Forum -
November 22, 2022
Shroud Locks
I would like to discuss about the shroud locks, In my opinion closed shroud locks are looking much better than the open ones. The material should be stainless steel, not bronze chrome plated because mostly after some years the chrome is gone.
5
comments
thank you for the response.
kR
Rainer
thank you for the answer.
There is one thing I can`t understand. The shroud locks on the 14, seen @ Cannes boatshow. One is closed, the other one is closed. The locks @ the mast are also open.
kR
Rainer
You're right, and an excellent observer !
On the Excess 14 we use Sparcraft standing rigging, and due to manufacturing choices, they usually put closed shroud-locks when the cable diameter is above 12mm
So, on the Excess 14 where only the outer shrouds are 12.7mm, we happen to have closed shroud locks on the outer shrouds and open locks on the inner ones.
I do agree that closed shroud locks look much nicer and more racy.. But, I am not 100% sure they are the perfect fit for the Excess range :
-They are harder to adjust, if the owner does not have the perfectly suited tool, or while sailing when the boat moves.
-They do not allow to visually check correct trimming, absence of accidental release, etc..
My feeling is that they are more suited to raceboats with skilled crew, than to the cruisers (and we want Excess cats to remain cruising cats ;-))
Maybe this could be a plus for the Pulse Line rig… But I wonder if the added cost should be put here, or within lighter rigging solutions (Dyform, etc…)
Anyway, I like this contribution, it makes me open new ground for thinking... ;-) I will also investigate deeper your feedback about material choice.
Thank a lot !
Hervé
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Bonjour Geronimo, merci beaucoup pour votre contribution !
Je trouve également que les ridoirs à cage fermée sont plus esthétiques et élégants. Mais je ne suis pas convaincu à 100 % qu'ils conviennent à la gamme Excess :
-Les ridoirs à cage fermée sont plus difficiles à régler si le propriétaire ne dispose pas de l'outil adéquat, et plus particulièrement en navigation.
-Ils ne permettent pas non plus de contrôler visuellement le bon réglage de la tension, l'absence de déserrages accidentels, etc.
Selon moi, ils sont plus adaptés aux catas de course et aux équipages expérimentés, plutôt qu'aux catas de croisière (et nous souhaitons que les catas Excess restent des catas de croisière ;-))
Par contre, ils pourraient peut-être apporter un plus aux versions Pulse Line… mais je me pose des questions concernant le surcoût – ou alors avec des gréements légers (Dyform, etc.).
Dans tous les cas, j'apprécie beaucoup votre contribution qui m'offre de nouvelles pistes de réflexion. ;-)
Je vais également étudier votre retour concernant les choix de matériaux.
Merci beaucoup !
Hervé