Does anyone find it necessary or desirable to rake the mast of their Cape Dory 31, 33, or 36, to adjust for lee or weather helm? Or is any need to do this obviated by the multiplicity of sail controls?
Our Cape Dory 36 is not yet in the water. We plan on using Spartite to provide mast partners and seal. (Surprisingly, the boat currently lacks any kind of partners.) My current thought is to center the spar, apply the Spartite, tune the rig, sail, adjust tuning, and sail some more. But this might be the wrong order if these boats frequently require significant mast rake adjustment ..
Russell
Mast rake on larger Cape Dories ??
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Joe Wysong
Re: Mast rake on larger Cape Dories ??
Happens that just yesterday I asked Joe McCarty, general manager of Robinhood Marine, about putting Spartite on our CD 330. He said the product is useful if you leave your boat in the water year round and leave the mast in place during inspection/repair haulouts. He said that if you haul and demast your boat for the winter season (which we do), Robinhood DOES NOT LIKE SPARTITE as it makes their life difficult.Russell wrote: Does anyone find it necessary or desirable to rake the mast of their Cape Dory 31, 33, or 36, to adjust for lee or weather helm? Or is any need to do this obviated by the multiplicity of sail controls?
Our Cape Dory 36 is not yet in the water. We plan on using Spartite to provide mast partners and seal. (Surprisingly, the boat currently lacks any kind of partners.) My current thought is to center the spar, apply the Spartite, tune the rig, sail, adjust tuning, and sail some more. But this might be the wrong order if these boats frequently require significant mast rake adjustment ..
Russell
Joe
tgjournal@gestalt.org
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Russell
'Tis now a southern boat ..
Once we step the spar, it stays stepped. The boat will come out of the water only for bottom jobs, as needed. The mast should stay in until .. well, off hand, I can't think of why we would next remove it. So you can see why I want to get it right the first time.
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Matt Cawthorne
Re: Mast rake on larger Cape Dories ??
Russell,
I have talked with other owners about the weather helm that the CD-36 has and all seem to agree that the most powerful tool for getting balance is to reef the main early. There is not enough room where the mast goes through the deck to make major adjustments to the rake. The CD-36 is initally tender and when it heels the center of effort moves sideways and makes the boat turn into the wind. When you reef the boat sits up more and the center of effort is closer to the centerline. In addition the center of effort moves foreward. Plan on reefing the main before the yankee and the boat balances well.
There should be wedges where the mast goes through the partner (or spartite if that is your preference). If you decide not to use the spartite until you have sailed and tuned the rig at least make temporary wedges.
Matt
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
I have talked with other owners about the weather helm that the CD-36 has and all seem to agree that the most powerful tool for getting balance is to reef the main early. There is not enough room where the mast goes through the deck to make major adjustments to the rake. The CD-36 is initally tender and when it heels the center of effort moves sideways and makes the boat turn into the wind. When you reef the boat sits up more and the center of effort is closer to the centerline. In addition the center of effort moves foreward. Plan on reefing the main before the yankee and the boat balances well.
There should be wedges where the mast goes through the partner (or spartite if that is your preference). If you decide not to use the spartite until you have sailed and tuned the rig at least make temporary wedges.
Matt
Russell wrote: Does anyone find it necessary or desirable to rake the mast of their Cape Dory 31, 33, or 36, to adjust for lee or weather helm? Or is any need to do this obviated by the multiplicity of sail controls?
Our Cape Dory 36 is not yet in the water. We plan on using Spartite to provide mast partners and seal. (Surprisingly, the boat currently lacks any kind of partners.) My current thought is to center the spar, apply the Spartite, tune the rig, sail, adjust tuning, and sail some more. But this might be the wrong order if these boats frequently require significant mast rake adjustment ..
Russell
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
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Jerry
Re: Mast rake on larger Cape Dories ??
My experience with a friends CD31 was to change the center of effort of the sails to the center of effort of the hull. If the boat has weather helm the center of effort for the sails has to be moved foward. That is why reefing the main helps. Raking the mast foward will also move the center of effort foward. On my friends CD31 the mast step on the keel in the cabin is slotted so that it can be moved fore or aft. If you move the step aft and wedge the opening so that the mast goes foward (wedge at the back of the mast) the weather helm should diminish.Russell wrote: Does anyone find it necessary or desirable to rake the mast of their Cape Dory 31, 33, or 36, to adjust for lee or weather helm? Or is any need to do this obviated by the multiplicity of sail controls?
Our Cape Dory 36 is not yet in the water. We plan on using Spartite to provide mast partners and seal. (Surprisingly, the boat currently lacks any kind of partners.) My current thought is to center the spar, apply the Spartite, tune the rig, sail, adjust tuning, and sail some more. But this might be the wrong order if these boats frequently require significant mast rake adjustment ..
Russell
Jerry
jlecocq@milehigh.net