Once you have the mast rigged vertical, sail the boat a while, then adjust
the rake to take out any lee helm or excessive weather helm.
The waterline you would get if the boat is left in dirty water would be
determined by how the boat was loaded at the time and might not reflect her
best sailing "lines."
Harry Gordon
P14 #234, Manatee
Mountain View, CA
>In trying to set up the standing rigging on my P-19. I've noticed that the
>cabin roof is not parallel to the rest of the boat (check out how the front
>hatch cover fits). I'd like to rig the mast so it is truly vertical with
>respect to the hull, so it can sail evenly with respect to all points of
>wind. I don't have a tension guage so I can't do it accurately by the
>rigging length and tension. I thought of a plumb bob down the center of the
>mast, but that means drilling more holes in the mast and it just tells if
>the mast is vertical, but not the boat. Also the plumb bob should be brass
>so it is not affected by the keel. If I put it in water, my weight will
>shift the hull all over the place. Could I get a good level line by leaving
>the boat moored in calm dirty water for a few days? What is the best
>reference on the hull for level and how can I get this whole thing straight?
>
>Jim Nolan P-19 (86 degrees), P-15, L138T, LGYC #6