What is a panting rod?

kittie · #1 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009

We have just bought a Coronado 41' (sloop), she needs some work and a good cleaning, we want to do this right so we found the original plans/owners manual for her, (Did I mention that we have had power boats in the past and this is the first sailboat that we have owned.) we have sereral people giving advice, some helpful some not, We have a question that no one seems to know the answer to. There is a threaded rod connected to the outer mast collar all the way down thru the headliner to the plate on the keel where the mast is seated (on the aft side of the mast), The only reference on the plans or in the owners manual, that could be a mention of it, is a notation on a blueprint that states "Panting rod". I cannot find any references as to what this is or what it is used for, can any one help out here? We plan on living aboard not racing.

Thank you

artbyjody · #2 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittie

We have just bought a Coronado 41' (sloop), she needs some work and a good cleaning, we want to do this right so we found the original plans/owners manual for her, (Did I mention that we have had power boats in the past and this is the first sailboat that we have owned.) we have sereral people giving advice, some helpful some not, We have a question that no one seems to know the answer to. There is a threaded rod connected to the outer mast collar all the way down thru the headliner to the plate on the keel where the mast is seated (on the aft side of the mast), The only reference on the plans or in the owners manual, that could be a mention of it, is a notation on a blueprint that states "Panting rod". I cannot find any references as to what this is or what it is used for, can any one help out here? We plan on living aboard not racing.

Thank you

Not sure I would call it panting - but should be the below decks version of supporting a keel stepped mast. On typical mast-deck stepped boats the chain plates really take all the abuse, on keel stepped masts - there is an intermediary usually from mast point at deck to inside the boat at the mast. Seems like yours goes to the bilge.. It always varies - google your boat and mast as the keywords would be my suggestion.

hellosailor · #3 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009

Similar rods on many boats, although I've never heard it called a "panting" rod. Supposedly this is to help prevent the mast from PUMPING, flexing in a way that only fatigues it, if the motion of the boat is such that the mast is being whipped while beating into a sea, etc.

If you are planning to simply live aboard and never sail, by all means throw things out. But...that stuff is often expensive to replace, and boatbuilders almost never build in "stuff" unless there's some need to spend the money on it.

Seeing that you've just bought the boat...You might want to have a rigger come visit, they could explain this to you. And if your standing rigging is more than 10 years old, typically 20+ years old? It may be time to replace the rigging before a failure really ruins your day. (Again, if you're not really sailing the boat, that's not an issue.)

kittie · #4 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009

Thanks for the info. We plan on sailing her, going port to port, staying until we feel like moving on. This will be a learning and living adventure. Old enough to understand life but young enough to enjoy.

PalmettoSailor · #5 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009

Never heard it called a panting rod but I was told the rod in front of the mast lining the partners to the keel was there to transmit the upwards loads on the cabin top, (Halyards, reefing lines, outhaul, etc.) from the deck to the keel. On some boats, there is a rod as described, and on others, like my Catalina its a turnbuckle arrangement that trasfers the load from the cabin top to the mast, which then carries the load to the keel.

Stillraining · #6 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009

Deck Tie Rods

When you tension a keel stepped masts rigging...you are essentially shoving the mast down away from the chain plates as they themselves squeeze inward from the tension..This in essence Narrows your boat and elongates the depth of your boat putting a crown in your deck...Mine will move almost 1/4 hence the tie rods from deck to mast or all the way to mast step to keep that from happening.

Hope that helps.

Selkirk · #7 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009

Kittie, "Panting" is the term used to describe the breathing like movement that takes place in a ship's hull caused by pitching.
Very often extra beams called panting beams were fitted in older boats to counteract this movement, which is very destructive to the hull.
Your boat's manufacturer attempted to thwart the problem with the rod you have described.

kittie · #8 (**permalink**) 08-19-2009

Thanks for the info, as I could find nothing on this from the old owners manual.

kittie · #9 (**permalink**) 08-19-2009

Also what is the proper way to determine the corecct tension for this rod. It appears that someone has previously attempted to loosen or possibly remove it and changed thier mind.
thanks again for the info

Stillraining · #10 (**permalink**) 08-20-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittie

Also what is the proper way to determine the corecct tension for this rod. It appears that someone has previously attempted to loosen or possibly remove it and changed thier mind.
thanks again for the info

When your rigging tension is all the way backed off and sitting in the water your boat is at rest..the rod is there to help keep this dimension once you apply tension to the rigging...so no need to torque on it just bring it snug by hand at that time and that will be sufficient....if you have a realy soft boat...sitting on its keel on the hard may be a beter place to snug it up...some boats will flex enough that there cabin doors go out of alinment with out this rod in place