mast bending

[drmr]

Sorry if this was covered. The mast seem to have a tendency to bend (permanently) in gusty wind. Could it be that the stays are too lose? Or wrong reefing?
Does anyone have any idea on a source and cost of the new mast?
TIA

[newt]

A new mast is expensive. Stays would be my first guess- but I know very little about the standing rigging in a Horizon Cat. Anyone else?

[drmr]

Thanks, I just checked, and it is almost $1000.00. So I guess, take all the slack in from the stays, and stay home when wind gusts above 30 knots.

[CaptRon28]

My stays are definitely too loose. Leeward side flaps around too much. I've only sailed the boat 4 times so far and the shrouds will get tightened next time I raise the stick. Not sure how tight I'll make them, but I definitely will get most of the slack out. There's a point where the shrouds are snug and won't impede the mast from being raised.

[Rahn]

My leeward stays are also very loose, but I think they are designed that way and would caution against over tightening. Gerry Hutchins is very accessible via email and I would consult with him before tightening the shrouds.

Gerry@com-pacyachts.com

[CaptRon28]

There's loose and there's LOOSE. Mine are the latter - nearly drooping on the leeward side (on both tacks). That means that the mast must be moving around up there. Side to side as well as fore-aft. I can't see that as a design goal. Because it folds, i can see the need to not make the 2 shrouds that tight either. There's a compromise somewhere in the middle. I'll figure it out next spring when i get my shoulder back in shape.

[newt]

Help me visualize this guys. Is there not a way to adjust the stays once the mast is up? I leave the stays varly loose on my 23 until the mast is straight up, then I tension them down.

[CaptRon28]

Not sure what the 23 has, but the Horizon has a quick release only on the head stay. The two shrouds have normal turnbuckles, with 4 cotter rings. You could back them off to raise the stick and then retension, but that would probably double the launch and rig time. And you could wind up with a different trim every time you do it. There's got to be a set amount of tension that would enable you to raise the mast and sail with little or no extra work. My goal would be to play with it a drop to find out what it.  Worst case would be to replace the stock turnbuckles with something that allows easy adjustment and repeatability.

If it wasn't for the shoulder it would have been done already.

[Craig Weis]

Dad and I raced our STAR Boat to a point where our bent mast broke. To go fast cost big money.

Talk about BIG! We had 17 foot rollers in Lake Michigan last night with 4 to 7 footers in the bay of Gren Bay. I stayed on the dock.

skip.

[Rahn]

If you watch this youtube video, you'll see how loose the leeward stay becomes which is disconcerting at first but I do think it's normal for these boats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuHQ88j2Kc0

[Rahn]

Here's another one I found with the same looseness of the leeward stay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAGs0WXoYg&feature=channel

[shamblin]

could it be that the HC side/fore  stays are too light and should be heavier??  that would be an easy fix.

bill

[newt]

I watched those videos, If I had stays that loose on my boat it would scare the crap out me. But that is just me.

[Bob23]

   The Horizon Cat photo on the Compac site shows the mast bending aft. It almost looks as if the rig could use addtional shrouds, maybe a set of lowers judging by the size of the sail, but I'm no rig designer.
   I'm with Newt on this one (and many other ones) I have no looseness in the rigging of my 23 but, true, it is a completely different rig with and upper and 2 lower shrouds on each side.
   Newt: I do exactly the opposite when raising/lowering my mast. The only shroud I detach is the forward lower- I've found I can leave the others alone- the forward lower is the only one that impedes mast lowering. And of course I loosen the bobstay. I don't even touch the backstay. But then again, I don't remove my mast for winter storage...it becomes the ridgepole for the PVC system of canvas cover supports.
   In the interest of an evermore efficient operation, I've found success with only detaching the bobstay, forestay and forward lower shrouds. Some have said I'm lazy but I think we all know that can't be true, eh?
   Back to the subject: tighten those shrouds there Capt! And Ron28, gimme a call if you want a hand...TR is not that far!
Bob23

[Bob23]

Ps:
   I just watched the official Hirizon Cat video from Compac and I noticed 2 things:
First, the leeward shroud is quite loose so maybe that's the way is should be.
Second, that is one beautiful boat. In the design of the wheel, they sure got it right as that is a classic catboat detail. I hope I never find one that's affordable...I might be tempted.
Bob23