After a lovely day’s sailing, we’ve dropped anchor, enjoyed a simple meal in the cockpit whilst watching the sunset, and then, as exhausted and yet as happy as only sailors can be, we turn in early. It’s not uncommon to be woken in the middle of the night by a humming backstay or a flapping clubstay when the wind has suddenly picked up. Then, barefoot and shivering, we head up on deck to identify and quieten the sources of the noise. After that, however, the tiredness has vanished for the time being, and with our hearing particularly sharpened, even the faintest rig noises are now picked up.
Minimising rig noise: Here’s how
Just think of all the things that can rattle, hum, whistle, clatter and buzz in the wind! As a long-time owner, you recognise every sound and its cause immediately. With a new or chartered boat, the only thing that helps is a systematic approach, and preferably in daylight, before you turn in for the night.
After all, many things from the deck upwards into the mast can become a source of disruptive noise. The classic example is the halyard slapping against the mast. If the main halyard has not been taken down and secured at a considerable distance from the mast, for example at the boom end or the stern platform, it should at least be tensioned away from the mast using a turnbuckle. The spinnaker halyard and top halyard are also frequently attached to the mast step. Here, they do not interfere with manoeuvres and maintain a certain distance from the mast. However, if the wind picks up strongly, this may not be sufficient, particularly higher up, and they may still slap against the mast. In that case, the distance must be increased, for example by using a lashing point on the foredeck, the bow pulpit or a deck eye.
Noise is annoying, and the material suffers
In a secluded anchorage, the clattering only wakes your own crew; in the harbour, however, it keeps many other crews in the vicinity awake. That is why this issue is just one of many that should be addressed immediately when clearing the yacht after a trip. Take the headsail cover, for example. It protects the valuable sailcloth primarily from harmful UV radiation. However, if the cover isn’t pulled tight, it flaps annoyingly in the wind. Not only is the noise irritating, but the cover and the sails also suffer enormously from the friction. Furthermore, the flapping can cause the entire rig to sway. Then there are noises that may not seem particularly loud on deck, but make all the more noise below deck. These can be rattling cables being knocked against the profile by the swaying mast.
It helps to stabilise the source of the strong vibrations (the flapping tarpaulin), but the cables should also be routed in such a way that they are as unlikely as possible to flap about. A cable duct can help here. However, if this is already full and a new cable needs to be laid, precautions should be taken straight away: this can be done using cable ties, which are attached in a star-shaped pattern and act as spacers from the profile every 50 centimetres along the cable.
But even that alone doesn’t always help, as the mast can also start to sway in the draught and hum on its own, even if no other lines or halyards are flapping. In such cases, a combination of measures can restore a peaceful night’s sleep: a fender pulled into the mast has a positive effect on the airflow, whilst adjusting the backstay tension and fitting an improvised baby stay with the topstay attached to the bow cleat can prevent the mast from swaying. You may need to experiment a little with the height of the fender in the rig and the tension on the stays until things settle down.
Swinging traps in the harbour
Just when it’s nice and quiet on board, the halyard on the neighbouring boat starts rattling: bing, bing, bing! The owner may have moored up when there was little wind, gone off, and now that the wind has picked up, the main halyard is making a deafening noise. Is it allowed, or should one go on board and tie the halyard away? It’s actually forbidden to board someone else’s boat uninvited. And just because you’re annoyed by a bit of clattering doesn’t automatically make an exception to this rule. Or does it? At the very latest when the noise is compounded by a problem that causes damage to the neighbouring boat or even your own, action is called for.
A flapping genoa that is slowly unfurling can quickly end up whipping against your own rigging if you’ve moored on the leeward side. If the headsail is rolled up here so that a few turns of the forestay wrap around the sail roll and the furling line and sheets are securely fastened, the owner of the neighbouring boat will certainly be grateful. Or if flapping halyards cause the rig to vibrate so violently that an unsecured shroud tensioner shakes loose, intervention is definitely required. The harbour master should be contacted first. However, if the problem is only noticed late at night or in the middle of the night, then in such an extreme case, action seems almost imperative. If only one halyard is audibly flapping, one could argue, with a wink, that one is preventing greater damage by ensuring that the general displeasure of the surrounding crews is not directed at this boat. And no damage is actually caused if a halyard is unhooked from the spinnaker pole fitting or the sail head and reattached to the railing, well away from the mast.
It’s fascinating to track down noises that aren’t audible on deck at all. Below deck, however, they can be all the more noticeable. Here, even small straps on the railing – such as a plastic hook used to secure the gennaker bag – can cause loud clicking noises in the saloon. In such cases, it helps to secure the strap or elastic band under tension so that it no longer slaps against anything. Halyards secured at a single point can also slap against one another. This is almost inaudible on deck, as there is no resonant space such as the mast profile. However, the vibration is then transmitted via the deck eye or the bow pulpit below deck, where it can be very disruptive. This usually happens when the lines are pulled very tight. If you give them a little slack, the force is lost and they do not swing rhythmically.
Noises from the rigging at sea
But even at sea, excessively loud rigging noises can be a nuisance. Metal shackles – on the genoa sheet end, for example – cause loud clangs against the mast when tacking. Not only does this sound rather harsh below deck, it also comes with the certainty that every manoeuvre leaves scratches. It doesn’t have to be that way. Simply tie the sheets with a bowline knot or fit a soft shackle – ideally even splicing it into the sheet – and you’ll see less wear and tear.
Dyneema stern and backstage lines are another common source of a loud humming noise at sea. As wonderfully light as the material may be, it can also become very noisy under load. Here, rubber bands wound in a spiral around the cleat over a length of about 1.50 metres significantly reduce vibrations and thus also reduce noise.
Flapping leashes are also an extremely annoying source of noise when sailing. The solution – loosening the leash slightly – actually falls under the category of sail trim, but it ensures a quieter sail and also protects the sailcloth from serious damage. A win-win situation.
The soothing sound of the rigging in a storm
Apart from ensuring a good night’s sleep and the widespread desire for peace and quiet on board, there is another specific situation where measures to stabilise the rigging are required, and that is when there is a storm in the harbour. Once wind speeds reach 30 knots or more, whistling and rattling are simply unavoidable. At that point, it is no longer a matter of reducing disruptive noise, but of protecting the equipment from damage.
As this also applies to the time when the yacht is moored in the harbour without a crew on board, every time you leave the boat you should take the same precautions as if you, as the owner, were planning to sleep peacefully below deck. In extreme cases, such as during a severe storm, it may be advisable to take further precautions on a case-by-case basis. For example, taking down the genoa if the hull can barely be held taut even in lighter winds. In an emergency, the mainsail cover can also be wrapped with a mooring line to provide additional protection against flapping or even being blown away.
In stormy weather, the fender in the rigging can actually be counterproductive and cause more impact than it reduces vibration. In that case, the version with a shock absorber attached to the forestay is certainly preferable.
Apart from these specific measures, it is a good idea to work out a routine for clearing the boat after a trip that suits your boat. Where do the halyards cause the least interference and avoid flapping? What is the ideal tension on the mainsheet and backstay to prevent the mast from heaving? Are the lazy jacks tied back far enough and is the headsail cover secured tightly enough?
After all, a fresh breeze is bound to blow through from time to time, even in the middle of the night. And once all the sources of rigging noise have been dealt with, there’s no need to go out on deck at night, barefoot and shivering.
Readers' tips for a quiet rig
Tip 1: Pom-pom on the Dirk
Changing the airflow helps to reduce humming in stationary or moving rigging. One reader achieved this using a pompom. To do this, two cardboard discs with a large hole in the centre are slotted so that they can be slid over the mast. A wool thread is then looped around the discs. Next, cut the wool along the discs and secure it with a few turns between the discs.
Tip 2: Hook on the spreader
Loosen the line, swing it behind the hooks and tighten it again. It’s that simple to tie the line away. The hooks can either be improvised from towel rails, as in this reader’s tip, or purchased as halyard deflectors from Pfeiffer in specialist shops. This quickly restores order in the rig and eliminates the need for a halyard to tie the halyards away.
Tip 3: Two fenders on the mast
The fender on the mast, designed to reduce humming and rattling, is quite well known. This reader tip goes a step further and not only suggests using two fenders, but also positions them horizontally. This is achieved by Hahnepot above and below the fenders. Positioning is crucial. If the fenders hit the spreaders, this could end up being even louder than the humming mast without fenders. You’ll need to experiment a bit to find the right spot in the rig.
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Michael Rinck
Redakteur Test & Technik
