*&%@$#! boom bouncing around and sail fluttering.

[Kivalo]

So I went for a sail today and I had the main reefed. On port tack, always and only on port tack, the sail would flutter and the boom would bounce. It did this in all but very light winds and did not change significantly whether close hulled or broad reach or any other starboard tack. I also tried it with & with out the jib up.

Why did it do this? And why only on port tack?

Thanks,
Brad

s/v KIVALO

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Just the leach fluttering or the whole sail? Did you have the main sheet trimmed sufficient to pull the boom?

 

[peptobysmol]

Did you slack or take off your topping lift?

 

[Kivalo]

Don
Yes I had the sheet trimmed in quite a bit at times and still it bounced around and the entire sail fluttered.

Pepto
Yes I slacked the topping lift.

It my important to note that I do not have a vang installed. It broke and money is tight so I didn't replace it.

Thanks for the assistance so far.

Brad
s/v KIVALO

 

[isaksp00]

Is the traveler centered?

 

[Kivalo]

No traveler on the boat. The main sheet is connected to the center of the cockpit, in it's stock location.

Is the traveler centered?

 

[sesmith]

Are all your stays/shrouds properly tensioned? FWIW, on my 23.5, the sail shape isn't the best when reefed. We were out Sun. afternoon also on Cayuga Lake. There we had sustained winds in the low 20's with gusts around 30 MPH. There was some fluttering going on, mainly in the bubble by the mast when close hauled. My vang was fairly tight. Can't understand what would make your boom lift close hauled, especially on only 1 tack unless there was some issue with the rigging. Was the mast pumping with wave action?

 

[Kivalo]

Not that I could tell. I have seen it flutter in the bubble before, thats more or less normal. Not so much for the entire sail to flutter and not so much on only one tack. From the consensus it seems I should check the rig tensions. I will do that today or tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for the help. Happy Birthday to my fellow American's!

Are all your stays/shrouds properly tensioned? FWIW, on my 23.5, the sail shape isn't the best when reefed. We were out Sun. afternoon also on Cayuga Lake. There we had sustained winds in the low 20's with gusts around 30 MPH. There was some fluttering going on, mainly in the bubble by the mast when close hauled. My vang was fairly tight. Can't understand what would make your boom lift close hauled, especially on only 1 tack unless there was some issue with the rigging. Was the mast pumping with wave action?