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lixq$GALE BAIT'S DECK LAYOUT
Here is a diagram of Gale Bait's deck layout with a list of the parts I used. Keep in mind that
I'm a fairly fanatical race type and speed, control, and east of racing with a crew of 2 are my
main focus. There are 8 different functions routed aft to the cockpit, 1eft to right: cunningham" 2
jiffu reefing lines, daggerboard hoist, main halyard,2headsail halyards, and
jib downhaul.
Using 2 Ronstan triple blocks, one each side of the mast base and2 Harken triple small boat
deck organizerc,I routed lines around both sides of the pop-top, staying as clear of the snaps for
the vinyl cover as possible.
On port, the cunningham runs from the sail grommet and hook down to the port side triple block,
to a Harken 6:1 magic box, tlrough the outboard sheave on the port deck organizer, through the
stanchion base, and back to a small Ronstan v-cleat on the outboard edge of the cabin top. Next,
the reefing lines for both reef points come offthe boom at the gooseneck, down through the port
triple block and deck organizer and back to the port winch, passing through mini-bullseye
fairleads and small v-cleats located so that when tightened on the winch, each reef line drops
right into its respective v-cleat, allowing it to be taken offthe winch. Next, the hoist line for the
daggerboard starts at a bullseye fitting on the starboard side of the well, goes down to a Harken
upright bullet block mounted on top of the daggerboard, up to another upright bullet block and
out to a Harken bullet cheek block mounted inside the port deck organizer and back to a righthanded clam-cleat mounted
just outside the edge of the pop-top.
On starboard, the main halyard goes through the triple block, the inboard sheave of the deck
orgarizer, and back to the cabin top winch, passing through the left port of a Lewmar triple rope
clutch. The spare (spinnaker) halyard and the
jib/genoa halyard pass through the center and right
sheaves of the triple clock and the deck organizer to the other 2 ports of the rope clutch and to
the right side winch. The clutch allows the halyards to be tightened (tight if necessary for strong
wind conditions) and then removed from the winch. And last but not least, the
jib dor'vnhaul (l/8
nylon line) starts with an Ace Hardware store clip on the top
jib hank, passing through a Harken
small upright bullet block in front of the forestay tang, threaded through the stantion bases, back
to a mini-bullseye and small v-cleat at the far right edge of the cabin top. To organize all the
spaghetti, we have a row of 4 Ronstan line hangers on each side of the companionway.
Obviously with all the halyards run back to the cabin top winches, it makes sense to add2
winches on the coaming to handle the
jib and genoa sheets. I found 2 used Barient 18s
for $100 each, though any pair of small to mid-size winches will do. We route both
jib and
genoa sheets through the cabin top lead blocks, down to upright lead blocks next to each winch,
around the winch, then to a choice of cam-cleats. One is mounted aft on the coaming for light air
conditions and the other is on the vertical face
just below the cockpit bench seat for higher winds
when you are sheeting from the high side. This way you can brace your feet to sheet in tight
then
just drop the line into the cam-cleat below the seat in front of you. I used 3 feet of l-inch
track on the cabin top for the genoa leads, drilling additional pin-holes for finer adjustments. For
working
jib leads, I mounted I foot of 1-inch track in place of the bullseyes that were original
equipment. This layout works really well, especially racing or sailing short-handed, since the
sheets can be reached from the helm.
Well, that's the basic layout. For most people it's probably a bit over the edge but I'm a bit over
the edge about racing and that's my excuse!GALE BAIT'S DECK LAYOUT PARTS LIST
A. Harken Cam Cleat #365 (or equivalent)
B. Ronstan V-Cleat, Medium #5105
C. Cam Cleat
-
Lateral STBD #2060
D. Ronstan Triple Block #1262
E. Harken Triple Deck Organizer #271
F. Harken Bullet Cheek Block #092
G. Harken Bullet Upright Lead Block #A96
H. HarkenMagic Box 6:1
I. Ronstan Fairlead Stand-up Block #1277
J. Schaefer Stand-up Lead Block #506-62
K. Used Winch (Barient 18) Any small pair will do.
L. Harken Cam Cleat #423
M. Ronstan Mini-Bullseye Fairlead #RF9
N. Lewmar Triple Clutch #29101308
O. Small Eyestrap
P. Harken Small Boat Trave ler 2:I #210
Q. Low Profile Traveler Track
- Harken #154-60 (Mounted onYe" Lexan shim)
R. Heavy Duty Endstop
- Harken #264
S. 1 inch T-Track -
3 feet long with extra pin holes drilled about | 318" spacing
T. 1 inch T-Track
-
1 foot long with extra pin holes drilled about I 318" spacingHi, guys,
If this posting looks familiar, that's because I've revised it slightly for clarification
after receiving some feedback and a couple of requests to post it back on the list. Soooo,
if you were bored last time, you REALLY will be this time! If you're interested and can
use it, I think the tuning steps are a bit clearer now. Thanks....KS
There's been a thread lately on the subject of mast bend and the
effects of headstay, backstay, and shroud tension. In the process of trying
to make my boat heel less and sail faster, I've been studying rig tuning for
several years and have tried several approaches on our boat. I got a lot of
good info from Todd McChesney of Blue Water Yachts in Seattle and Paul
Killeen of Macken (now Ullrnan) Sails in Vancouver, BC., who have been working
together for years to make theM26 and M26X perform better. So for what it's
worth, here's my take on rig tuning as it applies to Macs, particularly the
M26. Sorry, but it's pretty looong, so if you bore easily, stand by with the
delete key!
Rig tuning is a subject that confuses a lot of Mac sailors, especially
since Roger Mac doesn't give instructions on how to do it properly and gives
us Vernier shroud adjusters, which are durable but hard to get tight enough
and even harder to tighten evenly from side to side (unlike turnbuckles). On
a fractional rig with swept spreaders like the Mac, the headstay length
determines the amount of mast rake and the headstay and outer shrouds support
the mast in triangular fashion, so that when tuned properly the backstay
doesn't actually support the mast except as a backup when sailing downwind.
There are also 2 kinds of mast bend. Once you set the headstay length
and tighten the outer shrouds, the mast begins to bend as the swept spreaders
force its center section forward. This is called prebend (or static bend), and is fairly
uniform over the mast length, since the spreaders are in about the middle of the
mast. The amount of prebend is then controlled by tightening the inner
shrouds, which pulls the center of the mast back and reduces the bow in the
mast. The amount of prebend is set to match the designed luffcurve of the
main sail, so to achieve the designed sail shape for a main with2 inches of
luffcurve, you'd want2 inches of prebend. For a fuller initial sail shape
use less prebend, for a flatter shape use more prebend.
Tightening the backstay does 2 things: 1) it tightens the headstay to
a limited degree, reducing headstay sag and flattening the jib and2) it
gives a different tlpe of bend to the mast, since in this case you're
leveraging the top of the mast against the headstay, which is attached
several feet down. This is done while sailing in strong wind when you want to
depower the sails, and puts a bend in about the top ll3 to Ll2 of the mast,
which flattens the upper portion of the main while moving the draft slightly
aft. Tightening the dorvnhaul or cunningham a bit will bring the draft back
forward, and the bottom half of the sail can be flattened using a combinationof outhaul, boom vang and mainsheet trinr, but that's another subject. The
point is that the backstay shouldn't be tight when you set the boat up, since
prebend is provided by the shrouds. The fact that Roger Mac provides a backstay with
Vemier adjusters on it makes new Mac sailors think that it needs to be tight. Not so! A
backstay adjuster is used when underway, and is easily added by cutting the backstay
several feet above the deck, swaging in a thimble loop, and adding 3: I or 4:1 tackle with
camcleat (a boom vang tackle works great) between the thimble and aft chainplate tang.
Besides being useful for flattening the upper main and the
jib, a
backstay adjuster is a big help when you're tuning the rig, allowing you to
get the outer shrouds tight. The following is the step by step tuning method
I use on my boat, adapted from Bill Gladstone's book'Perfofinance Racing
Trim', which is the textbook for the North U. Racing Trim Course offered
around the country eachyear. I'm not saying that this is the only way or
best way to tune a Mac. There are other tuning philosophies out there and
other ideas as to what works best so make your own decisions, but I find this
method works well, is easy to do, and gives me control over my rig tuning and
sail shape while I'm on the water.
Tuning a Mac Fractional Rig
1. Level the boat on the trailer, both fore/aft and side to side.
2. With the headstay turnbuckle adjusted to its shortest length, set up the
mast with the inner shrouds loose and the outers
just hand tight, enough to
take up any slack.
3. Center the mast from side to side using the outers...loosen one side as you tighten the
other, so it's still
just hand tight. I measure to the chainplate trim rivets on each side
using the main halyard or a line attached to the mast track atthe top. It also helps to use a
carpenter's level to check that the mast is vertical. Then tighten the lowers
just enough to
take out the slack while making sure that there's no sideways bend in the mast. (or
forelaft bend either at this point).
4. Note the amount of mast rake, using a plumb bob or heary object tied to
the main haiyard. On my I\[26D,I look for about 8-10 inches. More on this below.
5. Pull the backstay adjuster tight, which bows the mast and slackens the outers. Tighten
the outers the same amount on each side, and release the backstay adjuster. The outers
will now be quite tight, with several inches of prebend in the mast.
6. Adjust the inner shrouds the same amount on each side to achieve the desired amount
of prebend (I Il2 to 2 inches seems to be a good place to start for stock Mac sails),
sighting up the mast to make sure it stays straight from side to side. You're now finished.
The rake should still measure about the same as in step 4.
This is now your tightest rig setting, and as you loosen the headstay
tumbuckle, the rig will get proportionally looser while the prebend stays
the same. Buying (or borrowing) a Loos tension gage will allow you to
measure the tension for the lange of adjustment of the headstay, but isn'treally necessary. If you don't have a quick release on the headstay, loosen
the headstay turnbuckle all the way and make sure you can get the pin in and
out when setting up and tearing down. If not, go back to steps 5 and 6 and
loosen the outers a bit.
Optionals: Here are some other optional mods you can do to make tuning
easier.
1) Rigid spreader brackets: The pivoting spreaders on the Macs work OK as
swept spreaders in supporting the mast since they seek their own angle based
on the chainplate locations, but for more stability, Gladstone recommends
fixed spreaders. You can get the fixed spreader brackets from MacGregor,
Havencraft, or Blue Water Yachts for 50 or 60 bucks.
2) Turnbuckles for the shrouds: The Mac Vernier shroud adjusters will work
with this tuning procedure, but switching to turnbuckles makes it easier to
adjust shroud tension equally. I recommend oversized turnbuckles if you
trailer the boat a lot, to minimize the possibility of them getting bent or
weakened, and using shroud gloves or PVC pipe boots over the turnbuckles will
help protect them also.
3) Quick
release lever for the headstay: This allows you to leave the
headstay tumbuckle set where you want it, and
just pop the quick release to adjust the
turnbuckle easily or to slack the rig for setup and takedown. If you have a roller furler,
you can put quick release levers on both outers and accomplish much the same effect.
4) Cahbrated tumbuckle for the headstay: This allows you to repeat your
settings easily for different conditions. Great for racing, but probably not
worth it otherwise. For a photo of the quick release and calibrated
turnbuckle along with part numbers, see Gale Bait's page on Bob White's
website.
When Sailing:
In light air I adjust the headstay turnbuckle as loose as it will go,
which allows the headstay to sag a bit and put more power in the genoa (it
also rakes the mast a bit which helps pointing ability), and as the wind
comes up, I tighten the headstay turnbuckle to control the headstay sag,
which keeps the headsail close to its designed shape, and reduces the mast rake. At about
12 knots of wind (whitecaps starting), I downsize to the working
jib, at 15 knots I put a
reef in the mairU and by about 20 knots I have the turnbuckle tightened all the way so that
the headstay sag is only 5 or 6 inches, allowing me to keep the
jib flat and depowered,
which controls heel and helps prevent excessive weather helrn. Above 20 knots I also
have the main reefed and depowered using the backstay adjuster and the other mainsail
controls. You'll need to experiment to find out what rig tension works best for your sails
and the kind of sailing you do.
Caution: It's possible to get the rig quite tight using this
procedure, especially if you have turnbuckles and headstay quick release
lever (My tightest setting is: headstay 280#, outers 450#, inners 200#). Theboat's plenty strong, but it's a good idea to check the shroud chainplates
regularly, and reinforce them ifyou sail a lot in strong wind and waves
(e.g., San Francisco Bay) with the rig really tight. Depending on the type
of sailing you do and the conditions, you Inzly not want that much tension
anyway. I sail mostly in light to moderate air (with an occasional windy
day) and inspect mine regularly and have never had a problem in 4 years.
As far as the headstay length goes, it's best to start with the stock
headstay length, tune the rig, then see how the boat sails. Sailing
close-hauled in moderate wind conditions with the heel angle 15-20 degrees
(if you've tuned using this method, the headstay turnbuckle should be about
midrange), the weather helm should be light, with 2 to 5 degrees of
rudder/tiller deflection to keep the boat sailing straight (for a tiller 5
feet long, tlTat's 2" to 5" deflection from the centerline). If the weather
helrn is more than that, you may want to shorten the headstay by an tnch or 2
and see if that fixes it. In the case of the l\I26D, it's notorious for
excessive weather helrrU so shortening the headstay usually helps. My owners
manual recommends 3 degrees of mast rake, which for a28'mast is 17" of rake
measured with a plumb bob. My boat balances best with about 10" of rake,
which required shortening the headstay by about 2 inches. Your mileage may
^
uury, as they say. Note: if you accidently cut your headstay a bit too short and end up
with lee helm (experience speaking here),
just add a 1" eye-jaw toggle to the headstay at
either the top or bottom....you don't have to start over with a new headstay.
Once you settle on the right headstay length and get the rig tuned,
you can set the rig tension for whatever conditions you're in, which really
helps the boat perform and makes it more seaworthy when the wind pipes up.
Agaur, this system works for me, racing and daysailing in wind generally well
under 20 knots and waves under 2 feet (usually flat water). If another
method works better for you, by all means use it. If you're still with me,
thanks for listening, it seems that unloading on one of my favorite subjects
now and then is therapeutic.
Keith Sander
88 M26D Gale Bait
Boise,ID
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