240 Rig tuning and mast foot/step

[Andrew K.]

Hi guys,I have been searching through the archives and found some great stuff on tuning the B&R rig on our 240s but I have a question about the mast foot that some of you may be able to help with.After 6 years (an early 1998 boat that I've had from new) some of my standing rigging has stretched such that I can no longer get reasonable forestay tension. I asked a local rigger to sort it out and he has replaced some parts of the rigging but had some trouble setting it up the way he thought it should be. The only way to get the foot of the mast flat on the mast step was to introduce rather more bend than either of us would really like to see in the mast (about 6 inches deflection at mid-height). This appears to be because the mast step is not horizontal but angled downwards at the front since the deck area that it sits on is also angled downwards a little towards the bow.Can any of you tell me if your mast foot is flat on the step or is it tilted back a bit relative to the step so only the aft end of the mast foot is in full contact with the step? I figure that with the mast struts taking most of the compression load a bit of tilt shouldn't be a problem but my rigger isn't so sure. Unfortunately I never really looked too close before as I have never had reason to take the rig down myself as we sail from a marina and have never trailed the boat. Thanks for your help,Andrew

 

[william]

mast foot

i pulled the cleat/foot off my mast this summer and had a machine shop straighten it. it had been apparantly raised, and allowed to lean or twist. it took an act of god to get the pins in and out. if i understand your problem, it doesn't look like it would take allot of engineering to remove the foot, (straighten it if necessary), and build a stainless "wedge" to go back between the mast and the foot when you put the foot back on the mast. maybe this would give you a better angle at the deck half of the foot.

 

[wayne]

mast foot

Mine (which they all seem a little different) would not sit flat due to the earth/bond wire insulation getting caught under the foot, I trimmed off the insulation. It now sits flat, the foot pin is loose when all is rigged (it use to be way tight because of the insulation binding) The mast struts should not be taking any of the compression load, mine are loose when all is rigged.my mast bent is about 4 inches, rake is a little more than I want to mention but sails well hand is light on the helm. I know my mast is still raked a little to far back but lost interest in playing with it and just went sailing (next seasons job)