Rigging a (new to me) H26

[Ed Schaefer]

Well, without a manual, a friend and myself did a test rig on the H26 I am planning on buying. We rigged on the trailer at the brokers' lot. We only broke one thing that we know of: a bolt on the port shroud that got tangled up as we were raising the mast. I had to take the shroud off to let the mast sit all the way upright. Now here is an important question: The mast has a pronounced forward lean to it at the upper third or so. assuming the owner left the srouds tensioned correctly, why does the furler have about four inches of slack? Will this forward lean go away when we connect the broken shroud? I tried to call Hunter to ask the same question but it appears that all the tech. questions go to a Don Martin who hasn't been in for the last two days. Anybody have any suggestions or opinions? I would appreciate any help? Ed Schaefer

 

[Tom Wootton]

Replace toggle & try again

If the shroud is an upper, I suppose it could account for some forward rake. The T-bolts are available from West Marine. They're 5/16" lefthand thread, and appear on page 860, lower left corner of the 2003 catalog (model #166660). Cost is $9.49; Hunter has 'em for less, but it might take longer. I'd check the others to see if they're bent, and replace them too. T-bolts binding is a common problem. I have a pair of bungees with SS hooks I made up for the purpose of keeping the T-bolts upright while raising the mast. They're about 2' long. I hook one end to the forward shroud turnbuckle, go up over the lifeline, and back down to the aft turnbuckle; same on opposite side. I store the bungees with the short raising shrouds and the gin pole, so all the mast-raising gear is in one place.

 

[Alan Long]

Broken toggles

Morning, AllI just thought I'd toss in this little aside.When I bought my 23.5 new in 1994 it had little pvc sleeves that covered the shroud cable and were just the right size to push down snugly over the toggle/turnbuckle. I never fully appreciated how well they work until I kept reading about broken toggles and turnbuckles. I've never had to replace one. The sleeves are stiff enough to hold the assembly straight until there is enough tension on the rigging yet they can be slid out of the way when the mast is down.I think that West Marine and Boats US sell them and if not they could be duplicated with the right size PVC pipe.Hope this is usefulAlan Long

 

[Ed Schaefer]

Thanks for trying

Thanks for trying, guys. I did get a hold of Hunter on the mast problem. Well, they have no idea what could have caused the mast to have the forward rake it does. General opinion is that something "really strange" happened to the mast and warped it out of shape. Conclusion: need a new mast and rigging. End result: I won't be buying this boat, as the owner refuses to put "another dime" into it. Oh well' try again. Ed