I finish last consistently when racing my H23.5. Someone suggested the rig is not tuned properly. How do you tune the rig on the H23.5?
Tuning the Rig
- Thread starter Bill Jones12954
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Call Hunter and get the manual
If you didn't get the manual with your boat, call Hunter and order one. The step-by-step instructions are in the manual. The remaining question will be "how tight is tight" for the shrouds. I finally bought a Loos gauge. It turned out my shrouds were only half as tight as they should be. Well, another question I have is what is considered "level" when people (and the manual) say to "level the boat" to set the mast rake. Is this as the boat floats empty in the water, or with 600 pounds of crew in the cockpit, or with a carpenter's level at the base of the mast (vertically or horizontally???) while the boat is on the trailer, etc? ...RickM...
If you didn't get the manual with your boat, call Hunter and order one. The step-by-step instructions are in the manual. The remaining question will be "how tight is tight" for the shrouds. I finally bought a Loos gauge. It turned out my shrouds were only half as tight as they should be. Well, another question I have is what is considered "level" when people (and the manual) say to "level the boat" to set the mast rake. Is this as the boat floats empty in the water, or with 600 pounds of crew in the cockpit, or with a carpenter's level at the base of the mast (vertically or horizontally???) while the boat is on the trailer, etc? ...RickM...
Rig Tuning
I haven't officially raced my H 23.5, but I can tell you I had a lot of problems with weather helm early on. I have tried a lot of different approaches to sail trim and have found that the adjustment of the shrouds is very important. You can buy a gauge to measure tension (which I recommend), but that by itself is not enough. The mast bends easily and you can have correct tension on the gauge and a crooked mast. I stand at the base of the mast and look straight to the top to check the mast for straightness. Adjust the shrouds until the mast is straight and then check it with your gauge. Keep in mind that you will need to go throught this process a couple times. You will also need to find a way to keep your turnbuckles from coming loose. This is a big problem on the 23.5. I have found that my 23.5 sails fastest with the main halyard backed off slightly or if I allow a small amount of luff in the main. These are both under moderate winds. Good luck
I haven't officially raced my H 23.5, but I can tell you I had a lot of problems with weather helm early on. I have tried a lot of different approaches to sail trim and have found that the adjustment of the shrouds is very important. You can buy a gauge to measure tension (which I recommend), but that by itself is not enough. The mast bends easily and you can have correct tension on the gauge and a crooked mast. I stand at the base of the mast and look straight to the top to check the mast for straightness. Adjust the shrouds until the mast is straight and then check it with your gauge. Keep in mind that you will need to go throught this process a couple times. You will also need to find a way to keep your turnbuckles from coming loose. This is a big problem on the 23.5. I have found that my 23.5 sails fastest with the main halyard backed off slightly or if I allow a small amount of luff in the main. These are both under moderate winds. Good luck
Mast check...
Another thought...you can use the main halyard to measure the side-to-side straitness of the mast by leading it to fittings on each gunwale -the halyard should just meet the fitting on both sides of the boat under the same tension. Then lead it to the bottom of the mast and eyeball the rake. Good luck. Drew
Another thought...you can use the main halyard to measure the side-to-side straitness of the mast by leading it to fittings on each gunwale -the halyard should just meet the fitting on both sides of the boat under the same tension. Then lead it to the bottom of the mast and eyeball the rake. Good luck. Drew
Cary - loose turnbuckles?
Do you not have cotter pins in the shroud turnbuckles to keep them from loosening? The manual says to do this. Perhaps you sail without them to make adjustments on the water? Once tuned (the manual says) you should insert cotter pins as any stretch will happen after the first sail. I have cotter pins in my forestay and even the lifelines. Drew mentions centering the mast by the method in the manual. My halyard stretches some and it seemed an inaccurate way to center the mast. I attach a metal measuring tape to the halyard shackle and hoist it to eliminate the stretch as I check the measurement side-to-side. Do you find that in order to keep a couple of inches of mast bend at the spreaders, the lower shrouds are quite a bit looser than the uppers? I haven't launched yet since tuning with the gauge so I don't know if they go slack or not. ...RickM...
Do you not have cotter pins in the shroud turnbuckles to keep them from loosening? The manual says to do this. Perhaps you sail without them to make adjustments on the water? Once tuned (the manual says) you should insert cotter pins as any stretch will happen after the first sail. I have cotter pins in my forestay and even the lifelines. Drew mentions centering the mast by the method in the manual. My halyard stretches some and it seemed an inaccurate way to center the mast. I attach a metal measuring tape to the halyard shackle and hoist it to eliminate the stretch as I check the measurement side-to-side. Do you find that in order to keep a couple of inches of mast bend at the spreaders, the lower shrouds are quite a bit looser than the uppers? I haven't launched yet since tuning with the gauge so I don't know if they go slack or not. ...RickM...
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