another stupid question from a new owner- I have to keep the topping lift tight at all times to clear my bimini, but for this reason I cannot seem to get proper sail shape and the vang seems useless. Is the bimini I have just too tall? Chris
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Could also be mast rake!
If your mast is raked too far aft it would cause the boom to rub on the Bimini also. Check the archives on mast rake before modifying anything else.
If your mast is raked too far aft it would cause the boom to rub on the Bimini also. Check the archives on mast rake before modifying anything else.
I wouldn't tell an old salt this, but...
Since you are new and Hunters are known for hard to hoist main halyards, I would suggest taking the head of the sail right to the top stripe if you are not already. Here is a better suggestion still, if you find yourself stopping the halyard for fear of overtightening the luff and this causes the sail to sit lower all the way around. 1) Tighten that topping lift so that your boom is higher than normally set. 2) Hoist your main and put it on the winch if needed to get the luff tensioned (make sure backstay is eased if adjustable)tight and the head to the top of the mast. 3) slack your topping lift to see if this keeps it from hitting your binini. With any luck your main is now sitting high enough in the mast for you to clear your binini and adjust twist with your mainsheet (on the wind) or vang (off the wind) without it hitting. This is how we get propper tension on our UK batmain mainsail's luff, in doing so the boom sits much higher and gives us the room to torque the mainsheet in higher winds. Remember that propper shape in your sail requires enough downward force on the boom (mainsheet/vang) so that the aft foot or so of the top batten is parallel with the boom. If the end of the top batten is on the leward side of the boom, bring boom down (and the reverse). Hope I didn't offend by overstating the obvious. we have been sailing our 33.5 for 3 years and just started hoisting the main with topping lift higher. By the way that idea came from a post on this site. Whoever gave that suggestion, thanks! Doug
Since you are new and Hunters are known for hard to hoist main halyards, I would suggest taking the head of the sail right to the top stripe if you are not already. Here is a better suggestion still, if you find yourself stopping the halyard for fear of overtightening the luff and this causes the sail to sit lower all the way around. 1) Tighten that topping lift so that your boom is higher than normally set. 2) Hoist your main and put it on the winch if needed to get the luff tensioned (make sure backstay is eased if adjustable)tight and the head to the top of the mast. 3) slack your topping lift to see if this keeps it from hitting your binini. With any luck your main is now sitting high enough in the mast for you to clear your binini and adjust twist with your mainsheet (on the wind) or vang (off the wind) without it hitting. This is how we get propper tension on our UK batmain mainsail's luff, in doing so the boom sits much higher and gives us the room to torque the mainsheet in higher winds. Remember that propper shape in your sail requires enough downward force on the boom (mainsheet/vang) so that the aft foot or so of the top batten is parallel with the boom. If the end of the top batten is on the leward side of the boom, bring boom down (and the reverse). Hope I didn't offend by overstating the obvious. we have been sailing our 33.5 for 3 years and just started hoisting the main with topping lift higher. By the way that idea came from a post on this site. Whoever gave that suggestion, thanks! Doug
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