Typhoon Senior Rigging

[cfairer]

Does anyone have any tips on setting up the Typhoon Senior rig? I just obtained a TY SR and the mast seems to be pretty much vertical, maybe even slightly raked forward. I'm used to a little aft rake. Any other tuning tips from knowledgeable TY SR sailors will be appreciated.

[Megunticook]

I just bought a TyS (#11) a month ago, I'm also curious about the rigging. I have some documentation from Spartan I can scan and post for you, plus there's a page in the owner's manual that shows some things. Would love to see some detailed diagrams or photos, though.

[pete faga]

Can only comment why the mast was slightly raked forward
Less weather helm.
Never sailed a senior I hope you get more imput
Pete

[Megunticook]

This sailplan image from the manual clearly shows the mast canting aft toward the stern slightly.

[Dave H]

My recollection of the manual is that it states the purpose of the rigging is to hold the mast in column. And it goes on to say don't use too much tension, and I think it describes the best tension for the uppers, fore stay and back stay as moderate finger pressure. Not too technical.

I center the mast side to side by clipping a bucket of water on the jib halyard and hanging it over the side, cleat the halyard so the bucket is above the water line. Mark where the halyard touches the rail. Bring the bucket to the other side, and see if the mark is in the same place. If not, adjust the uppers accordingly.

With my lowers, I like to lie on the fore deck and sight up the mast while someone else drives on a close reach. I adjust the lowers until there is no bow in the mast. I have found that with sails down, when I stand chest against the mast facing aft, when I hold the lowers, they will turn approximately a 4" circle. (When I was racing in the Sonar Fleet, the lowers typically turned a 6" circle.)

My mast base has been replaced by a previous owner. It has two plates, one on the cabin top, and one on the mast base. There are two holes for pins, one foreward, and one aft. When I purchased Puffin the PO EMPHASIZED (finger in my chest) NEVER to pin both holes, only one or the other, either one. So I pin the aft hole, and when the plates come together, and the foreward holes are aligned, there is rake in my mast, so I seem to have to live with that.

Do you have the original mast base? I like the two plate pinned mast base for raising and lowering the mast with an A frame. I don't consider the weather helm a problem.. Whenever it's more than I prefer, I reef. No problem.

Dave Hedlund

[cfairer]

Thanks for your advice. I have the cast mast base, not the stainless plate with pin hinge type. I think I will have to somehow lengthen the forestay so I can then take up on the backstay a lot to get the aft rake I agree it should have. I have the original manual and it does not go into much detail. I do have the forestay pinned to the furthest forward hole on the stemhead fitting. I assume that is where it's supposed to be. Anyway, I'm happy with the boat. Been out sailing three times now and learning a little each time.

[Gary H]

If you are happy with how the boat sails, I would leave it as is. Raking the mast back will only increase weather helm.

[Markst95]

Dave, it sounds like you have a tabernacle. I've had a couple of boats that had them and I always pinned both the front and back pins, until you wanted to take down the mast.

[Dave H]

Markst95, I think of my mast base as two pinned plates. I thought a tabernacle had sides. I did not ask the PO why he wanted me to only use one pin. My guess is that if both ends of the plate were pinned, and then there was any slack in the forestay or backstay it would cause flexing of the cabintop.

Cfairer, I use the furthest foreward hole in the stemhead fitting for a block to lead the pendant of the asym. That line actually does double duty, it is also my jib dousing line. I love the jib dousing line; jib can come down fast from the cockpit. And the asym pendant if very useful. I ease the pendant when running downwind so the asym acts like a spinnacker, or trim the pendant when reaching closer, so the asym acts like a genoa.

Megunticook, thanks for including the sail plan drawing! I will lay a framing square on my drawing. When I was at Barker's Island Marina in Superior, Wi. in 08, I was on the A dock, which has a metal building by it. The metal building had verticle seams in the panels, giving me a reference point for verticle. The mast rake I saw I estimated at 3 (or 4) degrees. Puffin may have been low astern then.