Whistling rigging

Jeff · Jul 20, 2011

Enjoy what we call harbor music. Between the whistling rigging and the slapping halyards is gets pretty noisy around our harbor when the wind picks up. I've noticed
we get a droning sound from our topping lift when the main sheet is too tight. As
soon as I loosen up the main sheet it quits.

gpd955 · Jul 20, 2011

Our marina rules force us to secure halyards, so we don't get much slapping. I secure mine anyway to avoid that amplified noise down below. They do sound great, though, when topsides. Something comforting about it.

The other great marina sound is the howling in our neighbors mast with the in-mast furling. You know when you hear it you're getting a nice NE sea breeze and it's going to be a comfortable night.

jibes138 · Jul 20, 2011

A round wire is one of the least aerodynamic shapes causing an incredible amount of drag due to separation of the airstream as it passes over the wire. High tech boats use foil shapes for their rigging to reduce this drag. Along with drag comes acoustic noise. Either the rig itself vibrating like a guitar string or from the airstream acting like a whistle as it passes over the wire. Loosening or tightening the rigging should be based on proper rig tuning, not on the frequency of the vibration from the wind. Changing the tension in the wire will change the vibration frequency thus changing the tone of the note being played but won't effect whether there is a note or not by much. You might try putting something on the wire to dampen the vibration, maybe a foam sleeve like those noodle things for swimming pools just to see if it makes a difference.

zeehag · Jul 20, 2011

slapping hayards are obnoxious and curable. there is no reason to allow halyards to flog/slap/be noisey. when halyards slap the mast they are making damage to both halyard and mast.
singing rig is not curable--wind speed causes the different tones and tunes heard when wind is blowing thru them at different speeds. have fun..

higgs · Jul 20, 2011

ditto zeehag

sinnettc · Jul 20, 2011

My halyards don't slap and my rigging doesn't sing, but those ©@&@ little metal turnbuckle covers are driving me nuts! Every time the burgee or boom tent line slaps the shrouds they rattle. Next season they're gone.

Bill Roosa · Jul 21, 2011

The totally deranged would wrap the shrouds in a thin layer of yarn. All those little fibers tend to hold onto the air right next to them (like a beavers fur) and keep the shroud quiet. Google "boundry layer" You could get creative and use different bright colors to add a festive mood to the boat.

Winkfish · Jul 21, 2011

I guess there's slapping and there's slapping. But basically, I've had some of my most peaceful sleeps on a sailboat listening to the slapping and the whistling, even in crowded marinas. It's comforting to me. Everything's right with the world.

Plus, I can consciously or subconsciously hear changes, and if it's a "bad" change, I'm on it.

OldCat · Jul 21, 2011

higgs said:
ditto zeehag

ditto zeehag and & higgs. Just to add, the whistle and its tone are just one more way you can estimate wind strength.

OC

gpd955 · Jul 21, 2011

48dodge said:
That should work because I've never heard a beaver whistle when the wind is blowing through its fur

It's not the wind. Beavers can actually whistle

zeehag · Jul 21, 2011

fouling the halyards around the spreaders/shrouds keeps them intact and noise down-- wont have to replace the halyards as often as when they are allowed to keep others awake all night with each wind change. neither of my boats have slapping or flogging halyards. takes only one flip for htat protection. i hear the singing at more than 15kts of breezes. by 100 the winds are howling so hard my rig isnt even noticeable.

kendall · Jul 21, 2011

Bill Roosa said:
The totally deranged would wrap the shrouds in a thin layer of yarn. All those little fibers tend to hold onto the air right next to them (like a beavers fur) and keep the shroud quiet. Google "boundry layer" You could get creative and use different bright colors to add a festive mood to the boat.

Expanding this, and a more practical approach is to wind a single strand of yarn or wire along the length. Widely spaced wraps work fine, something like one wrap every three inches or so. It breaks up the air flow and stabilizes the wire so it doesn't make noise.

Same concept is used on modern car antenna

gpd955 · Jul 21, 2011

I have a shroud cleat on port and starboard and attach my spin and main halyards to that. Works great. Last boat I bought a bag of the thin bungee cords and used them to pull the halyards away from the mast. As they would wear down, I'd just pull another out of the bag....and I would also donate some to those who didn't take car of thiers.

WayneH · Jul 21, 2011

Speaking of whistling, my neighbor's horseshoe float starts whistling on a southeast breeze at 15 knots.

Stu Jackson · Jul 21, 2011

Wayne, here's an idea: suggest to your dockmate that his float will last a LOT longer if he stores it down below!

We used to go through those once every five years until the light bulb hit us on the head!

He can store it in his head, too...

vikki0730 · Jul 21, 2011

48dodge said:
I haven't had my boat out for a sail yet so I know there are tweaks to be made to the rigging still. I was just wondering what causes the rigging to whistle in the wind. I tightened things up a bit more since I heard it last but haven't been when there is wind to see if it's still whistling. Do some rigs just whistle when the wind hits it right even if things are tuned correctly?

Some rigs do..it depends on your set-up..are you a roller furling? If it's more of a humming you might want to try loosening your topping lift and you can decrease your back stay if you have one...good luck!

Whistling rigging

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