[C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

[Gene Foraker]

I have played around with tuning the masthead rig for 24 years between 
my 36 and our previous C30. I have always been suspicious of accurate 
measurements of mast rake. It is hard enough to make sure the boat 
itself is not bow or stern heavy which influences the "measurement" and 
appearance of the mast rake. I suppose you can trust the painted water 
lines of the boat to make sure the boat is trim first. According to the 
book, the C36 should have no rake.

After all my experiments and study I say to heck with the theory and 
always tune the rig under sail to see what works best. I adjust the rake 
so that there is only a little weather helm when sailing upwind in 12 to 
15 kt of apparent wind. Maybe 1/4 turn of the wheel or a little more. If 
the mast is raked too far aft, you will have too much weather helm, if 
too far forward you will have no weather helm. For safety and peak 
efficiency, you want a little weather helm. In heavier wind the boat 
will heel more and induce more weather helm which is normal. The main 
adjustment for rake will be with the forestay and the tightness of the 
rig with the backstay. I also have maybe 6 inches of sag in the forestay 
at rest. I have a pulley type of backstay adjuster to take some sag out 
of the forestay, but the effect is much less than with my previous C30. 
I don't know if the furling mast changes anything for you.

Tuning the side shrouds is another topic, but they must have final 
adjustment under sail, too.

All this running at the mouth probably hasn't answered your question 
about the mast wedges, since you can't really tune the rig under sail 
with no wedges in. I'd say to start thing with trying to get the mast 
upright and completely vertical in the boat. Measure the masthead to 
each side as the deck hole may not be exactly centered in the boat. All 
experts say centering the mast in the hole is not the way to go. After 
getting the boat to sail well, you may want to adjust the wedges for 
fore and aft trim. The wedges should never be adjusted side to side 
after getting the mast centered to the sides of the boat. My 1999 boat 
#1786 has the mast somewhat to the aft and not exactly centered side to 
side in the deck hole. After careful measurements and sailing, I 
installed Spartite and the position in the partners is now permanent.

Gene Foraker

Brett Colville & David St. Amand wrote:
>
> Good Evening Everybody,
>
> We have been working away at our first attempt at stepping the mast 
> and tuning the rig on our boat.
>
> We have a question about the mast placement in the partners w/ the 
> wedges. We are 2006 boat, hull # 2299 and have the Charleston furling 
> spar.
>
> On our previous boats with a keel step, we have always worked to 
> centre the mast in the partners with wedges.
>
> When we stepped the mast on our C-36, the split back stay bridle was 
> very tight/short. We had to take the wedges out from around the mast 
> and then had to winch it back with the main halyard to get the 
> backstay bridles to mate with the turnbuckles. We had the turnbuckles 
> backed right off and it was only a thread or so that we had to make 
> the connection.
>
> This led to the mast being positioned very far aft in the partners at 
> the deck. I have 2 wedges in the aft most position on the sides which 
> prevents the mast from hitting the back of the partners, but it leaves 
> a huge gap at the front of the mast.
>
> I have checked the mast for plumb and it is straight up and down per 
> the manual.
>
> This past weekend, we were out on our first cruise had a lovely gentle 
> sail on Saturday and the rig did stretch a little bit as it was 
> settling in (and the motor home up wind gusting up to 46 knots of 
> breeze on Sunday may have helped out on the rig stretching as well.)
>
> Looking at the mast this evening in the partners, it has shifted a 
> little further aft, almost touching the aft end of the partners and 
> the turnbuckle at the deck in the interior has loosened off. So the 
> rig has moved since it was initially stepped.
>
> One of my friends is of the opinion that the back stay is too short, 
> so I should put some link plates in to lengthen and try to shift the 
> mast so that I can get some wedges behind the mast and centre it a 
> little more, regardless of it being plumb. This didn’t seem necessary 
> when we took delivery of the boat last season and the dealer rigged 
> the boat.
>
> Unfortunately we only sailed the boat 3 times last season, and we were 
> not present when the rig was taken down last fall due to being laid up 
> from an accident back in the summer, so I don’t know where the wedges 
> were previously.
>
> Many thanks in advance for any advice or assistance.
>
> Regards,
>
> Brett Colville
>
> * **Ceiba i** *
>
> toronto
>
> /Catalina 36 Mk II # 2299/
>
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