store mast diagonal on h260? and mast down lessens pull on anchor 80%?

[Davenport]

Before hurricane season I was thinking of dropping my h260 mast and storing it either in normal straight spot with that pvc mast at rear, or maybe DIAGONAL? My slip in water is only about 35 feet long so if can drop 5 feet from actual length I take up this would help.

At anchor I wonder how much would having mast down lessen the pull on rope of a strong wind. Wind climbs with height so as a I guess maybe 80%?? I've been at anchor in a bay and enjoyed seeing myself slide across the bay as my anchor is pulled by hi winds thru the mud even though this is supposed to be rare.

If have keel down on h260 and run into shall mud at NON STRAIGHT ANGLE as a guess this snaps the keel so gotta be sure to pull it up if heading sideways toward shore? HHMMM.. GEOMETRY suggests I guess if anchor is fighting the wind a bit, then at worse you BACK INTO THE MUD BANK by shore or sand by shore, so one's boat is usually pointed away from shore as you are pushed into the shore???? Due to this geometry maybe a couple poles at rear pointed down 4 feet would act as legs to stop boat keel from hitting. .. . Lesson is never risk anchor in high wind and pull up keel to be safe, haha.

I rarely sail, I motor far along midwest rivers or texas narrow ship channels inside the barrier islands. I wish Hunter made a MASTLESS SLOW BOAT with nice table and bathroom and some lead to help stability. Anyone want to trade my sailboat for a nearly wrecked h26 and $10k, haha?

BON CHANCE!

 

[Tedd]

In terms of just pull on the lines, lowering the mast might not help all that much. Yes, the wind is less closer to the water but the profile the mast presents to the wind is still basically the same. Overturning moment from wind on the mast would be reduced a lot but actual pull on the lines probably not so much.
Weighed against that is support for the mast. I'm not super familiar with the H260 (although I was shopping for one a while ago so I'm a little familiar) but most masts aren't super well supported when they're down. It's imaginable to me that you could, for example, get flow-induced vibration in strong winds (Tacoma Narrows bridge effect). So long as the mast is well supported, by which I mean supported at more than just two places, the risk of that is probably low. But the way it's supported will be important.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@Davenport
Did you buy the trailer for the 260?
Due to arthritis, it hurts to type too much now ; therefore, I would be available to talk with you over the
phone but would ask you to report back to the forum what we discuss. I will send you a private message
I nearly sold a quarter of the production line

crazy dave

 

[SkookumZac]

I do NOT recommend riding a storm with the mast lowered. Almost a 3rd or more would just be hanging off the back unsupported. It would be fine if properly stowed, but that task seems pretty difficult if you're already in the water. You might consider leaving the mast at home if you don't plan on sailing. There's always someone needing a replacement mast--it wouldn't be impossible to find a buyer or a trade.

-Z

 

[Davenport]

There seems to be an interesting fear by people of having mast down.

But on my old Macgregor 26c that's how I usually kept the mast. It's a 100 pound pole which laid snug on deck with a few sweatshirts to avoid scratches. I can't imagine it ever being a problem, from wind or wave issues. And via ropes I would lower it by myself...

But maybe using the rear post to hold up the mast horizontally, yes maybe a little wind vibration could occur.....

Mast down definitely seems safer. With the anchor out and holding bow to wind then a mast down and pointed lengthwise into wind will clearly be less a drag, so I think I will put it down for hurricane season. Man I hate hurricanes, the boat at dock is like a bucking bronco on the ropes. D

 

[jssailem]

fear by people of having mast down… I can't imagine it ever being a problem, from wind or wave issues.

Your Macgregor 26 was just under 26ft overall length. The mast (deck stepped) is listed at 28ft long. The mast laying down on deck, there could be a foot over hang on the bow and stern.
Even on the trailer you could feel assured that the mast would not trike the pickup or need a flag hanging off the transom because the mast did not have an extended overhang ready to strike a vehicle tailgating



Compare that to the Hunter 260 with an overall length of 26ft and a mast that ranges from 30 to 36ft depending on the model/year/mast length. That could be 4 to 10 ft of mast hanging over the end of the boat like a knight’s jousting pole waiting to strike an unsuspecting victim.

Maybe an owner need not be fearful but there is room for concern.

 

[dlochner]

The mast is an important part of the boats stability. Taking the mast down reduces the lever arm that is necessary to counter the keel weight. This will cause the boat rock violently from side to side. The rocking will be destructive to the lines and cleats on the boat and the dock.

Do remove all sails and canvass. The danger from them is increased windage and the high probability of them coming loose which will dramatically increase the windage and destroy the sails.

BOATUS.org has good information on hurricane preparation. If you have a trailer the best place for the boat is high and dry and tied down to the ground.

As for a slow boat with good accommodations, it's called a Trawler.