Hammock swinging

[msponer]

Yes, it's surprising how that works, how the hammock can pump the boats rolling and make it roll quite a bit more. Both fun and annoying -- there should be a word for things like that.

I think the root of what's happening is that as the boat heels, the your weight in the hammock is pulling down on it's attachment points to heel the boat more. And this tends to pump the boat to roll more and more. It works so 'well' because the hammock's attachment point is far above the center of rolling, so it's sort of like heeling the boat by attaching a rope to the mast and pulling sideways, and since the hammock swings, it ends up pumping the boat and rolling it like someone is rhythmically pushing down on the rail.

So the way to fix this is to either lower the attachment point (to reduce the lever arm), or make the attachment point offset (by attaching it to the side of bow pulpit, or maybe using a whisker pole that's slightly off center).

Ropes didn't work for us -- they just made it jerky and un-hammocky.

[MysticGringo]

You could hang the hammock differently. I often swing my boom out, use the vang as a preventer, lock it in place with the main sheet, tie hammock on end of boom, and then to the foredeck. If its hot out, lower hammock so it grazes the water and it keeps you cool.

[Guidogidday]

Wow. Thanks everyone for the feedback. Some good advice. Some salty I spoke to yesterday claimed that using a swivel on the mast (to which the hammock is connected) that turns in and out and left and right should help. Not sure how to do same at furler. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Ta

[Sailmonkey]

How about just finding a smoother anchorage?

[boatman61]

Put the boat on the 'Hard'...

[Bash]

There must be a thousand cruisers out there with hammocks stowed below--hammocks that have never once provided a full night's sleep. (Or great sex, for that matter.)

I notice you list your boat as an Adams 36. Round-bilge steel construction, right? Rolls a lot at anchor?

Ahem. If you want to keep the hammock, you might try swapping out boats.

[carstenb]

Or find a lassie that is very happy excercising in hammocks (a lot more fun than tieing the hammock off to the toe rail), but I digress.........

[SailingwithSoul]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Relax and enjoy the ride. Its not everyday that you become a "harmonic oscillator". (pendulum)

Blame it on Galileo's son.

Originally Posted by hellosailor

They're supposed to swing. If you don't want it to swing, you buy a bedframe and stretch the hammaock out and turn it into a bedframe.

Originally Posted by MysticGringo

At a attractive girl and make the most of it.

+100 to all of the above quotes

[ScottMeilicke]

Originally Posted by MysticGringo

You could hang the hammock differently. I often swing my boom out, use the vang as a preventer, lock it in place with the main sheet, tie hammock on end of boom, and then to the foredeck. If its hot out, lower hammock so it grazes the water and it keeps you cool.

Great idea. I have a small boat, and that sounds like it would work well for me.

But if the hammock is over the water, how do you get in and out? Or is it just along side of the hull, so you can slip over into it?

[MysticGringo]

Originally Posted by ScottMeilicke

Great idea. I have a small boat, and that sounds like it would work well for me.

But if the hammock is over the water, how do you get in and out? Or is it just along side of the hull, so you can slip over into it?

Depends on how you hang it. You can have it high enough to be at upper lifeline level, or low enough for cooling in the water. I often go in between... Just depends.



(not sure why the dog needed the life jacket at this point... nervous parent syndrome)

[Notyet]

Cheap solution: inner tires of a bycicle on both sides of the hammock, tied to the railings. Of course you still swing a little - that's what hammocks are made for - but the tires work like a shock absorber, and prevent extensive swinging. You can adjust the swinging by adjusting the tires.