I used to own a 36ft Beneteau and when the the breeze caused a harmonic frequency vibration in the rig when moored, I would ease the tension on the mainsheet and that nearly always fixed it.
Chris Campbell
February 28, 2023 4:40 pm
I replaced the backstays on my Abbott 36 with Amsteel which would vibrate in the breeze – I used a trick from my Dad’s violin, and put a mute on the string – meaning I tied a line around the bottom of the backstay that absorbed the vibration before it got going, and stopped it entirely.
Stein Varjord
March 5, 2023 11:04 pm
I’ve had humming or vibrations like that many times, never while sailing. Most times it’s been the topping lift. Let go a bit on the sheet to reduce tension and it’s gone. Some times it’s been the head stay. That has a furler alu extrusion on it. It can occasionally move quite violently. Rotate it a bit and vibration is gone, until the wind direction changes… Putting an unused halyard in spirals around much of it will help more permanently.
Frank Mulholland
March 6, 2023 5:04 am
We experience a very loud noise which started as a low hum then built up to a sound like a ships fog-horn, which vibrated through the whole boat (also an Ovni). Anchored off a deserted island, with an abandoned lighthouse, made the ghostly sound even more unsettling. I had tried everything suggested by others above before it suddenly dawned on me. The Spinnaker Pole was still attached vertically on the mast instead of being returned to it’s normal home, flat on-deck, in the chocks. The space between the pole and the mast made a very effective, loud, low frequency whistle. Presumably wind and tides had conspired to move the boat in and out of whistle mode. Quickly solved.
I used to own a 36ft Beneteau and when the the breeze caused a harmonic frequency vibration in the rig when moored, I would ease the tension on the mainsheet and that nearly always fixed it.
I replaced the backstays on my Abbott 36 with Amsteel which would vibrate in the breeze – I used a trick from my Dad’s violin, and put a mute on the string – meaning I tied a line around the bottom of the backstay that absorbed the vibration before it got going, and stopped it entirely.
I’ve had humming or vibrations like that many times, never while sailing. Most times it’s been the topping lift. Let go a bit on the sheet to reduce tension and it’s gone. Some times it’s been the head stay. That has a furler alu extrusion on it. It can occasionally move quite violently. Rotate it a bit and vibration is gone, until the wind direction changes… Putting an unused halyard in spirals around much of it will help more permanently.
We experience a very loud noise which started as a low hum then built up to a sound like a ships fog-horn, which vibrated through the whole boat (also an Ovni). Anchored off a deserted island, with an abandoned lighthouse, made the ghostly sound even more unsettling. I had tried everything suggested by others above before it suddenly dawned on me. The Spinnaker Pole was still attached vertically on the mast instead of being returned to it’s normal home, flat on-deck, in the chocks. The space between the pole and the mast made a very effective, loud, low frequency whistle. Presumably wind and tides had conspired to move the boat in and out of whistle mode. Quickly solved.