How to control the mast rotation

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r.oril

.
Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
Now that I have installed the rotating mast on my 26D, I would like to control the rotation for fine tuning. I could attach something to the back of the original base plate, Ideas???

It worked great on the first test. I was goasting along a 1.3 knots when everyone else was dead in the water.:dance:
 

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Jun 3, 2004
1,863
Macgregor 25 So. Cal.
How about this---

Get a 36 inch piece of 1/2 inch all thread and a piece of alumimn pipe with the same inside diameter and long enuff to go through the mast.

Drill the mast 90 degrees to the slot and weld in the pipe somewhere near the bottom but high enuff that rotation will not interfear with anything.

Install the all thread, center and keep in place with nuts and washers.

At the ends add more washer and nuts to capture shackles to attach control lines.

Once you figure the correct length of the arms you can have one made of stainless with eyes that you can attach lines to and still be able to withdraw from the mast if you wish.

You may have to cross the lines to rotate to 90 degrees.
 

r.oril

.
Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
timebandit said:
How about this---

Get a 36 inch piece of 1/2 inch all thread and a piece of alumimn pipe with the same inside diameter and long enuff to go through the mast.

Drill the mast 90 degrees to the slot and weld in the pipe somewhere near the bottom but high enuff that rotation will not interfear with anything.

Install the all thread, center and keep in place with nuts and washers.

At the ends add more washer and nuts to capture shackles to attach control lines.

Once you figure the correct length of the arms you can have one made of stainless with eyes that you can attach lines to and still be able to withdraw from the mast if you wish.

You may have to cross the lines to rotate to 90 degrees.
Interesting idea.

Maybe I can put that threaded piece thru the old base plat holes?

Thanks for the input.
 
Jun 8, 2004
550
Macgregor 26M Delta, B.C. Canada 26M not X
OK, you guys are making this over complicated unnecessarily. I used the KISS principle on my 26M that has a rotating mast. In light winds the mast does not always rotate on its own, most times it is facing windward and one has to go forward and manually turn it to leeward. I simply ran two control lines aft to the cockpit. They run through two small harken blocks each side of the mast and are attached at the mast base plate along with my vang attachment. (your vang is quite high indeed) Each line, starboard and port start at the mast base with two harken blocks, the line runs through the blocks. One block is attached to the mast base while the other is anchored to the stantion base which on my boat is directly abeam of the mast. So the line starts with a knot to the stantion block then runs over to the block at the mast base, around the block, then back to the stantion block through the pulley then back to the cocpit where I have it cleated. Same arrangement starboard and port.
I can see clearly on your photo that you have a mast base with a tang on each side to attach the blocks, hopefully you have a stantion or some other means of attachment directly abeam of of those tangs. with a small harken block at each position you can run lines with 2:1 purchase between the blocks then aft to the cockpit and you have control both ways at your fingertips. Works hot dam on my 26M. It is also very inexpensive and easy to do, your only hurdle is an attachment point exactly & directly abeam of the mast base on each side of the boat like the 26M with the two mid stantions right there, very convenient.
 
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Capt. Kermie can you post a few pictures? I would love to see how this works.
Thanks for the Tiger PDF Walt. It has me thinking as well.
 

r.oril

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Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
KISS

Capt Kermie,

I think I can see what you are saying. Had not though about the Vang connection on the mast.

Thanks again:D
 
Jun 8, 2004
550
Macgregor 26M Delta, B.C. Canada 26M not X
OK I got a few pics of the control lines. They are the blue lines with white trace on each side of the mast. Seems I can only do one pic at a time so I will do four more posts.
 

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r.oril

.
Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
Capt Kermie, Good job on the photos. Easy Pesy!

Thanks again
 
Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Thanks Kermie.
Bob, can you post a picture or two of the foot of your mast when you take it down?
I still cant get my head around how it rotates. Ie; pivot point and how it attaches to the mast.
You posted something about tightening the stays in another post. I think you said the fore was 20 and side 17... What is this system of measurement?
Thanks
 

r.oril

.
Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
finding41 said:
Thanks Kermie.
Bob, can you post a picture or two of the foot of your mast when you take it down?
I still cant get my head around how it rotates. Ie; pivot point and how it attaches to the mast.
You posted something about tightening the stays in another post. I think you said the fore was 20 and side 17... What is this system of measurement?
Thanks
I have a Loos Gage to measure the tension of the wires. Based on the size of the wire, 5% is about 21 on the loos gage.
These photos should help. The black circle is where the hole is made for the base and bolt go thru.
 

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Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
Ok. It looks like you just add the old mast foot to the new thing you got. It rotates on the 2 brass washers. Right?
Now that is giving me new ideas. I saw this on mac sailors site..
 

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r.oril

.
Oct 29, 2008
586
MacGregor 26D and Catalina 30 26 - 30 Lancaster, CA
finding41 said:
Ok. It looks like you just add the old mast foot to the new thing you got. It rotates on the 2 brass washers. Right?
Now that is giving me new ideas. I saw this on mac sailors site..
Thinking about this also. The two washers work very well if you have the mast level so it does not rub on the base plate. I am going to check into a bicycle bearing that will fit over the bolt. Mike said to not tighten the mast connection too much.

Bottom line, I am having fun testing different setups. The main thing is that the rotating mast does work as I was able to ghost along at 1.5 knots when a X was getting no where with a chute.

I now have several ideas on how to control the amount of rotation.
 
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