Need some thoughts on securing sheets, shrouds and lines for trailering

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

I tried that with little success. The cradle slipped over the mast was some work to make but it really does a nice job of holding the bottom of sail and furler drum without warping the foil. Mine (foil) is just about shot due to abuses from a former owner. I used a heat gun and straightened it out pretty well but I suspect I'll be replacing it before too long.

@Crazy Dave Condon showed me how to make loops on the shrouds and tie the loops to the mast. Worked well and looked very neat. Another trick he showed me is to run the furler foil down the side of the boat and secure it to the stanchions with ball-loop bungees. His comment was, "They're flexible so use that to your advantage." No more securing it to the mast and hoping it doesn't fall off.

I've heard of running the furler down the side of the boat. Do you have to remove it from its attachment up top to accomplish that. I'm afraid in Arizona temps any arc in the furler foil might become permanent due to the relatively constant and high temperatures (110-115F). I released my foresail from the topside attach point once and tried to arch the foil along the stanchions front to back but it seemed like the process was cost prohibitive in terms of time needed to take it on and off. Or, are you just allowing it to loop down from the mast and then forward?

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

We're a big fan club of tie wraps. A bag of 1000, 12" ties may seem like a few bucks, but they're solid, ultimately adjustable and the only downside is that they are not reusable. We used to have the Mac ready to raise the mast or wrap it up for travel in 20 minutes or less. We do the same on the Catalina, and many times have hit the road well before others who were out of the water before us.
You can't really see the ties on the Catalina, but the process is the same.
View attachment 126981

You know that is a great idea. Maybe a guy could make the short trips to the lake with ball and loop bungees or velcro BUT when you are doing the long haul use the Zip Ties. They are pricey for sure especially since they need to be a bit longer to do the job in this case. But, balance that against the PIA of constantly having to stop, adjust etc. etc. it might well be worth it. Nice boat and thanks.

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

Actually, all the little tricks that we learned from the Mac were ported over. Scares the livin beejeebers out of the gawkers when it happens, but it's a simple matter that doesn't take near as long as it does to get the stays tuned.

Guy stood there watching this launch, jaw on the ground, while two of us did it. His DS16, he claimed, took 4 guys over an hour. I wondered (without sounding caddy) how you could get 4 guys on the deck of a DS16.

Here's mast on crutch, with both A frames laying on mast. One holds the mast side to side, one is the rigging. 6:1 led back to the winch. The forward lower stays are attached, as is the backstay, loose, just in case. The forward lowers are enough to stop it from going past upright.
View attachment 126982

I have always wondered how far out the back of a trailed boat you could put a mast before the Law became bothered. I think you have answered my question for me, " A long ways". Have you ever poked a trucker in the eye with your mast ? I think you make a very good point. You develop a good system and you hone it until you can do what you and your buddy are doing that is "up and down in 20 minutes".

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

I've been using this plastic wrap, clingy stuff to tie all the ropes to the mast. You can get a roll of this stuff at HD for under $10 that will last forever.

Thanks, another great idea. Why haven't I thought of this.

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

I simply zip-tie the shrouds to a cleat on the cabin top, letting them hang slightly over the beam.
The main and spin halyards, along with the topping lift, are coiled and tied, laying in the cockpit awaiting the next mast raising. They won't blow out into traffic.
The jib sheets off the furler are pulled tightly through their leads and wrapped around their respective winches, the excess getting daisy-chained onto itself.
Backstay is loosely coiled in the cockpit.
Don't overthink it.

Good ideas. I tried not to overthink it but I kept having visions of my trailer tire running over a shroud and having it wrap around the axle and I started having trouble sleeping.

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

I start at the top of the mast with a pocket full of ball-bungee loops and work my way to the center attaching everything to the mast. When I get to the middle I grab a loop of each shroud and bungee it to the mast as well. Excess lines are then tossed then down the companion way. Closing the cabin up secures all lines for transport.

Like JustSomeGuy said.. "Don't overthink it."

This has been pretty much my technique. I like the idea of tossing the excess lines down into the cabin and closing the slider on them. I haven't gone hundreds of miles with my setup but it should work OK and I keep the foil straight. Time will tell. There have been some great ideas posted and I'm sure I'll be using many of them. Adjusting, honing, getting the time down. Who knows a few years from now I might be in the Olympics having won a GOLD medal for the fastest take-down of a Macgregor 26 trailer sailer, tears flowing down my cheek as they play the national anthem. I'll be telling everyone, "This means the world to me. I have no one but SailboatOwners.com to thank." There I go overthinking things again!!!

 

[Meriachee]

That's the beauty of tie wraps / zip ties or whatever you want to call them. Something is loose, tie it off.
I got a bag of 1000 and still have 3/4 of it 5 years later.

 

[Meriachee]

20 minutes start to launch.
There's the stick in the mud - it's only two bolts and one clevis, how hard can it be?

 

[FastOlson]

We used to trailer our Ranger 20 for five years. Used a lot (!) of bungee cords and learned to never have any wire rigging even touching any part of the fiberglass deck stuff. 200 miles of wind buffeting and road vibration can cause some interesting abrasion even if the offending wire moves only an eight of an inch each cycle..... and there will be a LOT of cycles.

Loren

 

[GGordonWoody]

I still can't believe the Catalina 270 is a trailer sailor. You da man, Meriachee. You da man!

For shore! What beast have you yoked to the front of that sloop?

 

[Meriachee]

For shore! What beast have you yoked to the front of that sloop?

Just your regulation F350 SWD long wheelbase diesel. Out of almost all the trucks I've had, this one, hands down, rides, pulls, and even gets better mileage.

 

[dzl]

I have a C-22 so I'm pretty firmly in the "most annoying standing rigging setup in the world" club, but one thing I've found really helps is to put a bungee around the base of the mast tying everything to it before I set it down. For me this includes the forward lower shrouds and halyards (which are led aft). Then I just bungee everything once it's down. Harbor Freight zip ties might actually be cheaper than the bungee method if you consider the lifespan of cheap bungee cords.

As far as hanging over the back of the trailer... Pretty much every state in the us has its own idea on that score as far as what is allowed, at least for commercial vehicles. Normally the mast would be within spec I'm pretty sure, as long as you don't take into consideration the boat is already extending over the rear of the trailer a good bit. So, I dunno

 

[Kermit]

I've heard of running the furler down the side of the boat. Do you have to remove it from its attachment up top to accomplish that. I'm afraid in Arizona temps any arc in the furler foil might become permanent due to the relatively constant and high temperatures (110-115F). I released my foresail from the topside attach point once and tried to arch the foil along the stanchions front to back but it seemed like the process was cost prohibitive in terms of time needed to take it on and off. Or, are you just allowing it to loop down from the mast and then forward?

I left it attached at the upper part. Just let it follow the outside edge going back.

 

[Jerry Zitterkopf]

We used to trailer our Ranger 20 for five years. Used a lot (!) of bungee cords and learned to never have any wire rigging even touching any part of the fiberglass deck stuff. 200 miles of wind buffeting and road vibration can cause some interesting abrasion even if the offending wire moves only an eight of an inch each cycle..... and there will be a LOT of cycles.

Loren

When I got my boat previous owners were allowing the spreaders (usually just one side) to rub the cabin top. I stopped that but some damage was already done to the gel coat of the cabin top. I can imagine what a stainless steel wire would do to gel coat as it vibrated or rubbed against it for a few hundred miles. I have kayaked a fair amount hauling all over the Western US and if I've learned anything, it is not a bad idea to stop every hour or so and have a look around. It makes for a nice stretch for the old bones and I saved a kayak on two different occasions. One time I trusted another boater to lash my boat down (nice guy, bad idea) and on the other occasion the lashing simply worked its way loose. I'm looking forward to overcoming some of the same issues trailer sailing. This is a great bunch of guys. I'll have more questions as time rolls on.

 

[justsomeguy]

This is a great bunch of guys.

Ayup.

 

[waterpirate]

Official DOT regs state nothing to extend more than 3 feet beyond the fixed position of the taillights. Whether you get a ticket or not is the subjective part for local Leo's. The rubber hits the road as with most things when an accident or issue arises.
YMMV
Eric

 

[Kermit]

Official DOT regs state nothing to extend more than 3 feet beyond the fixed position of the taillights.

Jeepers. That would make the Hunter 260 illegal on more than just width. I'm glad the local policeman in VA didn't know that rule when he pulled up beside me and waved. Or didn't care.

 

[waterpirate]

I finished work on my trailer yesterday. Although my snipe mast is smaller than the mast in question, I opted for mast butt inside boat, inside a bumper that I cut the end off with shrouds and lines zip tied. Ignorance of DOT regs by local leo is a blessing for most, if not all boats on trailers I see travelling the road.
Eric

 

[Meriachee]

Assuming that to be a true statement, then somebody better tell Roger MacGregor, who kicked out, what, some 10's of thousands of 26 c/d versions with trailers, from the factory, with an overhang of way more than 3 feet.

I'm with you Kermee. We fail. (huge)
Better go drink.

 

[waterpirate]

The important thing to realize is that just because a trailer left the factory brand new in that configuration, in no way implies it is legal. So we all go blindly down the road, dreaming of a dark and stormy.
Eric