Mast mis-stepped.....

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NYSail

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,184
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hello all...

Last week the boat was dropped and mast stepped. Tightening the rig the other day, I noticed the mased is set a bit off.... It is a keel stepped mast and it is set about 1/4 inch off..... twisted so the leading edge of the mast points to the starboard.... not down the absolute center line of the boat.

A problem?

I was told yesterday by a fellow sailor who has sailed many years more than I that it is not a big deal and wont effect anything. First thought is that I will have it re-fit with me down below making sure it is straight.

Any comments??

Thanks all!!
 
Ed Schenck

Ed Schenck

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Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
How noticeable is the spreader twist? Your shrouds are going to be pulling the spreaders with forces not meant to be there, back on port and forward on starboard. Not sure how you can get a proper tuned rig like that.
 
Tim R.

Tim R.

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May 27, 2004
3,626
Caliber 40 Long Range Cruiser Portland, Maine
NYSail said:
Hello all...

Last week the boat was dropped and mast stepped. Tightening the rig the other day, I noticed the mased is set a bit off.... It is a keel stepped mast and it is set about 1/4 inch off..... twisted so the leading edge of the mast points to the starboard.... not down the absolute center line of the boat.

A problem?

I was told yesterday by a fellow sailor who has sailed many years more than I that it is not a big deal and wont effect anything. First thought is that I will have it re-fit with me down below making sure it is straight.

Any comments??

Thanks all!!
Click to expand
Not a problem. Your mast step is likely the culprit and it was like this from the factory. This is just the first time you noticed. I would not do anything. My Pearson 28 was also not perfectly in and it was fine for 35 years.
 
O

Old Skool Neil

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Jan 22, 2008
880
Fed up w/ personal attacks I'm done with SBO
Ed's technical point is well taken but another aspect of the twist is the fact that you are aware of it and concerned. Sailing for me is supposed to be relaxing and I couldn't relax with something like that worrying me. Tim has achieved the comfort zone with his, I think you need to achieve the same with yours. So what's it gonna take for you to achieve Nirvana, leave it or redo it? It's your call.
 
Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
NYSail said:
It is a keel stepped mast and it is set about 1/4 inch off
Click to expand
Many mast steps have this much slack in them if it's the tenon rather than the socket type. Tape the turnbuckles, slack off the rigging, and you may be able to twist it straight if you can figure out how attach a lever to it.

If your step is a socket, you can probably reset it next winter when the mast is out.
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,432
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Why wouldn't you take it back to the yard and make it their responsibility to set it right?

What am I missing? Was it in straight last year?
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,244
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
humor me here.............

NYSail said:
Hello all...

Last week the boat was dropped and mast stepped. Tightening the rig the other day, I noticed the mased is set a bit off.... It is a keel stepped mast and it is set about 1/4 inch off..... twisted so the leading edge of the mast points to the starboard.... not down the absolute center line of the boat.

A problem?

I was told yesterday by a fellow sailor who has sailed many years more than I that it is not a big deal and wont effect anything. First thought is that I will have it re-fit with me down below making sure it is straight.

Any comments??

Thanks all!!
Click to expand
........how does the wind know the difference in a 1/4 inch...just asking as 1/4 inch isnt much when it comes to 40 feet or so.......

regards

woody
 
O

Old Skool Neil

.
Jan 22, 2008
880
Fed up w/ personal attacks I'm done with SBO
woodster said:
........how does the wind know the difference in a 1/4 inch...just asking as 1/4 inch isnt much when it comes to 40 feet or so.......
Click to expand
You ask the same question of a hard core racer and this thread could carry on for 50 or more posts. We'd all learn what a quarter inch means to that camp.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,220
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The numbers are that the starboard spreader tip will be about 4" aft of where it shouuld be and the port spreader tip will be about 4" forward.. Probably not a biggie, as Maine said.. and I think that , as Roger said, with careful application of a 2X4 and some strap to secure, you should be able to twist it to true after loosening the shrouds/stays.
 
O

Old Skool Neil

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Jan 22, 2008
880
Fed up w/ personal attacks I'm done with SBO
I don't think you'll even need a lever. While working at Capital Yachts I was assigned a field repair on a Newport 30 with a mast height slightly less than 40 feet from deck. I was able to loosen the shrouds/stays, grab the mast at the winches and lift and rotate the mast a few degrees to set on top of the shoe type step to affect repairs. Really not that big of a deal.

Being keel stepped you'll have to undo the mast partner as well.
 
NYSail

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,184
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Thanks for all the input. I had a rigger/sail maker down yesterday dropping off my sails and he said it will not make a difference in performance or structural. Its just my head that has to wrap around it.... I tend to get really obsessed with things done wrong that I pay to have done correctly...

Once things quite down at the marina I will power on over to the craine and ask for a slight lift. They will do it without any grumblings as it is their work and they are good people (at least to me).

Once again all I greatly appreciate the input!

Greg
 
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