IdahoCJW@aol.com wrote:
> ... I have a P15 with roller furling system...
> Now, when connecting the forestay, I have to pull it down fairly tight
> the last inch or so. So . . . first, is it okay to "rake the mast back" by
> tightening the shrouds; how might this effect "Cavatina's" performance?
Not having a roller furler, and understanding that there are several
varieties thereof, I can't comment on that aspect of your message.
You will find that raking your mast aft for any reason will give your
boat a greater weather helm. The further aft the center of effort,
the greater the tendency of the boat to round up into the wind when a
gust hits.
A certain amount of this is a good idea -- as it is a safety factor --
but anything more than a small amount affects efficiency. The force
you exert on the tiller to fight the rounding-up goes into creating
water resistance or turbulence at the rudder. The ideal situation is
to have your boat balanced. Very often, this is a matter that
requires experimentation, as there are so many variations between
boats. Hull shape, sail design and condition, weight distribution
within the boat, rudder and centerboard shape and condition, etc. are
all possible contributing factors.
It sounds as if you might want to get an objective measure of shroud
and stay tensions, and (if they are published?) compare these with
IM's specs for mast angle, tensions, etc. for your vintage of boat.
This, at least, would provide a baseline from which to begin
experimenting.
A caution: There have been several postings within the last year from
people who have incorrectly assembled or installed their furlers.
This implies that there are opportunities for error here, and you
might want to re-check your procedures re. the furler.
Hopefully, someone with a rig and vintage boat similar to yours can
fill in the big gaps in what I have sketched out here.
-- Robert Skinner, Rockville, Maryland '87 Potter 15 HMS #1618 "Little Dipper"Post: WWPotter@egroups.com Help: WWPotter-owner@egroups.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Apr 30 2000 - 03:27:11 PDT