Bent Spar, Cape Dory 36

[cd36]

I have a '79 Cape Dory 36 with the original keel-stepped, low-aspect, single-spreader Spartan spar. The mast has a bow to port about mid-way between the spreaders and the head. It is straight fore and aft, but is out of column port to starboard about where my intermediate stays attach. This is true whether the mast is under tension or not - we winter mast down, and the bow is still evident when the mast is on the sawhorses.

I have experimented with eliminating the bow through tuning, but doing so requires unequal - and increased - tension on some of the stays and shrouds. This didn't seem wise, so I have always kept the rig tensions equal and balanced and done my best to get the mast as straight as possible.

What options do I have? Replacing the spar isn't in the budget. Can/Should I eliminate the bow with tuning? Is the spar stout enough to allay any concerns?

Thanks for the advice.

David