Finally made it out on the Lake, but

Thanks, AGAIN, Skipshot. I guess my fist task is to verify the standing rigging lengths. The jib is definitely original, that I verified with the original owner when I bought it.

As a "rule of thumb," if eyeballed from the side of the boat several dozen feet away, about where should the mast head be in relation to say, the rear crossbar? Fore, aft, right above? I know different chainplate settings are in play, but I was just curious if it's obvious to the naked eye.

I did replace the standing rigging with aftermarket shrouds when I got her 3 years ago, so, if the factory spec is for "raked" shrouds then the after market ones should be, too, hopefully. I just don't know what the lengths (spec or mine) are but I can tell you that my mast head looked aft of the rear crossbar yesterday.

The jib did seem to work properly yesterday, but again I'm a novice and wouldn't necessarily know better. Due to its age it very well could be blown but I do know it was pretty much a family boat and wasn't sailed hard.

_________________
'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

With that much mast rake you'll certainly need to rake the rudders forward if the rudders are drilled for the old shroud lengths. But if you're sailing recreationally then the cheapest and easiest thing to do to cure your excess weather helm is to rake the mast forward since you don't really need maximum pointing ability. Try that first, and if it doesn't work to your satisfaction then try adjusting the rudders.

Also, if you don't already know, raking the mast aft reduces the likelihood of a pitchpole, so you'll need to experiment to find that spot between too much weather helm and a pitchpole, while still allowing the jib to maintain decent shape.

I did rake the rudders, it was a fun mod. I took them from stock to 1 5/8" forward of the rudder pin centerline. The mast "seemed" raked to the naked eye with the mast head aft of the rear crossbar, but I will verify it with shroud dimensions once and for all as soon as I get the spec and can drop the mast to pull a tape on them.

One of my goals is to sail with my 8 y.o. twins, so to me performance has been secondary to stability. To that end I forked over the moolah for the foils on the bows (that hurt). Maybe I didn't rake the rudders enough. ???? Maybe I should go to 1 3/4". ????

As you suggest, I'll rake the mast forward a little and see how that goes. With the foils in play the pitch pole risk will matter less. I was also sitting pretty much at the rear crossbar yesterday as I soloed, then moving forward halfway through the day seemed to help.

I haven't added the second chain plate to the forestay in order to bungie it out of the way of the jib while underway, but I intend to. Only drawback is, and you tell me if I'm wrong, is that will serve to rake the mast back even further, right? How do I combat that much mast rake? Is more rudder rake the only way? Even shorter shrouds? If so, then how long should they be?

One last question: Yesterday I was out on the Chesapeake in 14 mph winds, and it was puffy. I was cruising along fine and then kept getting some nice pick ups. While at those higher speeds I get some rudder cavitation. What can I do about that? Did my rudder rake mod somehow affect this?

_________________
'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

My family insisted on the foils because they have the impression a pitchpole is a painful and instant way to die, but since I found that spot in the rigging and my skills improved then the foils aren't really needed anymore. You're on the right track, you just need to do some trial and error to find what works for you.

Thanks again Skipshot, it's been a very helpful dialog.

_________________
'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

As for the rudder cavitation, go to the FAQ section (viewforum.php?f=18) and read what to do about it. One of the easiest but expensive ways to cure the cavitation is to buy EPO rudders, but a pair of those will probably cost half the value of your boat.