Mrs_Skipper wrote:Puggsy's mod would help us in another way by raising the jib so it doesn't slop over the bow pulpit when deployed. I can't believe it's supposed to be like this, but the boat was rigged when we got it and perhaps the CDI furler wasn't correctly installed in the first place. Here's a picture of how the jib hits the bow pulpit while we're sailing...
Can anyone tell us if this is incorrectly installed?
It looks like mine and also on other boats I've owned. The foresail rubs the pulpit.
I see you also have a boom vang. I'm not a purist and don't really want to mess with a vang and extra hardware, but I'm curious how that's working for you. Also, your mast seems to be actually rotating. Mine wont do this. I have to go up and manually pull it to one side. I'm thinking of going with thrust bearings to assist under the weight of the mast to actually rotate.
My concern (and it's minor) is that moving the jib higher also moves the force of the wind higher and may produce more leverage and healing. We have the stock jib (not a jenny) and probably wouldn't be a big deal.
A boom vang is used to control sail twist, as the mainsail is sheeted out and the mainsheet is exerting less downward force on the boom. It is an essential piece of rigging, IMHO.
Although I am not an expert on 26M's, or anything else for that matter, it would appear from Mrs. Skipper's picture, that the vang will tend to enhance the rotating action of the boom by trying to keep the boom inline. This makes me wonder. Would a mod to the gooseneck to keep the boom aligned in the horizontal plane, be beneficial?
Hamin' X -- we purchased and installed the "Mast Base Ball Bearing" from Blue Water Yachts to hopefully get our mast to rotate freely this year. Nope, it doesn't. It rotates *once* then stays there!
Is this "thrust bearing" the same or something different?
As I said, I'm not an expert on the 26M, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will chime in. I do know that many have posted about the standing rigging tension having great affect on the rotation. I know that you have had tension problems in the past, so perhaps you have it a bit to tight, or uneven now? Just a thought.
I, too, have been battling with the furler vs mast rotation. Fiddled with shroud tensions, too tight and the mast won't rotate, too loose and the furler won't rotate due to slack in the forestay. I purchased the BWY ball bearing system and have had excellent results with the shrouds tighter than I could have had them before. Clearly points better. However, I still struggle with the furler - I have the Macfurler. There are limited adjustment options. I can unfurl with ease, but to furl is a challenge in frustration. Moving forward and assisting the rotation by hand shows no resistance (very little forestay deflect) and she spins nicely. Therefore, I am starting to think more simply...angle of attack (ie: the fairliead locations) and the line itself. It seemes to want to bury itself into the wound spool. Rather than causing a rotation, it digs in and goes nowhere. Size of line seems to be restriced to 3/16" to prevent overloading, but the structure of the line should make a difference. Something less dense that will flatten in the bail as it rotates? I'm still playing, but now distracted by my recently discovered shockingly damaged daggerboard. What a special suprise!!! Looks like a shark bite. I thought we were slipping more than I would expect going to windward. $233 from BWY I guess...
Mrs_Skipper wrote:Hamin' X -- we purchased and installed the "Mast Base Ball Bearing" from Blue Water Yachts to hopefully get our mast to rotate freely this year. Nope, it doesn't. It rotates *once* then stays there!
Is this "thrust bearing" the same or something different?
Doesn't work?
Wow. That looks like a thrust bearing that I was gonna buy at a hardware vendor. Mine doesn't rotate for nothing. I have to apply a lot of force to get it to rotate back to center. Hmm... this is making me rethink this all. Maybe it's all the rigging too tight. Frankly, I had to take down my mast to replace the VHF antenna that disappeared on the trip up to the lake (somewhere on the highway). It's a bear to take down and I'm not gonna do it again this season.
Thanks for posting your results.
I have an M, no backstay. For those with the M model, the answer to several situations may lie in in running backstays. I installed them per a previous post on this website. The advantages are many: 1 - the side stays no longer need to be drum tight, just snug which allows the mast to rotate freely on the factory supplied bearing. 2 - The backstays keep the headstay much tighter than possible with the M's sidestays allowing for much improved windward progress and smooth operation of the factory supplied roller furler. 3 - The back stays provide an excellent handhold when going forward over the cabin top. SP
I bought the same kit but after hearing problems with the bearing colasping under pressure I decided to use it on my rotating masthead brkt which I designed myself basicaly copied the mast base design. Thx to Leon http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0012-2.jpg
It rotates *once* then stays there! 
