Rigging & Mast Bend Advice Needed

[delevi]

I need a bit of advice on my rigging. I currently have my upper shrouds very tight to pre-bend the mast and my lowers, just snug. The mast is straight while in the centered position, but I noticed while installing some reefing & outhaul mods that when the mast rotates, it takes a severe bend to the opposite side of rotation. It is also very difficult now for the mast to rotate... takes much force and except for medium to heavy air, will not rotate without manual assistance. Are my upper shrouds too tight? Will the sideways bend affect sailing performance/sail shape etc. or would the mainsail under load straighten the mast? I appreciate any advice you guys can offer. Thanks.

Leon

[Frank C]

Leon,

You're welcomed to use my Loos gauge for balancing that rig. Unfortunately, I can't suggest proper tensions for a 26M. Wonder if BWY would be willing to lend some phone advice??

[delevi]

You're welcomed to use my Loos gauge for balancing that rig.

Thanks Frank. I may just take you up on that. I think I may just lower shroud tension and not worry about mast bend. With my new outhaul and cunningham setup, I can get that mainsail extremely flat, so mast bend may not be much of an issue.

[Craig LaForce]

I thought I read that some M owners were adding some sort of big nylon or teflon washer or something like that under the mast to help it rotate. Might be worth a quick search

[KayakDan]

According to BWY,the 26M mast will is a lot stiffer,and shouldn't bend much. I set mine up with lowers fairly tight,and uppers snug,but no mast bend,and it works nicely. The mast will rotate with ease,by hand,even with the original washers. My guess is your uppers are too tight,and the downward force is preventing the mast rotation.
BWY has a ball bearing upgrade for the mast.