Mast stepping and unstepping
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- Rank: Master Chief
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Posted: May 19, 2015 - 07:38 PM
most cats benefit from being rigged tighter than you can possibly do it by hand (with your furler setup)
I use a ring on my furler (called a Portuguese turnbuckle) and i can set my forestay tension (and coincidentally my side shrouds) with the line attached to my forestay,
if your using a winch to tighten your forestay (you mentioned webbing, i don't understand what you mean but you infered you can rig with your winch...)you may be fine, but without a winch ,... you probably are running with your rigging to loose -
- Rank: Master Chief
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Posted: May 19, 2015 - 07:39 PM
doesn't your friends mystere have a ring on the furler (a Portuguese turnbuckle)?
if so there is no need to adjust your stay chain plated unless your wish to change the rake (angle) of your mast -
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Posted: May 20, 2015 - 08:43 AM
He had bought new chain plates and rigging for the season, and we needed to start fresh, as the dimensions were all just a bit different from the old. Still playing with rake a bit. Probably one more test run to get it close to what he likes best.
Actually, we started out poorly by trying to rush it before the rainstorm hit, and if you don't have all the trap lines and rigging clear of everything, it just gets worse. Sometimes we just don't learn and do it several times instead of once, cleanly. Someone said something about teaching old sailors new tricks....
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Supercat 15
Windrider 17
Several Sunfish and Sunfish clones
Ratboat built from Zuma and Sunfish parts
Shallow water sailor in the Delaware Bay
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Posted: May 20, 2015 - 12:23 PM
I put a shackle on the last hole (bottom) of the chain adjuster that runs through the furler. Through this shackle is tied webbing that attaches to my boom, gin pole. When I ratchet down the boom to raise the mast the forestay is lined up correctly to attach the side bridles. Before I was tying a rope to the eye that hold the plate. When under tension, this caulked the forestay/furler oddly either to left or right making attaching the side bridles difficult. The rope that went around the furler to the gin pole worked to cant the whole assembly. Tying in from bottom eliminates this: Probably should show a pic as this is a change from the pics I posted raising mast with boom etc. Made slight adjustments.
Second note: My side stays adjusters have 7 holes. The shrouds are held in the center hole leaving 3 on top and 3 on bottom. I've sailed it like this and raised and lowered the mast like this and worked OK. How much tighter does it need to be and if I move it down a hole or 2, will I get the other side down equally. Considering the 1000's of steps to get this boat to the water I'd really like eliminating 2 more steps--tightening shrouds too would be ideal which I've done thus far. Will a hole or 2 lower make this boat any faster or perform better from where it is located now? 15kt wind. Where should it be set for 20 kt wind? H18
Edited by goodsailing on May 20, 2015 - 12:25 PM.
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Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
H18 (Sold 7/15)
Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
Balt-Wash Area
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Posted: May 20, 2015 - 12:44 PM
i can't answer that... there are tons of variables (shroud and stay length (and amount stretched), tension applied to the forestay when set, etc)
lowering the holes on the chain plate (ceteris paribus) rakes the mast forward
this changes the CE
this will normally power up the boat a little - and the opposate applies, raising the pins will rake the mast further back - typically depowering a bit
All that being said, some h18 racers rig very loosely in heavy air - i never understood this but have seen it in action - not saying it's fast or right, but definitely done by some -
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Posted: May 20, 2015 - 01:19 PM
It would seem you want a tad aft rake, if you've ever seen windsurfer masts. Well then we'll just leave it centered... hence eliminating the need to unpin, pin two more additional pins, plus foregoing potential lost of mast due to unpinning shroud for adj. while on the trailer.
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Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
H18 (Sold 7/15)
Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
Balt-Wash Area
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Posted: May 20, 2015 - 01:26 PM
General rule of thumb on the H18, you just want the rig "snug". It is a heavy mast and you don't want it flopping around or risking it jumping off the step if you capsize. That said, I have run the rig quite loose in the past and never really noticed any perceptible difference. A looser rig basically just allows the mast to rotate to 90 degrees more easily downwind (really only applicable if you're racing). For fun sailing, just keep it snug.
The reason we have to tighten the rig after the mast is stepped is because most people just manually raise the mast. You're not going to be able to connect the forestay/bridles easily if the rig is tensioned. Much easier to just loosen the rig. I just bring one side shroud up to the top hole and leave the other side alone. This provides plenty of looseness for stepping the mast and since one shroud is not adjusted, I know exactly where to put the one that is adjusted - no guess work. 95% of the time we always run in the same holes. If it's really blowing or really light, we may move one shroud up or down a hole (no the shrouds do not need to be exactly even on both sides).
As for rake settings, just aim for a balanced helm, or slight weather helm. Most of the time, you will barely notice any changes to the rig settings. It is just the nature of the H18 - it is a Cadillac, not a Ferrari.
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Posted: May 21, 2015 - 09:21 AM
The only concern I had in winching up the mast with gin pole with shrouds set for sailing was over stressing something, that something would break. That never happened, nor did I notice any overstressing on the way up.
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Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
H18 (Sold 7/15)
Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
Balt-Wash Area
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Posted: Oct 07, 2016 - 02:59 PM
I've just acquired a Prindle 19..the EZ step instructions say that you can put a "simple block & tackle between the lift strap ring on the top of the gin pole & the bridle will provide sufficient lifting power."
Is this going to be harmful to the bow tangs or hulls doing this??
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