BayRaider - topmast stiffnes

[Alf Lande]

The topmast on my BayRaider seems a bit too soft - leading to wrincles in the main sail when the wind blows a bit more than a gentle breez.

Questions to BayRaider sailers:
a) can the wrincles be trimmed away
b) anyone having tested the stiffer topmast - 75% carbon fibre content - that Swalloboats can provide?
C) can the exisitng / standard topmast be made stiffer ?

Any suggestions are welcome.

Regards from Norway

Alf

[Craic]

Alf,
I take it you have a fairly recent BR, like me (October 2009). On these more recent boats I feel the mainsail is cut with more belly, and I too have trouble with some wrinkles despite having a stiffer topmast.
However, a stiffer topmast helps a lot. But there it is not primarily the carbon content that counts, but the IMCS (Or ICMS, I forgot) coding of the mast, which is the stiffness indicator. The higher the IMCS is, the better. A  IMCS of 32 minimum is OK.
You can build your own topmast, its simple. Best stragegy is to buy a very long windsurfer mast with high IMCS, and shorten that, which brings the absolute stiffness up further.

Good luck.

[Graham W]

A related question - does the mainsail sag also cause it to thrum and vibrate, from the upper end of force 4?  I am getting this not just from the leech of the mainsail but from the jib as well when close hauled.  Has anyone got any trimming suggestions for the jib and is a stiffer topmast the only solution for the mainsail?

Here is a picture of the mainsail caught in the act.  You can see that the leech is folding over on itself before springing back, causing the thrumming.

[Tony]

Hi.

Stupid question probably, but have you tensioned the luff downhaul enough? If so, is the lacing of the sail to the topmast so tight that the downhaul has no effect? (Try Marlin hitching or even robans.)

[Graham W]

Hi Tony,

Yes, the downhaul was tensioned to within an inch of its life, which you can probably see from the luff in the picture. Ditto the outhaul. I don't think lacing tightness is a problem but I will certainly check next time.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Graham

[Jeremy]

I think you might find that lacing is the problem.  Looking at the photo the sail is being pulled flat at the point about where the Welsh flag is.  This is causing the sail above and below this point to be unevenly tensioned, causing the problem I think.

As an experiment I'd try loosening the lacing at the lower part of the top mast/gaff and see if that then gets rid of the problem.

[Graham W]

I certainly will, thank you.

Any suggestions on the jib trimming anyone?

[Alf Lande]

Since my initial question wrt topmast stiffnes I have purchased a stiffer mast fra Swallowboats - based on Matt's advice.
So far the experience with the new mast is very promissing. I can sail in stronger winds without having any significant problems with the upper part of the main sail. An other benifit is that the halyard attachment point was somewhat lower on the new topmast - leading to the topmast being hoisted a bit higher. The added luff tension from this has led to better sail shape.

ALSO:
I have converted the jib from self tecking type to a more ordinary set-up. I have simply attached the  boom to the foredeck and led the sheets directly to the sail - the standard method on boats without selftacking.
The reason for this was too much jib leach tension in light winds.
This change also led to forstay tension being independent from the jib / boom. And I also avoid the anoying problem with the jib boom living its own life when errecting the mast.
I now have better jib control, and better air flow over the jib and main in light winds. It also works fine in stronger winds.

Alf

[Graham W]

I am going to Beale Park this weekend, so I shall beard Matt on the question of topmasts, jib booms, broken spars etc.  I like the idea that Claus had of an extended and reinforced jib boom from which the spinnaker can also be flown.  The existing separate spinnaker boom gets in the way underfoot when not in use and flexes alarmingly in any sort of wind (but obviously, not at the same time).

[Colin Morley]

Alf, I am interested in your jib conversion. It is always difficult to visualise things from words. Could you show some pictures of what you have done, either here or send me an email to colin@morleys.net. Thank you

Colin

[Alf Lande]

Please see the attached picture from the foredack of my BayRaider.

You will see the Clubboom permanently attached amidship, tied down to a piece off wood. I can revert to selftacking in a matter of minutes even under way. As can be seen, the sheet control is arranged in a fairly standard way for any sailing boat.
I order to get the required tension in the jib luff / schruds I have installed a simple pully.

All in all this arrangement gives better jib and mast control when going against the wind. I particular the jib leech can be less tensioned - the jib is independent from any mast raking forces (execpt the luff tension..). Going downwind  I think the selftacking is a better option as the jib can more easily be exposed to the wind.

A close-up of the mast root will reveal a protection made of stainless stell sheeting. Reason for this is that the mast mooved a bit under shifting winds when sailing with the standard self tacking arrangement. In particular downwind sailing led to mast movements, and the wood at the mast root deintegrated. I have also tried to reduse any sideway mast movement at the root.

[Graham W]

I can revert to selftacking in a matter of minutes even under way.

Alf,
It is not obvious from the photo but how do you achieve this?

[Simon Knight]

I reverted to a conventional jib during the recent English Raid and it does improve the sail shape in light airs. 

However, beware; we were hit by a squall and started sailing at some speed and  noticed that the jib boom had a bend in it between the stem fitting and the fore stay attachment on the boom.  It was an alarming curve over such a short length of timber. 

I added a line from the fore stay down to the winch eye in the hope that it would hold the mast up should the boom break.