Wind in the Rigging

Aug 24, 2009
444
Catalina 310 Sturgeon Bay, WI
I'm asking the C-310 Owners but anyone who has experienced this please let me know.

A few weeks back my marina made some adjustments on my rig tension, (they said they owed it to me from when they stepped my mast)

Since about that time my wife has reported hearing earie sounds almost like musical notes at night, we hear them below but not on deck. (I say we because this weekend at anchor I heard them the first time, almost Sy-Fi horror movie type noise.)

Funny thing is, it only takes a hint of wind for this odd music to start up, and it stops in high wind. (or is masked) As I said you only hear it below, not on deck.

The noise is only at night, and I almost wondered if it is when the cooler air allows the rig to contract. (I'm in WI we have 80 degree days and low 50 degree nights, even 40's last week)

Anyone else experienced this issue? Are we haunted? Did the marina tighten the rig to tight and it is setting up a vibration like a piano wire?

In three years of owning the boat we have not had this problem, but now I a have been given the word :snooty: fix it or someone :evil: is not sleeping on the boat. :cry:

Thanks for your comments, or chuckles

Russ
s/v Long Story
 
Oct 3, 2011
835
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
Ahhh, A Quandary!, If you want special person on board, I would follow those suggestions,
If NOT, I would tell her the Boat is REALLY haunted!, Our boat does the same thing but it does not seem as bad as yours,don't know why. God luck with your choice! ;)
 
Mar 22, 2009
360
Catalina 310 Gulfport Small Craft Harbor, MS
My topping lift definitely vibrates and creates a humming noise in the wind. I always keep it tight to hold the boom up and then crank down hard on the main sheet to keep boom from swaying...which adds extra tension to the topping lift.

But I hear it on deck and not quite so much down below.

Cheers,
Jim
 
Nov 18, 2013
171
Catalina 310 Campbell River
What we use is a bungee cord to hold the boom in place when not sailing so we don't get then humming from the top lift. If we don't the humming will increase and used to keep us up at night.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,955
Catalina 320 Dana Point
My 320 has what we call a "San Francisco" tune or as my San Diego rigger calls it "Friggin tighter than my ex-wife", and the shrouds sing like angels in 15 to 20 knots. My other boats have always been tuned looser as is more prevalent around here and not so much singing.
So I'm of a mind it's a guitar string thing that is related to rig tension.
 
Sep 26, 2010
45
Hunter 410 Cheboygan Michigan
I believe it's the harmonics with the wind. If you tie lines on each of the shrouds you'll probably reduce or change the pitch. My Hunter doesn't have a back stay so that's not a problem for us. Our fractional rigging makes sounds but not too bothersome sleeping the stern.