Mast rake measurements/settings - by actual hypotenuse length method. BRe 8.1 m

[Sea Simon]

Having adjusted my rake recently, and yesterday having spent several hours at sea (including a 2.5 hr one-tack beat, due to inaccurate weather forecasts! Much moaning!)
 I'm fairly content with my boat atm.
Just a touch of weather helm, full sail plan, fully loaded up rig (only one pob).
Could maybe do with just a little more weatherhelm?

On return to moorings,  I took a flexible glass tape fully up the mainsail hoist, and used a datum on the transom thus.
The aft face of the wooden chock/crossbar, securing the mizzen mast/front face of the mizzen mast.
Sorry, no camera.
I figured this should be easily repeatable? With minimum risk of falling overboard!

Figure was 8m 10cm.

What's yours?

[Paul Beardsell]

Sea Simon,

I become less pernickety in my old age, believe it or not :-) But, is the 8.1 m or 810cm correct to how many significant figures. I guess it could be correct to 1cm on the measuring tape for any one measurement. But if the distance is measured after a blustery sail, or after re-tensioning the jib, might the measurement be correct to within only 5 cm or 15cm? How far away from 8.1m or 8100mm will be considered by you good enough the next day, the next week, on your self-same boat? :-)

[Sea Simon]

PB.
Good points.

I would say accurate to nearest 1cm?
Limited by the stretch of the tape, wind on tape (attempted to take numbers in lulls), and my personal definition of "taught" I guess?
Also perhaps the exact "edge" i picked?

Hopefully repeatable by me, for my boat?
More of a "gauge figure" than an definitive setting?

Accuracy Could perhaps be improved by incorporating some sort of reference tension gauge? And a witness mark on the transom spot?
My aim is to minimise issues like I had this season start, when clearly my mast had become more upright for reasons I still don't understand.

I'll be checking it again, will keep you posted.....

Waiting to hear of any other boats numbers....