[C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

Wed Jun 3 22:53:42 EDT 2009

Many thanks to all for their input.  I took most of the advice and made some
measurements down at the boat this evening, and sure enough the mast doesn't
align to the centre of the partners when getting the mast centered in the
boat and rake at 0.

Makes for some interesting wedge placements, but it now appears to be
working correctly and something to look at further next season once we have
stretched the standing rigging a little more.

Just need to tune while sailing and get the pins in for the season and enjoy
the boat and wind down the projects <G>

Cheers,

Brett

-----Original Message-----
From: c36list-bounces at c36ia.com [mailto:c36list-bounces at c36ia.com] On Behalf
Of Wait Griswold
Sent: June 3, 2009 4:32 PM
To: 'Catalina 36 Association Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

Thanks.  Sailing terms, being historical, are often not intuitive.

Wait

-----Original Message-----
From: c36list-bounces at c36ia.com [mailto:c36list-bounces at c36ia.com] On Behalf
Of Jeff
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 12:18 PM
To: 'Catalina 36 Association Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

It's a term from the old days of wooden ships that refers to the structural
timbers or bracing around the mast. The partners were bolted to the deck
beams under the deck planking. I'm not sure, but I think they were called
partners because they were used in pairs to surround the mast. 

In the case or our C36's, the term partners refers to the metal collar
bolted to the deck. The wedges are driven between the mast and the collar or
"partner".

Jeff
Con Brio

-----Original Message-----
From: c36list-bounces at c36ia.com [mailto:c36list-bounces at c36ia.com] On Behalf
Of Wait Griswold
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 1:01 PM
To: gforaker at gmail.com; 'Catalina 36 Association Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

I have a real rookie question about mast positioning.  I understand what
wedges are, but what are partners.  I have to confess that I relied on the
dealer's rigger to tune the mast and have not paid much attention since.

Wait Griswold
C36, #2019

-----Original Message-----
From: c36list-bounces at c36ia.com [mailto:c36list-bounces at c36ia.com] On Behalf
Of Gene Foraker
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 9:13 PM
To: Catalina 36 Association Mailing List
Subject: Re: [C36IA] Mast Step, Wedges at Partners and Tuning

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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