One possible cure...
Art, The oscillation of your mast is due to the fact that round or oval spars that are straight will respond to the wind that way. It's just plain physics. There are 2 things you can do to minimize the "pumping" action: 1. Make the spar "less round". 2. Make the spar "less straight". To make it less round, wrap your main halyard around it. The halyard will interrupt the normal wind flow & reduce the oscillation. Check out the non-retractable antenna on many cars (like a Chevy Tahoe) and you'll see that there appears to be a wire wrapped around the antenna. This is there to reduce the same motion you're talking about when the car is in motion. Your halyard will have a similar effect. To make it less straight, tension your backstay so the mast is slightly bent in the middle. Our rigs aren't meant to be bent like a fractional rig is, but it does help at least on my boat it does. The same thing happens on my boat, especially when the wind is on the nose, like when at anchor. It can be annoying, but maybe those tips will help. Good Luck, Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
