredeck is around 1/3 of the distance from the foot of the mast when compared to the forestay. I am unsure of how high up the mast it goes but I think it to about the spreaders. Help?  

OK, that may also explain why I have a secnd set of gennie/jib tacks and cars inside of the shrouds. I will have to chec luff-lengh to my sails to see if any are small enough to set on this stay. Thanks for the help  

It also gives you a second chance if your forestay goes  

Sounds like a baby stay if it's 1/3 from the mast. Triangle might still be big enough for a strom jib. Check if you have a halyard at that high too. You will also probably have to set it if it rougher so that the mast doesn't swing and you should be able to flatten the main by tighening it a bit with the wheel.  

• 18 Dec 2001

Active member

Allows you to keep the lower half of the mast on rig failure. Stabilizes the mast. Mine was taken of and the boat became impossible to handle under Spinaker....  

If you have running back-stays the baby stay may balance the force when not sailing. Might straighten the mast otherwise.  

It's a baby stay, not cutter stay or anything else, and it's there to balance the backward pull of your inner shrouds (you'll find it's attached to the mast at the same height). It stops the mast bending the "wrong" way but possibly most important, it stops it pumping in a big sea which could lead to a buckling failure. You can use it to tweek the mast bend but the Shipman's mast is probably so stiff that the range will be limited and not really worth the trouble. It will have been made removable to make gybing the spinny pole easier whilst racing - you can only end-for-end with it in place, and even this is a bit more awkward in a breeze. My own rig is similar but, how can I put it, there is a definite uncertainty relating to its reattachment in the general commotion at the leeward mark, despite assurances and pleas, so it stays permanently connected and tamper proof! (Nor am I too keen to test a not-fully-supported rig through a wipe-out broach.) A fair proportion of simple single spreader masthead rigs on boats in the 30 - 40 ft loa range have one.  

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• Sirius 21/22

Richard Peters

I have recently purchased a Sirius 22. It's a nice little boat as far as I can see. However, being a racer at heart and planning to race this boat I am concerned about the baby stay. My question is, is the baby stay actually functional? It is obviously a barrier to quick tacks.  

SIRIUS 21/22 (CAN) - sailboatdata

I tend to agree. I can’t imagine this boat’s mast inverting considering it doesn’t have a backstay adjuster as standard equipment. Thanks  

shemandr said: Sailboatdata.com doesn't show that boat with a baby stay' Click to expand

I have great respect for Ted but I missed that on the sailboatdata.com. To me, the diagram looks like the stay is the port lower.  

Richard Peters said: I have recently purchased a Sirius 22. It's a nice little boat as far as I can see. However, being a racer at heart and planning to race this boat I am concerned about the baby stay. My question is, is the baby stay actually functional? It is obviously a barrier to quick tacks. Click to expand

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

My understanding about the baby stay was that it's purpose was related to stepping and un-stepping the mast. The problem is I can not remember where I got this info or how true it is. We kept it attached, cause why not. I will say that the clew of the genoa would sometimes snag on it while tacking. We were not racing so all it involved was having by friend hold my drink while I went forward to free it.  

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I have an early 80's catalina 22 that I keep on a local lake during the summers. Raising the lowering the sail tends to be a little bit nerve wracking. I have the crutch for the back of the boat which allows me to raise that portion of the mast. I then bolt it to the deck and attach the trailer winch about six feet up the mast and start cranking. This works fine but the mast tends to sway right and left and is difficult to remain stable. I have read that I can use "baby stays" to solve this problem but I do not understand how to use them or where to purchase them. Can someone help me? Thanks.  

I assume that you mean "Raising and lowering the Mast tends to be a little bit nerve wracking". I don't think that you mean baby stays either. I assume that you mean attaching tempoaray lower shrouds which would run from the chainplates at the deck to below the spreaders.  

I only have the summers to sail and I mostly sail by myself or with a friend. No marina and no other sailers around. So my terminology is most certainly not going to be exact. Any advice you can offer to minimize the swaying of the mast as it is raised would be appreciated. Thanks.  

What will help you is a 'swing up or hinged tabernacle' at the base of the mast: This is essentially a 'hinge' thats bolted to the coachroof top and to which you 'bolt' the mast base/butt before raising. The 'hinge' then provides more 'stability' during the raising process. Also do websearch for 'gin pole' an 'arm' thats attached perpendicular to the mast during the raising process which mathematically lowers the amount of force needed on the 'forestay' and the mast when raising/lowering. The use a of 'mast hinged-tabernacle' and a 'gin pole' will make mast raising lowering easier and safer ... and 'quicker' too. Try this website for 'trailer sailors' for more detailed info: Trailer Sailors - SailboatOwners.com ;-)  

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Scenes from China’s 2024 Dragon Boat Festival

• Alan Taylor
• June 11, 2024

In recent days, people in cities and villages across China have been celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Locals and tourists gather to watch dragon-boat races, enjoy traditional food, and pray for good luck during this annual summer folk festival. Gathered below are recent images from festivals in Foshan, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Beijing, and more.

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People take part in a nighttime dragon-boat river cruise during the Dragon Boat Festival in Foshan, China, on June 8, 2024. #

Locals take part in a dragon-boat race in a narrow canal in Foshan on June 10, 2024. #

Dragon-boat riders compete on Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, on June 8, 2024. #

Competitors splash one another at the start of the annual dragon-boat race in Hong Kong on June 10, 2024. #

People ride on a dragon-boat cruise in Foshan on June 8, 2024. #

Competitors paddle during the annual dragon-boat race in Hong Kong on June 10, 2024. #

An aerial view of participants preparing for a dragon-boat race in Fuzhou, in China's Fujian province, on June 8, 2024 #

Decorated dragon boats pass in a parade in the Xixi National Wetland river in the West Lake district of Hangzhou, in China's Zhejiang province, on June 10, 2024. #

Spectators watch as competitors in a dragon boat take part in a race in Beijing on June 10, 2024. #

Participants paddle in a dragon-boat race at Xixi National Wetland Park on June 10, 2024, in Hangzhou. #

Tourists splash one another to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Quanzhou, Fujian province, China, on June 10, 2024. #

Dragon-boat teams compete at Dongjiangwan Aquatic Sports Center in Zixing city, in China's Hunan province, on June 8, 2024. #

Spectators gather as dragon boats line up on a river during the Dragon Boat Festival in Guangzhou on June 10, 2024. #

Locals take part in dragon-boat races in a narrow canal in Foshan on June 10, 2024. #

People ride on several passing dragon boats during part of Foshan's Dragon Boat Festival on June 8, 2024. #

Competitors paddle hard during a dragon-boat race in Foshan on June 10, 2024. #

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