sjw98
Hi everyone,
I don’t know whether this is related to the ‘mast rivets problem’ that other people have posted about but… our mast creaks horribly. I think it’s coming from the foot of the mast, where it meets the step, but it’s really unpleasent and it sounds like something is going to break.
It’s very difficult to localise it and I can’t relate it to a certain point of sail (although I think it’s worse on a port reach) so it’s difficult to work out what to do. Could my shrouds be too loose or tight?
If anyone has experienced the same, or knows what to do about it, or even can have a guess I’d be really grateful.
All the best,
Steve
sjw98
Thanks – that’s pretty helpful. I think there is a problem like that because at the foot of my mast it looks like the tenon part (if that’s the bit that sticks up from the step and locks into the gap in the foot) is eating into one side of the mast.
How would I go about changing the angle on the spreaders though? Anyone had to do that?
martin hartley
I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM WHICH I’VE BEEN MEANING TO FIX FOR AGES. I’LL MAKE A GAUGE THAT SITS SQUARE ON THE MAST IN ORDER TO SET THE SPREADERS – WHEN I’VE DONE IT, I’LL SEND IT TO YOU.
simply sam
i may not be the spreader set up there are many other things it could be.
1, rig tenson
2, loose foot
3, slack forestay
wait till it breaks and claim a new mast
martin hartley
BEST GUESS ONLY.
CHECK YOUR SPREADERS ARE SET AT THE SAME ANGLE. IF NOT THE MAST WILL TWIST BETWEEN TACKS AND THIS COULD CAUSE THE FOOT OF THE MAST TO BIND ON THE STEP. ON MY BOAT THERE IS A GAP ON ONE SIDE OF THE STEP BETWEEN THE TENON PART AND THE FOOT INDICATING THE MAST IS TWISTED ON THE STEP. THIS COULD BE THE SAME ON YOUR BOAT. CHECK THAT THE TENON AND THE MAST FOOT IS SQUARE WITH EQUAL GAP EITHER SIDE. THIS INDICATES (OR NOT) THAT THE MAST IS SQUARE TO THE CENTRELINE. THEN CHECK THAT THE ANGLE OF THE SPREADERS TO THE MAST IS THE SAME ON BOTH SIDES. THAT WILL AT LEAST TELL YOU THAT THE MAST IS NOT TWISTING AND CAUSING THE SQUEAK.
THE ONLY OTHER THINGS I CAN THINK OF WOULD BE THE GOOSENECK OR LOOSE SPREADERS.
FAILING THAT – PUT A MOUSETRAP IN THE BILGES, YOU NEVER KNOW!