Here's a tough one...

[Lauraine]

Anybody who's installed the Profurl on their C30 with the long tangs to bring the unit higher off the deck? I need to know the length of the forestay from pin to pin with that unit. We've had a new forestay cut once to shorten so that the mast stays in column but it has stretched again over the summer season and needs to be shortened again. This means that each time the genoa has to be recut as well. Right now the mast is raked aft with the forestay adjustment on the tunrbuckle as tight as it will go. The mast should be perpendicular to the deck. With it raked aft, it creates weather helm. Which is OK for racers but not us cruisers. Got any ideas? Would Profurl know? How about Catalina? Would they know? Our rigger needs a starting point....

 

[Joe Barrett]

Some different thoughts

Some of your thoughts don't seem right. How does a stainless steel forestay strech? Don't really see that happening. Aft rake in the main flattens the main amd will reduce weatherhelm, that's why a backstay adjuster will be honked down in a blow, to flatten the sails. Even cruisers can benefit from a backstay adjuster as weatherhelm effects all sailors. Loose backstay in light air or when "Off the Wind" in moderate air but tight when going upwind in moderate to heavy air. This will rake the mast aft and flatten the sails and REDUCE weatherhelm. Just my 2 cents. Good Luck.

 

[Lauraine]

Thanks for your thoughts, Joe...

Regarding weatherhelm: This is borrowed from the C&C Owners manual "However, if you're constantly fighting the boat in order to hold her off the wind, you have too much weather helm. This can be alleviated by taking some rake out of the spar; i.e., raking the spar further forward, and thus moving the centre of the effort of the sailplan further forward. And regarding wire stretch: From Brian Toss'video on rig tuning one of the segments is:The Mysteries of Rig Tuning 3 stretch rules: Wire stretch is directly proportional to length Wire stretch is directly proportional to load Wire has an elastic limit.