TECHNIQUE The ten checks to make on your mast before you set sail

Before setting out on a cruise or long sailing trip, it is essential to check the health of your mast: suffice it to say that during the ARC (the crewed Atlantic crossing with predominantly cruising boats) 36.4 percent of boats encounter damage to mast and rigging. Together with “master mastmaker” Franco “Ciccio” Manzoli, the first Italian to win the legendary Ostar (solo Atlantic crossing from Plymouth to Newport) and owner of Velscaf Masts & Rigging, let’s look at the checks and adjustments you should make on your mast before a long sail to avoid problems.

1. Crosses. Make sure they have an upward angle of 2-4 degrees. They should never be tilted downward as this could result in them closing on the profile with consequent risk of shaft breakage.

2. The longitudinal (fore-aft) trim of the mast. The mast should never be inclined toward the bow, but should remain perpendicular to the boat, at the limit slightly inclined toward the stern (maximum 1-2 degrees), or, as they say “agolate.” If we were to draw the perpendicular to the hull from the masthead, the distance between it and the boom attachment should be about 20-30 cm for a 15-m mast. Verify this by tensioning the ballasted mainsail halyard with a bucket of water.

3. Lateral trim. Important for the boat’s performance is that the mast is perfectly straight and not leaning to starboard or port. To check this, use a metric wheel whose end is attached to the mainsail halyard and hoisted to the masthead. Now you will be able to measure the distance between the masthead and the starboard and port heath: if the distances are equal or offset by a few millimeters, there is no need to worry.

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4. Shroud tension. As a rule, low shrouds are the most tensioned, because the first portion of the mast is the one most stressed by the stresses of sails under sail. High shrouds work with less tension, and medium (diagonal) shrouds are the “softest” because they have much more favorable angles on the mast. Shrouds in classic spiroidal, for cruising boats, have an average life span of 12 to 15 years.

5. Heaths. Verify that the cotter pins are present on all the pins of the heaths and in the hole of the harnesses. Should the shrouds go bando (upwind, it happens to those downwind), in the absence of cotter pins they could slip out leading to the fall of the mast.

6. The adjustment of the shrouds. In port, the first “adjustments” can already be made, but the actual adjustment must be made while sailing. In medium-light wind conditions (10-12 knots), with full sails set to windward, first on one tack, then the other. If the masthead flexes downwind, we will have to string the shrouds high. If, on the other hand, the profile “sticks out” on the middle part, we will have to intervene on the lower shrouds or the middle shrouds.

7. Backstay. It is a good idea to have a good hoist or hydraulic system that will allow you to string the upwind backstay well, to give good tension to the forestay, flatten the catenary as much as possible and maximize upwind performance. Conversely, aft will have to be let go to tilt the mast forward and increase performance under spi. With the boat at rest, the backstay should always be loosened so there is no pressure on the mast.

8. Foot. Keep the water outlet holes drained to prevent a salt solution from corroding the shaft from the inside. Especially if you have the aluminum profile and stainless steel base.

9. Boom and vang attachments. These are both stressed points, and it is important to check that the rivets have no play, that the screws are tightened well, and that there is no corrosion. Check the presence of the cotter pins in the boom and trough pivot.

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10. Rise to the top. We remind you that it is advisable to periodically go up the tree with a bansigo to do a thorough check of the “rest.” All pins should have cotter pins, check that the pulleys have no strange play and turn well, lest the halyards “eat” them. Next, check the attachments of the spreaders, the shrouds, that there are no “cracks” in the aluminum parts. As for the heads of the crosses, watch out for oxidation: if you have protected them with covers (leather, scotch tape), check them very often because these covers keep moisture and salt inside them, facilitating corrosion.

THE “VIDEO BIBLE”
These tips are taken from our DVD “Sailing Better on Your Cruise Boat,” now in its second reprint. Two outstanding instructors, French navigator Jules Mazars, official Dufour tester, and our expert Alberto Cossu come on board with you to teach you how to Sail Better on your cruising boat. The DVD reveals the secrets to improving the preparation, handling, maneuvering and maintenance of a cruising boat. Even with an inexperienced or small crew of only two. Many contributions, including that of navigators Ciccio Manzoli and Roberto Westermann.

YOU CAN FIND IT HERE FOR ONLY 5.34 EUROS

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