What is a raked mast?
Mast rake is the angle at which a mast slopes aft from vertical as viewed from the side. In the rare event that a mast is raked forward it is said to have forward rake. The majority of modern boats have their mast raked between 0.75 and 1.5 degrees, with 2 to 2.5 degrees being the conventional upper limit.
When should I rake the mast?
A mast should never be raked forward unless there is something unusual in the boat design (You’ll know if this is the case!). When you add rake to the mast, you tilt the whole sail plan aft. This, in turn, shifts the power aft, pushing more load on the stern and forcing the bow up into the wind, creating weather helm.
What is rake in a boat?
The rake of a ship’s prow is the angle at which the prow rises from the water (the rake below water being called the bow rake). In machining the rake angle is the angle from the cutting head to the object being worked on.
What is mast prebend?
Mast prebend is the degree of bend placed in a sailboat mast when the shrouds are adjusted. The [ fore and aft angle ] of the mast spreaders, in relation to the mast, determines the desired angle of mast bend and corresponds with the profile of the sail luff.
What is a mast jack?
The mast jack system consists of a hydraulic cylinder located inside the mast. The cylinder piston moves down vertically through the heel of the mast to a steel plate in the boat’s T-base, thereby lifting the mast and increasing the tension.
What do masts hold up?
Masts are held up with a system of wire or rod called Standing Rigging. Masts must withstand many forces, but the system of standing rigging is primarily concerned about forces from the side, since the wind will always be hitting the sails on one side, one side will be loaded and the other will not.
What is the difference between weather helm and lee helm?
Lee helm is the tendency of a sailboat to turn away from the wind while under sail. It is the opposite of weather helm which is the tendency of a sailboat to “round up” into the wind.
How is mast rake measured?
Mast Rake: Attach a weight to the end of the main halyard and let it hang down just off the deck. Measure the distance it hangs behind the backside of the mast. E Measurement: Measure from the backside of the mast at the gooseneck, along the boom to the location of the clew.
What are cap shrouds?
Cap Shrouds These are the parts of a sailboat’s rigging that hold the mast in place athwartship. They’re attached at the masthead and via chainplates to the hull.
How do you tension a mast?
The top of the mast must be vertical in the yacht, so use the main halyard and measure carefully to a fixed point on each side of the yatch. Hand tighten the cap shrouds to centre the mast. The shrouds can now be tensioned by adjusting each turnbuckle in turn by approximately 3 turns at a time per side.
How tall is the mast?
Average Mast Height by Sailboat Length
| Overall Length | Mast Height (from deck) | High Range |
|---|---|---|
| >10 ft | 7 ft | 12 ft |
| 15 ft | 12 ft | 18 ft |
| 20 ft | 22 ft | 26 ft |
| 25 ft | 28 ft | 33 ft |
What is the meaning of forward mast rake?
Mast rake is the angle at which a mast slopes aft from vertical as viewed from the side. In the rare event that a mast is raked forward it is said to have forward rake.
How much should I rake my mast?
There is no magic number for how much to rake a mast, but getting it right will help balance your boat The basic rules are: Forward rake adds lee helm; aft rake adds weather helm.
What is the rake on a schooner mast?
On a standard modern rig with 1 or 2 degrees of rake, the forward component is just 3.5 percent of overall mast compression. On traditional coasting schooners, the foremost mast would sometimes be set up so that it would have a substantial rake aft—say, 4 or 5 degrees—as it sat freely in the partners and mast step.
How do you measure the rake of a deck stepped mast?
A sailboat mast that is deck stepped is only adjusted via the mast spreaders and the shrouds. Measuring the rake of the mast is made from the top of the mast to the top of the transom on the centreline. The correct measurement can be obtained from leading sailors in the class. Measuring mast rake Lark
