MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : NSM 1 Mast Ram

How do you use the mast ram to it's best advantage?


Posted: 05/07/2006 19:49:52
By: Confussed
From my very vague understanding the ram acts against the kicker to encourage the mast to bend nearer the top rather than at the gooseneck which makes for a more "automatic" rig which will twist off in the gust better....therefor - more kicker = more mast ram, and if its very heavy weather and your raking and upping the rig tension it may also help to introduce some mast ram to detract from the mast tendency to bend at the gooseneck rather than where it can be usefully taken advantage of.  HTH Oli.


Posted: 05/07/2006 20:31:47
By: Oli 3170
That agrees with what I had been told....you put ram on going upwind and take it off going down wind...


Posted: 05/07/2006 22:20:58
By: Confussed
Beware - it is very easy to put on too much ram which really stuffs the power and is almost as bad as no ram at all.  You need to try putting on a little at a time to get the feel of it.


Posted: 05/07/2006 23:47:53
By: RichardT
Mast ram opposes the forward component of the kicker tension and prevents the mast from bending, also prevents the rig "pumping" as you pitch through waves.  It is possible to overdo and invert the mast.  Generally NSM1 will have hog-stepped rig that doesn't use rake to depower so in powered-up conditions upwind you need a bit of ram on to take out most of the lower mast bend.  As the breeze comes up let ram OFF as well as loads of kicker and cunningham to bend the mast to depower.  Take up tension on the shrouds but because of geometry you can't actually let off much jib halyard without losing control of mast bend at spreader level.  Downwind keep ram ON to keep mast straight but NOT to the point of inversion.

HTH


Posted: 06/07/2006 09:40:34
By: Andrew M
Interesting. I have an NSM 2 with hog stepped mast and a mast ram there is an additional pulley attached to the ram which can be used to pull the mast forward to induce more bend which I was told to use in really light conditions. This presumably is to try and open the leach.


Posted: 06/07/2006 10:14:27
By: Nigel
So it does in theory, in practice the bend is in the wrong place (low down) and flattens the bottom 3rd of the sail not twisting off the top.  However it does if set up properly also restrain the mast from inverting


Posted: 06/07/2006 12:40:52
By: Andrew M

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