Raising the mast step?

[Minerva]

I’m 6’4 and the boom on our 10m Moody can have some head / boom interface if I’m not careful. I’ve lined a rigger up to change the standing rigging when I lift out in the spring.

However I had a thought; if I were to have a 6” solid alloy block made betwixed the deck and the mast step - my new sails would still fit nicely, the rigger could make the new rigging accommodate it, I could eliminate the head / boom interface and when I get the cockpit tent remade in a couple of seasons I could get a standing headroom tent as against a stoop one.

It would have a slightly adverse effect on righting moment, but in grand scheme trivial as were never on the limit anyway.

So a genius idea in my dream or folly? What have I missed?

Thanks

 

[TomK]

Why don’t you just get a sailmaker to take a few inches off the foot of the main sail at the clew end (in a straight line along the foot back to the gooseneck) this will raise the aft end of the boom accordingly. I have done this on my mainsail and it worked a treat with minimal impact to anything else.

What you are suggesting would be a massive faff at best, and would have a negative impact for the stability of the boat and rig at worst.

 

[DownWest]

On a smaller scale, friend cruises a little gaff cutter. First under a boom tent, then fitted a cabin. So, I just welded an extension onto the base of the tabernacle and extended the rigging.
Now, he has built a bigger boat, designed with a cabin and is selling the old one. People like it, but cabin too small. So, reverted to open boat and last week I cut off the extension.
Before the cabin, he had added ballast as it was a bit tender. Enough to counter the slightly higher rig. Think it was about 5" extra.

 

[dansaskip]

Just a thought but wouldn't raising the boom make it just a little harder to reach the boom and sail when say hoisting/lowering sail, putting in a reef?

 

[Aja]

Just a thought but wouldn't raising the boom make it just a little harder to reach the boom and sail when say hoisting/lowering sail, putting in a reef?

Not if you're 6'4"!

 

[Minerva]

Why don’t you just get a sailmaker to take a few inches off the foot of the main sail at the clew end (in a straight line along the foot back to the gooseneck) this will raise the aft end of the boom accordingly. I have done this on my mainsail and it worked a treat with minimal impact to anything else.

What you are suggesting would be a massive faff at best, and would have a negative impact for the stability of the boat and rig at worst.

Whilst every boat job is a faff, in the spring the he boat will be hauled out and mast lowered for new rigging done by yard. there’s a boat builder on site too who I presume could make a block easy enough using mast foot as a template…

As boat projects go, it strikes me as a comparatively simple one given the conditions

 

[Minerva]

Just a thought but wouldn't raising the boom make it just a little harder to reach the boom and sail when say hoisting/lowering sail, putting in a reef?

That’s not a concern. As it is just now the boom is about belt(ish) height and I reef at the mast sat down.

Also means all my running rigging will remain the same length, other than main sheet…

 

[KevinV]

What happens to the side-load at the mast foot?

 

[TomK]

Whilst every boat job is a faff, in the spring the he boat will be hauled out and mast lowered for new rigging done by yard. there’s a boat builder on site too who I presume could make a block easy enough using mast foot as a template…

As boat projects go, it strikes me as a comparatively simple one given the conditions

But you would be fundamentally changing the design of the boat by doing this. It’s a drastic and over complicated solution to an easily resolved problem. Much easier to trim a piece of canvas. You could even raise the boom at the gooseneck as well as the clew if you needed that much more room underneath it.

I appreciate your point about having the mast down and getting new rigging as the most cost effective time to do what you are proposing, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. Have you asked any riggers what they think of the idea?

What you are proposing would be reasonable on a 19ft gaffer as suggested earlier (although they even said that it made the boat more tender). The loads on the mast on a 10m Moody are obviously significantly more, and the potential for problems increased accordingly. I have to say, I’m surprised more people haven’t posted to argue against this idea.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I've a Moody 33mk2, the gooseneck detached itself from the mast soon after I got it, found a suitable gooseneck from ebay at a good price and because the top of the mainsail never reached the top of the mast, I raised the gooseneck by about 6" which gives more headroom under the boom. Would this help? Also you could have the top of the mainsail recut which will also help, then reposition the gooseneck to suit. I also fitted a dyneema strop to the genoa tack which raised it and easier to see under the genoa when close hauled.

 

[neil_s]

I would go for it. You could ask a surveyor about it if you feel you have compromised the integrity or safety of the boat. I went the other way! On a home built GRP boat I bought, I lowered the front of the coachroof (it was obnoxiously huge) and fitted a wooden block under the mast step to suit the existing rigging. I used four layers of mahogany glued together in a sandwich. Long studs replaced the bolts to tie the assembly to the coach roof. That boat survived some pretty bad weather!

 

[DownWest]

What you are proposing would be reasonable on a 19ft gaffer as suggested earlier (although they even said that it made the boat more tender). The loads on the mast on a 10m Moody are obviously significantly more, and the potential for problems increased accordingly. I have to say, I’m surprised more people haven’t posted to argue against this idea.

Humm, the little gaffer was tender to start with, so the ballast was increased before the rig raised. About a year in between. It was not noticable different. afterwards. Maybe not clear in my previous post. The head sails stayed at the same height.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Just wondering if you might have a flattening reef in the main that you could perhaps experiment with.

 

[William_H]

I sympathize with your concerns. People here have died from boom hitting head in a unexpected gybe. At our club racing days we have often treated head wounds.
I would be concerned to raise the mast base by 6 inches. I would suggest a multi pronged approach to the problem. Yes raise the mast base a bit. You can also reduce the forestay length to tip mast forward a bit. Or cut the main sail clew higher.(if you had a flattening reef eyelet a bit above clew use that).
You may be able to haul the main sail further up the mast track. You may be able to raise the gooseneck as attached to the mast or try just raising the tack up from the boom by a few inches on extension plates or rope. Which should raise the clew end and boom a bit.
On my little boat there is no way of having boom above head height. I have made a new boom of carbon fibre so lighter less inertia. I have made sure there are no ss fittings on the sides of the boom which could embed themselves in a skull. mostly I try to manage the boat to avoid unexpected gybes and warn the crew to get down stay down. Hope to get through my racing career without hurting anyone. ol'will

 

[Metalicmike]

I would also consider keeping the standing rigging as is and using spacers so if it doesn't work out or you decide to sell then it can easily be restored to original.

 

[ridgy]

My mast foot sits on a wooden plinth, about 5cm high. The old one was rotten when I bought it so I made a new one out of laminated marine ply and thought nothing of it. 15cm might look a bit odd but as a concept I'd say it's fine.