Mast rake.

Allan

Allan

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This year I'm going to be sailing a Moody 31 for a few months. It has just been re-rigged and the rigger said the mast had previously been raked back a long way, which he has corrected. What effect is this likely to have on the helm? Most of our sailing should, hopefully, be downwind.
Allan
 
Many thanks, that is what I thought. I've only sailed two Moody 31s, both had a problem of the boom touching the sprayhood. Is leehelm a problem with the design?
Allan
 
I've sailed on a friend's M31 and didn't notice any particular tendency to lee helm. The accepted wisdom is that slight weather helm is advisable. Moody's are generally well balanced as you'd expect from a Bill Dixon design. Can't explain the droopy booms you've experienced - were you reefed at the time? This can sometimes lead to 'droop' or the luff rope can shrink leading to incomplete hoisting.
Be interesting to hear from other owners.
 
In both cases it was with full sail. The one which has just been rerigged is a Mk1 and the other a Mk2. The Mk2 owner realised his mainsail was not reaching the top of the track so raised his gooseneck to lift the boom. I should find out later this month if the Mk2 is better with the new rigging.
Allan
 
Further to the above. The Moody31 used to be very heavy on the tiller above F3 but surprisingly hardly any pressure at all with a wheel. The M31 never suffered from lee helm. Lady helms really struggled with the tiller version. It was the same whether fin keeled or twin keels.


ianat182
 
ianat182 said:
Further to the above. The Moody31 used to be very heavy on the tiller above F3 but surprisingly hardly any pressure at all with a wheel. The M31 never suffered from lee helm. Lady helms really struggled with the tiller version. It was the same whether fin keeled or twin keels.
ianat182
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I've not looked at the Mk2 to see if the mast is raked, I just know the boom was low. I'm not concerned about lady helms, the problem could be with the power consumption of the autopilot.
Both boats are tiller steered and bilge keeled.
Allan
 
No, probably not. I'm too busy sorting out my other sailing. I may do a couple of races if anyone is that desperate!
Allan
 
According to Ben at Shore Sails Moody 31s should have no more than 4 to 6 inches of mast rake. He's been based in Swanwick for years so in a good position to know.

Mine is apparently more. I need to get this sorted sometime. Though his replacement main has vastly lightened the load on the tiller. It's a lot straighter as well. No rooster tail from the rudder!

I've often wondered how he measured it as surely any breeze would disturb a halyard used as a plum line. Must try it myself sometime.
 
Allan said:
Many thanks, that is what I thought. I've only sailed two Moody 31s, both had a problem of the boom touching the sprayhood. Is leehelm a problem with the design?
Allan
Click to expand...

I think the original sprayhood frame was very much an arc so presumably quite high in the centre. Mine was replaced before I bought the boat with a much squarer shape with a handle to hang on to. But I could still just about get the boom to touch it by hauling the main sheet.

With the new main can't get to within 6" or it. But with a flatter sail I'm obviously not needing to sheet in as hard.
 
Ruffles said:
According to Ben at Shore Sails Moody 31s should have no more than 4 to 6 inches of mast rake. He's been based in Swanwick for years so in a good position to know.

Mine is apparently more. I need to get this sorted sometime. Though his replacement main has vastly lightened the load on the tiller. It's a lot straighter as well. No rooster tail from the rudder!

I've often wondered how he measured it as surely any breeze would disturb a halyard used as a plum line. Must try it myself sometime.
Click to expand...
Hoist a plumbob on a line on a calm day and dangle the plumbob in a bucket of water to dampen it.
 
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