Hi,

I wonder if anybody can help please?

I rigged and sailed my boat for the first time on Sunday but need to sort out a couple of things. 

I was trying to follow Dick Batts tuning guide for mast rack during the initial set up and was trying to achieve a rack of about 300 - 350mm as suggested. The problem I have is that at about 250mm, the mast is completly out of the deck slot (not good when your 7 year old is trying to help and the mast starts swinging around) and I was wondering whether the mast step is in the right position. although the mast does go back into the slot when the jib haliard is tensioned up. 

Does anybody have any good starting measurements for the mast step etc for a hog stepped phantom kipper?

Many thanks for any info.

Steve

It's very unlikely that anyone has ever moved the mast heel position and if your 250mm of rake takes the mast out of the deck slot I suspect you are not measuring it correctly.  One easy check on mast rake if you have another Merlin known to be correct is to put the boats alongside and just sight across.

It's not that easy to decide when your boat is level.  Best method is to use a spirit level to set the stem vertical.  Then dangle weight on main halyard and measure aft at deck position.

P.S. transom to aft face of mast in step should be near enough 9ft in old money