Seafarer 31-1 Rigging Question

[llunved]

Hi,

I posed this on the Seafarer Research forum, but I'll give it a try here as well:

We recently bought a '72 Seafarer 31-1 named Eagle (Hull #241). For all I can say it seems to be the tall rig sloop with deck "B" as described at SEAFARER 31-1 Sailboat details (specs. English) on sailboatdata.com .

She sails quite well but the mast keep pumping in a scary way. The shrouds are set up according to the manual (lower front, upper aft). I tried more tension on the backstay (using a backstay adjuster), but that does not really seem to help with the pumping. Could too much tension on the forestay be causing this? Or too little on the lower, forward shroud?

It seems many Seafarer 31s out there have a modified rig with two lower shrouds, one forward and one aft of the upper. Does anyone here have experience with doing that modification?

Thanks for any hints!

Regards,

Daniel

[llunved]

I was able to stop the pumping at low wave heights and reduce it to some less scary vibration for larger bumps, by tightening the backstay a bit and rigging the lower halyard (that I think is meant for a stormsail) as a babystay.

Without the babystay the mast though has a very unhealthy looking bent forward - regardless what I do to the backstay within the limit of what I dare to do. So I am still thinking, that the forestay might be too tight.

Do other 31-1 owners here use a babystay all the time?