Hunter 26 mast foot not flush to mast base

[isaksp00]

Before you buy a new tabernacle, it's not clear to me if you know it's the problem. Have you loosened the side stays and anything that might hold the mast back such as a tight topping lift to see if you can tilt it forward? If you can, I'd remove the extra turnbuckle on the headstay, pull it to vertical and tension the stays when in the correct position.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@spencersea

have you removed that toggle on the foredtsy?
@dlochner also advised correctly about the split or circular ring. Slacken the shrouds equally and check the distance between the gooseneck and main halyard with weight attached to the halyard and advise me of the distance. Thanks

 

[spencersea]

I slackened my shrouds basically all the way off and removed my topping lift. The mast was 0 with no distance between my halyard and the boom.

I removed the bottom toggle, reattached my head stay, and tightened the turnbuckle all the way.

After doing this, my mast was still not totally flat on the tabernacle / mast base though it was slightly closer then before. Pulling on the jib halyard I could make it sit totally flat but I would seemingly have to shorten my head stay significantly.

Dave mentioned that if the rig is setup properly, it might not be a problem if the mast isn’t sitting perfectly flat on the base.

Can anyone with a hunter 26 comment as to whether their mast sits completely flat?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@rgranger and @caverun

can you chime in?

 

[CrispyCringle]

Thats very odd. So just to confirm, the main sheet wasn't a factor, wasn't attached to the boom and pulling down at all? I assume it was used in the mast raising set up. I wonder why the second toggle was added if the head stay is still too long without it? And finally, you say you can pull the mast forward enough by pulling on the jib halyard. With no backstay pressure, how hard is it to pull the mast forward and make it sit flat? If its not that difficult, it seems then that your headstay is just too long. If it takes some mast bending, then it would seem there is something going on with the mast foot.

 

[hunter240]

My guess is the forestay needs to be shortened if you can pull it level with the jib halyard. My forestay broke a few years ago and had to replace it. Replacement was too long and had to have it redone.

 

[CrispyCringle]

Ive purchased stays and running rigging and other parts from the Hunter Store here Hunter Parts Its always fast and a perfect fit. Highly recommend it.

 

[Masters95]

Sorry to resurface an old post, but my mast is doing the same thing Spencer. I picked up my 1994 Hunter 26 earlier this summer and have been sailing a handful of times. Once I found this post it made me look. My mast is angled to the baseplate too. When I loosen the topping lift/main sheet, I'm able to pull it closer to flat, but not all the way. I haven't had a chance to loosen side stays and retune the rig yet, and I'm debating if its worth just waiting a month until the end of the season at this point. She's been under sail in close to 25knt gusts and 6ft waves on the Great Lakes and I havent had any concerns. The leeward stays become slightly loose while sailing, but not nearly loose enough to make me want to completely retune. The mast doesnt rock back and forth, even under rough seas. Is it worth the hastle to retune? Were you able to get her to sit flat? Did you need a shorter forestay? Did you notice any performance or stability differences? Thanks!

 

[shemandr]

The length of the forestay determines the rank of the mast and more importantly the amount of weather helm. So the question becomes do you have too much weather helm when the wind pipes up?
Based on sailboat data.com I see that the H26 is a fractional rig with swept back spreaders. The diagram does not show a backstay. So I think your only opportunity to make the mast lie flat on the mast step would be to loosen the upper shrouds. But your description of sailing in gusts of 25 kts and 6' foot waves with only slightly loose leeward shrouds sounds about right. I'm not sure I would change the tune. Maybe on a light air day you could back off on the uppers a few turns and see if the mast sits more flat on the step and see if it that changes the sailing characteristics.
If you like the ways it sail as is maybe you could create shims for under the mast where there is a gap.