Loose/Moving Spreaders

[75Tartan30]

I was searching youtube for videos related to my boat and happened across this one- Moving Spreader Tartan 30 pt 2 - YouTube
I have the exact same thing happening on my mast. Everything looks fine and fits nicely on the spreaders though. Its almost like they were designed to move like that. I vaguely remember someone telling me some mast have spreaders designed like this to keep the stays aligned properly under different points of sail. So my question is...Are the spreaders supposed to move like that?

[Faster]

Knothead!!! service call line 3

From that clip it looks like the spreader root is designed to pivot, and indeed that would avoid stress on the spreader root as the mast bend is varied. I think as long as there's no fatigue or wear evident, and that the shrouds are well secured in the spreader tip, (and the rig properly tuned) that there probably isn't a problem there.

Not all rigs are so designed, though... that's for sure.

[75Tartan30]

Thats what I figured. Thanks for the confirmation. I wonder why so few rigs employ this type of spreader. Or is it that I just haven't noticed it on other boats.

[knothead]

I have never liked spreaders that move like that, but it's not at all uncommon and Faster is correct. They were designed that way.
Often, spreaders that are attached with a single pin, are a lot tighter at the beginning of their lives and get progressively looser over the years due to the hole around the pin wallowing out and the edges of the spreader getting squished against the spreader bracket. You might be able to stiffen them up a little by removing them and doing some judicial shimming or bushing. I wouldn't spend much time worrying about it though. I have never seen a failure of a rig that I could attribute to pivoting spreaders.