Is there an easy cheap way to keep the mast from rotating?
I launch with the jib rolled and raised , but the mast rotates uncontrollably due to the waves until I can raise the mainsail. It is very annoying. I can not sail up onto the beach with mainsail raised because there are many rocks around the beach I pull the boat out of the water from.
I really don't know how to keep the boat from sailing except turning into the wind and lowering the main a little way from shore. The wind is often blowing in a direction to sail right onto the beach at full speed, so I can't release the mainsheet enough because it will hit the side stays.
mast rotation
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Posted: Sep 20, 2021 - 09:34 PM
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Posted: Sep 20, 2021 - 09:35 PM
The boat is a nacra 5.7 -
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Posted: Sep 20, 2021 - 10:27 PM
Add a mast rotator pointing forward and cleats at the front beam. I did it to induce mast rotation when sailing but I only use it to avoid rotation in a variety of situtions. I too lower the main when landing is too exposed, and feel
no shame at all. -
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Posted: Sep 20, 2021 - 11:05 PM
I mean cheap, easy and quick to stop the mast rotating just so it not swinging back and forth on every wave
Can anyone land a catamaran safely on a beach if the wind is blowing straight down the shoreline?
I mean I guess you can land on one hull but seems like it requires some good skill especially with waves breaking. -
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Posted: Sep 20, 2021 - 11:50 PM
I think I need some lesson from this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zdPAppDriM
Edited by rungi on Sep 20, 2021 - 11:53 PM. -
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 05:31 AM
First of all check rig tension, usually it should be in the 100kg region. This probably dampens the uncontrolled back and forth rotation.
Edited by revintage on Sep 21, 2021 - 05:33 AM.
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 06:54 AM
In your case this might be too much trouble, but I used to run two shock cords very tight from the diamond wires, around the shrouds and back to the diamond wires. I did this because sometimes I would anchor overnight in choppy conditions. I figured this would reduce some wear and tear from the mast rotating wildly all night. Coming in too fast on a run is a problem I'm very familiar with. Have the main all the way out against the shrouds but with the jib on the opposite side real tight so that it will back wind as soon as soon as the rudders go up. The boat will start to head up then and it will pick up some speed but the backwinding jib will slow it a little and keep it from turning up too much. Remember to have the main pushed out against the shrouds as far as possible. By this time you should be in shallow enough water to jump out and pull the windward bow towards the wind.
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Bill Townsend
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 07:15 AM
This is my recommendation. Wrap a line many times around the mast towards the base. Rotate the mast to one side and tie it off to something to keep it there. This prevents it from swinging. That, at least, worked for me!
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Blachy perforowane
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 12:14 PM
It’s unlikely the wind is exactly perpendicular to the beach. Almost always, one direction is slightly favoured, that is your “approach” leg. With the jib furled, traveller well out & main released, you should be able to head up into a low power position.
Do this in the shallowest water that prevents hitting the rudders, jump off, grab a bridal wire & allow cat to swing into the wind. Then walk it to shore.
I don’t have any experience with surf, can’t help up you there.
I have a factory setup for mast rotation, but quit using it, just one more thing to deal with when solo. I only used it on light days, with choppy water, when chop & flaky wind would shake the wind out of the sail. Yes, the mast does flop around, I just live with it as it’s only for a short while. I don’t recommend new sailors use the factory rotation control, if you forget to undo it when tacking,(and you will), it bends the mast the wrong way. Not only does that remove most of the power, you risk breaking the mast.
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 03:31 PM
Is the water deep right at the shore line? Too deep to stand in? The normal method I've used for landing on a bad shoreline is to approach the shore as depowered as you can, then spin the boat directly into the wind as close to the shore as possible. Then you or the crew hops off to hold the bow into the wind.
Then you can deal with the sails. Yes, unless you have a good rotation limiter setup the rotating mast will bang around, this happens too in light air with chop.
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 03:58 PM
What about just inserting the pin that is used during stepping and unstepping the mast? Wouldn't that stop the rotation? You could tie the pin on with a small lanyard to keep it handy.
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Tim Young
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 04:00 PM
Center the rotator. It will still wiggle but won’t bang. I do it all the time when setting up in chop -
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 05:49 PM
Does this boat not have a wishbone at the base of the mast?
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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 - 08:39 PM
No wishbone. The pin idea seems very difficult. Is this something you have done?
I think a clove hitch around the mast may work similar to what shorty fox suggested.
I rather not use bungees when possible. My rudder bungee just broke when I pulled down the rudders.(the hogtie was not done well) At least I know how to fix it easily now.
The boat is more stable if the mast is not rotating back and forth wildly. The mainsail halyard are nosily banging around.
The bay is usually shallow and frequently has small waves breaking and the beach landing is very small. Rocks are on both sides. The boat has to come in straight or it would not fit on the beach. I made or uncovered the beach by removing rip raft everyday for a few weeks. It is now a real nice beach at times. -
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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 - 07:26 AM
You can find a wishbone for 20 bucks on ebay. Drill a hole and bolt it to the mast, close to the base. You can do it with the mast on. Skip the cleats, just tie it to both sides. To me that qualifies as cheap and easy, and the mast won’t rotate at all, which is not so likely with other techniques. You may add the cleats later on if you want.
If you don’t know where to tie it the line, you can rivet an eye strap under the front beam at each side, near the hulls, and tie a line around the beam passing through it. I tie many things there: the line to keep away the jib sheet from the mast, the beach wheels, even a tow line some times. -
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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 - 07:47 AM
No. The pin does not go through the mast, or ball. It only goes along the bottom of the ball, to prevent the mast coming off. It is imperative the mast is free to rotate, & must be rotated when stepping, or lowering the mast.
It was optional. I still have a rotator...been in my parts bin for years. Boom less rigs don’t need a wishbone, like say the H18. The mast autorotates correctly. Main sheet tension controls it. On a boom less rig, the rotator faces forward.
Quoting Elmer Fudd, “be vewwy vewwy careful if you do this. The bolt has to go through the mast base, if it’s to high it will worm out the hole. Too low, you’ve screwed up the base.
I removed mine, & haven’t seen another 5.7 with it installed. It just wasn’t worth it. Cleats riveted to the front beam are the simplest. There is more torque on the mat than one would imagine. Cleats make release instantaneous.
Here is how mine was setup. Note, the lines are crap, & strung wrong. The line should be one continuous piece.
dead ended at the pad eye-through the end of the rotator- back through same side cleat- over to other side, (behind the mast)-through opposite cleat-to wishbone-dead ended on pad eye, giving 2:1. It’s the same orientation as the jib line.
https://www.thebeachcats.…pictures?g2_itemId=74456
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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 - 08:26 AM
I agree, it’s not needed for sailing, I keep it for locking mast rotation only. It’s not a 2:1 purchase, I disagree on that. The tension on the line you pull is the same as on the line that pulls the rotator (same line). The length of the movement is also the same, which is not the case when there is a purchase. -
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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 - 08:53 AM
Correct, It’s not 2:1 as shown in my photo. I found the line forces when rigged this way to be quite high once the sail was under power. It was a two handed pull.
When rigged as described, the eye at the end of the wishbone acts as the sheave in a block, & the force needed to rotate the mast became easily managed. Try it, you’ll be surprised at the difference.
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Posted: Sep 22, 2021 - 02:34 PM
I would if I felt I need it for sailing
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Posted: Sep 23, 2021 - 09:47 AM
Where are you located?
I know what you're referring to with the mast rotating around while raising the main on the water. I had a couple of 5.8s and many times we had to raise the main while on the water. I would suggest the rotator arm forward as it can serve multiple uses. Unfortunately, you'll have to add a couple of cleats also.
Another idea: either add an eye strip on the back side of the mast, or devise something that will slide in the sail track that has a ring or grommet. When you want the mast to stop rotating, attach the mainsheet (or some other line) to this point and pull some tension to keep the mast from rotating. This will not keep it from rotating 100%, but it will keep it under control where you can raise the main and not take an arm out with the wild beast (mast). If the single point doesn't work as well, you could add two lines to the back of the mast point; each one leads to the jib sheet point on the deck. This will give a better angle of keeping the mast from rotating. But, now you have two extra lines to deal with and store once the main is up.
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