Mast Rake?

jav · Post by **jav** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 12:37 pm

I'm the new owner of a 99 26x. I just stepped my mast for the first time and it seems really raked back alot.
http://home.sc.rr.com/bdavis12/mast.jpg

I haven't measured the angle or anything, but it seems more than a few degrees and I was curious if that looked about right. The PO added a backstay adjuster but its all the way let out.
http://home.sc.rr.com/bdavis12/backstay.jpg

Thanks,
Jeff

LOUIS B HOLUB · Post by **LOUIS B HOLUB** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:01 pm

I dont have a back stay adjuster on my 99Mac-X. When my mast is set, all stays are tight, and my mast has a slight (very slight) tilt back. When I step my mast, I have only the front roller furler to hook up and(sometimes with effort). Hope you have as much fun with your 99 MacX as we have ! Winter/cold months, we leave the mast and hardware in storage, and use the MacX as a cabin cruizer (works real well)--overnighting, fishing, picniking, or just lounging on the boat...

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:36 pm

Welcome ab'd, powerSailor! It appears that your mast is definitely raked too far aft. My mast was at 86-deg as delivered from the factory, and I reset that to 88-deg (or 2 degrees aft).

Since your PO has obviously done some rigging work, all bets are off about what he has changed. Did you have to reattach the shrouds?

(You can use the link above to search these archives, where you'll find a plethora of debate. Enter mast rake, click the "all terms" button and then the search button. Be prepared to read for an hour or more!)

James V · Post by **James V** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:37 pm

I know that the

manual has a section on mast rake. Try checking in the

manual for the factory spec's.

craiglaforce · Post by **craiglaforce** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 2:32 pm

You can read the Bruce whitmore article that is under featured articles to the left. The mast rake is set by the tripod of the forestay and the upper shrouds.
the backstay adjuster is just for inducing mast bend. By closing the forestay turnbuckle and adjsuting the upper shrouds to let the mast tip forward , the mast rake can be adjusted forward.

The real test is helm balance while sailing upwind. It should just take a light touch on the helm to hold the wheel.

jav · Post by **jav** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 2:34 pm

I could pin the furler really easily, in fact it's slack in that pic I took. I was using the jib haylard to pull the mast forward as much as I could.

I haven't read up on how to adjust the furler so I dunno how much I can shorten it. But even if I can, the backstay is what's stopping me from pushing it forward any.

But thanks, I'll keep messin w/ it...

Jeff

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:37 pm

Jeff, its actually the shrouds that fight back against the forestay tension. The backstay will tighten the forestay also, but it does so by bending the mast at the top, not taking out any of the rake. I think the 4 degrees that people talk about is actually with the forestay turnbuckle tightened all the way up (which is the way I have my 2000X). You will have to loosen your shrouds first, then crank in the turnbuckle all the way, then re-adjust the shrouds.

With that setting, you will get some weather helm and roundups when the winds pick up, but at that point, the rail is in the water and you should be reefing anyway.

Tom Spohn · Post by **Tom Spohn** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 8:56 pm

Here are some tips:

http://www.bwyachts.com/rig_tuning_tips.htm

craiglaforce · Post by **craiglaforce** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:11 pm

CDI has a website that shows how to get at the turnbuckle that is under the furler drum. The drum slides up the gray plastic extrusion if you pull the side pin.

Just follow the instructions and you should be fine. Also I would suggest putting turnbuckles on the shrouds to replace the stock pin vernier adjusters.

mike uk · Post by **mike uk** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:36 am

This is just a suggestion about how to adjust the shrouds based on my own experience. Trying to adjust them by poking screwdriver blades etc into the holes is difficult and can easily lead to gouged gelcoat.

I have found it is not too much trouble to have the mast raising kit attached and to simply lower the mast a little, between each adjustment. This slackens the shrouds, enabling them to be adjusted without effort and you then re-raise the mast and check for alignment and tension. 2 people are best for this - one on deck and the other walking from side to side doing the adjustments and reconnecting the forestay in between each adjustment. Ten minutes and the job is done. Oh, always, always, cleat off the raising line when the mast is being supported - don't go off to do something else and forget that the mast is just hanging there!
Mike

jav · Post by **jav** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:26 am

Yeah, thanks... My former boat was a Catalina 22 and before that Hobie 16s so I'm aware about the shrouds pulling the mast back. But they weren't even connected, so I put them in the top hole of the adjuster because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pin the furler. But I was able to pin it really easily. With my C22, I left the shrouds a little loose, set the mast rake w/ the forestay, then tightened up the shrouds and backstay...

Just eyeballing it, the mast looks raked back alot more than 4 degrees. And I can't go forward any because the backstay adjuster is all the way at the end of it's rope. (I could add a longer rope.)

I haven't got a way to measure the angle yet - maybe it actually is where it's sposed to be after all. And thanks for that furler info - I saw that pin and figured that's what it did, but I was scared to mess w/ it til I knew for sure.

I'll look at that tonite and see how much I can shorten the forestay. Even at the angle in that pic, the forstay is really loose.

jav · Post by **jav** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:12 am

hmmmm... from http://www.bwyachts.com/rig_tuning_tips.htm :

" MacGregor 26X:
Typical mast rake is 7-10 degrees (a lot more than most trailerables). "

this is probably about where mine is at - its just alot more than the 3-4 degrees I was expecting...

Night Sailor · Post by **Night Sailor** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:59 am

My first setup of the rig was used with a proctractor setting the mast angle to seven degrees relative to the deck plate, to be precise as I could. I have the CDI furler with the 150 genny. The boat in 8-10 knots of wind could not be sailed it had so much weather helm. It would just stay in irons. the second time I screwed the forestay turnbuckle down as tight as it would go. That gave me an angle of 4 degrees and put about a two or three inch backward bend in the top of the mast with the backstay adjusted as long as possible. Since then the boat has sailed beautifully in light or heavy air.

ChrisNorton · Post by **ChrisNorton** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:44 am

I've got a question for everyone on this topic. I'm wanting to remove some mast rake this year as I've had round-up problems in even moderate-heavy winds. I know the rake is factory set at 4-5degrees back comparied to the water line. How exactly do I measure that as I don't have a 12 foot protractor? I suspect mine is also more than 4 degrees.

My other question is this. For those that don't have foresail furlers, they can simply shorten their forestay turnbuckle. I have a foresail furler and there is no turnbuckly. The stay bolts directly to the bow chainplate. Any suggestions on how to shorten it? I'd like to get it down to about 1 degree of rake.
Thanks,
Chris

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:28 pm

Chris - the CDI furler most of us have has a turnbuckle hidden cleverly on the inside - see the manuals or CDI website to see how to adjust.

Be careful about the cotter pins on this turnbuckle as if you dont pin them back in place well the turnbuckle can unscrew, and then you demast....

Ugh.

If you have another brand without a turnbuckle I guess you have to swage a new forestay..maybe add on one of the forestay adjusters while you are doing this?

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Mast Rake?

Mast Rake?

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