Hi All! Yesterday I decided to check mast rigging (first time in my life) and found that my boat has very noticeable healing to starboard side. (See picture). It's a 30-footer, so not something that is easy to heal. I tried to fix it by adjusting the spreaders, but it didn't seem to help. There might be some uneven weight distribution, since kitchen and tools are on that side, but I didn't think it would affect it that much. How bad does it look to you? Should I worry about it? Will it have any major effects? Any advice is appreciated!
How bad is this heeling?
- Thread starter duncan14
- Start date
Hard to tell if it is an optical illusion, but the mast definitely looks like it is leaning to STB. The wind can cause the boat to lean a bit at anchor, but just looking at the photo, if appears that the mast is not perpendicular to the deck.
How do the chain plates and turnbuckles look on both sides? Evenly tuned?
It looks significant enough that I would suggest you get a rigger to look at it or figure out why it is leaning.
Greg
How do the chain plates and turnbuckles look on both sides? Evenly tuned?
It looks significant enough that I would suggest you get a rigger to look at it or figure out why it is leaning.
Greg
Small point, boats heel, cuts heal. 
The method you are using to measure the list does not indicate whether the boat is listing or if the mast is not sitting perpendicular to the waterline plane. Use a level on a flat spot on the boat. This will tell you how much the boat is listing if it is.
If the boat is listing and the mast is perpendicular, then the problem is weight distribution.
If the boat is level then the problem is the mast step or the mast butt.
The method you are using to measure the list does not indicate whether the boat is listing or if the mast is not sitting perpendicular to the waterline plane. Use a level on a flat spot on the boat. This will tell you how much the boat is listing if it is.
If the boat is listing and the mast is perpendicular, then the problem is weight distribution.
If the boat is level then the problem is the mast step or the mast butt.
Thanks! I already tried adjusting turnbuckles yesterday. The top of the mast was bending left and right with the adjustments, but not significant enough to move the halyard to the port side. Are there other adjustments that can be done? Is it possible it wasn't stepped right? Wonder how to check if that's a general boat healing or mast is not perpendicular.
Lots of confusing information and possible "optical illusion" in the picture.
First the possible optical illusion. It appears (I say appears, not is) that the mast is not centered and even possibly bent. I know that may be an optical illusion, but have you check to see that the mast is vertical and true? This is one of the first steps in tuning your rig. @Tally Ho beat me to this observation.
When you say you "adjusted the spreaders" what does that mean?
Was the wind blowing from the port when you suspended the weight? Not can the wind cause some heeling, it can blow out the thing you are suspending out some.
How full were your water tanks and fuel tanks and where are they located? They can have a profound effect.
What is stored and where? Do a complete search and if you are really interested in sorting this out, remove all the "stuff" from your boat and then check.
First the possible optical illusion. It appears (I say appears, not is) that the mast is not centered and even possibly bent. I know that may be an optical illusion, but have you check to see that the mast is vertical and true? This is one of the first steps in tuning your rig. @Tally Ho beat me to this observation.
When you say you "adjusted the spreaders" what does that mean?
Was the wind blowing from the port when you suspended the weight? Not can the wind cause some heeling, it can blow out the thing you are suspending out some.
How full were your water tanks and fuel tanks and where are they located? They can have a profound effect.
What is stored and where? Do a complete search and if you are really interested in sorting this out, remove all the "stuff" from your boat and then check.
Sorry I meant adjusting turnbuckles, not spreaders. Oops. Thank you for all the replies! I will do more checking next time, in regards to level and weight distribution. Sorry for the dumb questions, but it should be safe to sail it as-is meanwhile, right? The mast is not gonna snap or something like that?
If the boat has a list, then its ok to sail it.
If the mast isn't stepped correctly, then it isn't ok to sail it.
You don’t need a level!
Look at the water line on both sides of the boat. Easy from that to tell if the boat is sitting level at rest. If not, you have a weight distribution problem.
If it is sitting level, you have a mast problem.
And if you have a mast (improper rigging adjustment) problem, I wouldn’t sail it until you figure out why and how to fix it.
Hello,
The mast should be vertical. It's easy to test. Take the halyard and run it to the port toe rail. Adjust the halyard so the shackle just touches the toe rail. Then move to the starboard side. The shackle should just touch the starboard toe rail. If it doesn't, then the mast is not centered. If its off by .5" that is probably OK. If it's more than 1" then something is seriously wrong.
Typically you would adjust the shrouds to center the top of the mast. Start with the cap shrouds. Once the top of the mast is centered and vertical you adjust the lowers so the mast isn't 'bowed,' If this is your first time doing this I suggest you hire a rigger for help.
Good luck,
Barry
The mast should be vertical. It's easy to test. Take the halyard and run it to the port toe rail. Adjust the halyard so the shackle just touches the toe rail. Then move to the starboard side. The shackle should just touch the starboard toe rail. If it doesn't, then the mast is not centered. If its off by .5" that is probably OK. If it's more than 1" then something is seriously wrong.
Typically you would adjust the shrouds to center the top of the mast. Start with the cap shrouds. Once the top of the mast is centered and vertical you adjust the lowers so the mast isn't 'bowed,' If this is your first time doing this I suggest you hire a rigger for help.
Good luck,
Barry
Based on the photo that boat is dead level (level the horizon in a photo editor and then draw a line across the deck aligning two reference symmetrical points). The mast is not centered. Common.
You have been given good advice and nothing conclusive can be drawn from the photo. But, I laid the photo down in my CAD software and, assuming no distortion, here's what I can see:
In general, you will need to get the boat itself level then hang a weight from the main halyard that hangs below the boom. Then, loosen all shrouds and start over. It is pretty simple, but you need to do things in a particular order.
I had started to type up a lengthy step-by-step tuning guide, but I think the better advice is to get a copy of "Sail & Rig Tuning" by Ivar Dedekam. It will be more helpful than I would be, I think.
- The boat is listing about 1.3 degrees to starboard. (That is, the boat itself is sitting a little crooked.)
- The mast is (overall) about 3.5 degrees to starboard. 1.3 degrees of that is due to listing. So, the effect looks worse than it is, but still needs to be addressed.
- So, the mast is (overall) about 2.2 degrees to starboard. That needs to be corrected.
- There is a slight bend in the mast. That is, the mast starts up at about a 2.1 degree angle to the deck then, at the spreaders, bends a bit more to starboard. That bend is slight but should be corrected.
In general, you will need to get the boat itself level then hang a weight from the main halyard that hangs below the boom. Then, loosen all shrouds and start over. It is pretty simple, but you need to do things in a particular order.
I had started to type up a lengthy step-by-step tuning guide, but I think the better advice is to get a copy of "Sail & Rig Tuning" by Ivar Dedekam. It will be more helpful than I would be, I think.
Also check the Selden Tuning Guide at https://www.riggingandsails.com/pdf/selden-tuning.pdf.
I don't know how I missed this when I look at the photo before, but what is that line with the carabiner that runs from a point off camera on the left to the mast a few feet above the winch? That's not causing the mast issue, but I am curious.
Foswick and everyone, thank you so much for all the help! If I got this right, I need to loosen all shrouds and should be able to correct the 2.2 degree bend by adjusting the turnbuckles. Will read the tuning guide and try doing it next time I'm on the boat. My concern was that I already shortened the cap shroud turnbuckle on the port side to its limit, but the mast didn't move much. But will give it another try.
Please ignore that line with the carabiner - that's a temporary piece of cord used to hang a bird scare balloon
Please ignore that line with the carabiner - that's a temporary piece of cord used to hang a bird scare balloon
Yeah, if you can't get it straight using just the cap shrouds, with the lower shrouds, the forestay, and the backstay all loose, then it is time to talk to a rigger. It is "possible" the port cap shroud is too long. That would be very unusual to find, but it is possible.
The hypothesis I prefer is that some other stay/shroud is preventing the top of the mast from centering. Curious how this turns out.
The hypothesis I prefer is that some other stay/shroud is preventing the top of the mast from centering. Curious how this turns out.
