H260: how much mast "wiggle"

Status
Not open for further replies.
Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
I had my forestay replaced. I went sailing and had a lot of mast pumping with the jib luffing so I retuned the rigging and had to tighten the turnbuckle quite a bit.
I've triple checked the measurements and tensions and everything is within specs. I've got about 5" mast rake and the lowers are tensioned to 480lbs and the uppers to 580lbs. I haven't taken it out to recheck things.

If I grab the forestay (roller furler) and shake it, I still get some rattling and movement in the rigging. I didn't do this before the new forestay so I don't know if that is normal.
I did the same to another 260 and he had more movement. I just wonder what everyone else's is like?
 
Jun 28, 2009
312
hunter 23 Lake Hefner
I don't know about rattling, but there will still be some movement of the forestay even though its tensioned to spec. How can you discern the mast pumping? Are you only flying the jib? To decrease some of the mast pumping if all other items are to spec, you could increase the tension on the mainsheet.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,532
-na -NA Anywhere USA
When ever stays are replaced, most people do not take into account that the old wires have stretched over the years which is why when ordering replacements, I would shorten the length of the old stay depending where the studs were positioned in the turnbuckles.

YOu may have to tighten the forestay turnbuckle down most of the way if this is the case. If there is not much left in the upper shrouds, then you need to reconfigure your new forestay by shortening it. It may be loose depending how much threads are left. My experience over 50 years is generally the lower shrouds are tighter in tension. I do not use gauges tensioning a rig but by feel which is an art that many do not know.

If you wish to discuss this further, I will be glad to give you a call Sublime. My email is davecondon@mindspring.com and you may know my relationship to the Hunter water ballast boats.

take care and Happy Sailing

crazy dave conodn
 
Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
I don't know about rattling, but there will still be some movement of the forestay even though its tensioned to spec. How can you discern the mast pumping? Are you only flying the jib? To decrease some of the mast pumping if all other items are to spec, you could increase the tension on the mainsheet.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I had the main and jib up. The jib was acting pretty tempermental, I think because the forestay might have had sag in it so it's shape wasn't right. It was pretty apparent when the jib started jerking the mast around. It was quite violent.
Also, at the dock, you could feel the mast pumping throughout the boat as a vibration if the wind was right.

Dave-I trust the rigging guy. The mast was down at the time so I think he put it on close to where it was and I just never tuned it when I put the mast back up. With everything in specs, all of the turn buckles are close to the middle of the threads. They've got room to stretch.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,532
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I sold the most of those boats while in production and the rigging is the same as with other smaller boats and I thought a call might help you as your descrition above could be loose rigging, too much sail in high winds and so forth.

Whenever sailing, the fastest speed is when the boat is heeled no more than 12-14 degrees with very little tension on the rudder and that is thru sail control by reducing sail and/or letting the sheets out to spill the wind from the sails or a combination thereof.

Crazy dave condon
 
Status
Not open for further replies.