My H25 mast has a huge rake aft because the roller furling headstay is too long. The backstay is tightened as far as it can go, and there is still so much slack in the headstay that when the wind is up I can't furl the sail because the furler binds. It must have at least a four inch catenary in it. I want to have a new headstay made when I return from Africa. How much rake is ideal for the H25? I have also noticed that there is about a 1" gap between the bow fitting and the deck. The bow itself and the bow fitting don't appear to have ever suffered any damage, and the strap that runs vertically down the front of the bow appears normal, i.e. the bolts are tight, and the bolt holes aren't elongated. Was there originally a 3/4" thick piece of teak bolted between the bow fitting and deck? Any idea if the bow fitting for a Catalina 25 will fit an H25? I have a brand new one with bow roller that I bought for my project Cat 25. An integral bow roller would be a nifty upgrade.
Mast rake on H25
- Thread starter Randall9223
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I think mine is flush to the deck, but
when I get down there this afternoon I'll get a couple pics for ya Randall. As for mast rake, I aint had the stick up in the air yet so I can't help ya there. I would assume a 4 inch forestay cantenary is NOT a good thing. Charlie
when I get down there this afternoon I'll get a couple pics for ya Randall. As for mast rake, I aint had the stick up in the air yet so I can't help ya there. I would assume a 4 inch forestay cantenary is NOT a good thing. Charlie
mast rake
Have an '81 h25 that I sail in 10, 15 knots of wind most of the time. I keep my mast straight up and have less than 5 degrees of weather helm on an upwind course. The foredeck fitting should be bearing over its entire surface, otherwise the strain of the jib is on the chainplate bolts alone. I would shim the fitting tightly (an inch of slop would scare me) so that the lateral forces would be more widly distributed. And thank you for your service. Regards, Jim
Have an '81 h25 that I sail in 10, 15 knots of wind most of the time. I keep my mast straight up and have less than 5 degrees of weather helm on an upwind course. The foredeck fitting should be bearing over its entire surface, otherwise the strain of the jib is on the chainplate bolts alone. I would shim the fitting tightly (an inch of slop would scare me) so that the lateral forces would be more widly distributed. And thank you for your service. Regards, Jim
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Because my memory is fading. But here is the deal: For the standard setup, the wind blows slightly (around 4 degrees - I'm not sure of the exact number) down, because of it's interaction with the surface of the water. The optimum anlge of the mast is 90 degrees to the wind - so the mast should be raked about 4 degrees aft of the vertical. You run the math on the height of the mast above the gooseneck, where the boom attaches to the mast. On our '77 h27, in think that you end up with 7 inches of rake from the top of the mast to the gooseneck. Then you fill a milk botttle with water, and hang it on the main halyard. Adjust the fore and aft stays so that the main halyard hangs 7 inches (or whatever the right number is) behind the goosneck, and you have the right rake. (The lowers should be loose at this point. When the rake is right, and the side head stays are of equal length(I use a tape measure from the main halyard to the toerail on each side), you have the masthead in the right position. Then you tighten the lowers, keeping the mast in column (un-bent), and your rigging is tuned. The first suspects for weather helm are blown out or poorly tuned sails. Failure to reef when needed is another cause. If weather helm is excessive after eliminating these causes, you can reduce weather helm by moving the masthead (and the mast and sails) forward, which also reduces rake. The lowers will need to be adjusted to keep the mast straight. But to the extend that rake is less than the recommended amount, the efficiency of the main will suffer. David Lady Lillie
Because my memory is fading. But here is the deal: For the standard setup, the wind blows slightly (around 4 degrees - I'm not sure of the exact number) down, because of it's interaction with the surface of the water. The optimum anlge of the mast is 90 degrees to the wind - so the mast should be raked about 4 degrees aft of the vertical. You run the math on the height of the mast above the gooseneck, where the boom attaches to the mast. On our '77 h27, in think that you end up with 7 inches of rake from the top of the mast to the gooseneck. Then you fill a milk botttle with water, and hang it on the main halyard. Adjust the fore and aft stays so that the main halyard hangs 7 inches (or whatever the right number is) behind the goosneck, and you have the right rake. (The lowers should be loose at this point. When the rake is right, and the side head stays are of equal length(I use a tape measure from the main halyard to the toerail on each side), you have the masthead in the right position. Then you tighten the lowers, keeping the mast in column (un-bent), and your rigging is tuned. The first suspects for weather helm are blown out or poorly tuned sails. Failure to reef when needed is another cause. If weather helm is excessive after eliminating these causes, you can reduce weather helm by moving the masthead (and the mast and sails) forward, which also reduces rake. The lowers will need to be adjusted to keep the mast straight. But to the extend that rake is less than the recommended amount, the efficiency of the main will suffer. David Lady Lillie
Mast Rake
Seven inches for the h25 strikes me as too much, and I think seven inches to zero (where my mast is) gives you a reasonable measure as to where you should be on your sailing grounds. Weather helm should be the tell tale. Regards, Jim.
Seven inches for the h25 strikes me as too much, and I think seven inches to zero (where my mast is) gives you a reasonable measure as to where you should be on your sailing grounds. Weather helm should be the tell tale. Regards, Jim.
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