hobie 17 mast rotation issues

i am having issues with mast rotation on my hobie 17. when i am on starboard the mast rotates correctly, the sail pops over and stays rotated. When i tack to port, the mast will not stay rotated properly and the sail does not stay popped onto the correct side. this is in low to medium wind. when its blowing there is no problem. could my mast be bent to cause this? i have looked down the mast from the base to the top and it does not appear bent. or could there be an issue with my shroud tension? thanks in advance for the replies.

BoomBoom

Check for bend when unloaded. Excessive rig tension, too much downhaul?

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks Matt. I will check those items next time out.

Most 17 racers tend to run the rig somewhat “sloppy” (i.e., loose shrouds) to allow the mast to freely rotate to 90 degrees when sailing downwind. You can also add a mast rotation inducer to hold the mast in rotation. It is basically just a short loop of line tied to the mast rotation arm with a pulley that connects to a bungee cord that is tied off to the bridle anchor pins up at the bow. The bungee keeps forward pressure on the rotator arm to hold the mast in rotation but still allows the mast to switch sides when you tack and jibe.

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