On my Mac 26s I have trouble sliding the mast along the board I use for a mast crotch. I would like to put in place something that I can leave in place while sailing and trailering and that will allow me to push and pull the mast to attach it to the mast base. What options are available?
Mast crotch roller
- Thread starter Jansen
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I built a mast crotch for my O'Day 222 many years ago and about four years ago, I modified the crotch by installing a roller in it. It doesn't work too bad, but it could be better. I can roll the mast forward and aft, but sometimes the side stays get caught in the crotch and I have to lift the mast a little to get them by. Maybe if the roller was a little higher in the crotch, it would work better, I don't know. It's better than the way that I used to do it which was to lift the mast and walk it back. Both of my mast crotches are removable and my rear one is adjustable. I also use the mast crotch yoke on my stern rail to mount my flag staff.
Joe
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Thanks for pics. I see you have it mounted on the stern rail with a slide in holder on the back of the cockpit. I like that setup but wish I could set it up so it could stay up even while sailing. Your setup would interfere with the tiller. But it is easy to put in and out, so that's good. Wonder it there is a way to mount one on a single rail stern rail?
Mine goes in the tiller gudgeons so it wouldn't work for your needs - but - I wonder if you could mount it to the rudder using the tiller bolt(s) and maybe a strap on the rail to keep it from flopping back into the water or wacking you in the head? I don't have a picture of mine to post but if I have a chance I'll take one and post it for you. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard to manufacture but I could be wrong.
Chris
Chris
On my set-up, I can raise my crotch higher and pin it into a position which would allow me to use my tiller. I've only had to do this once about six years ago when the drawbridge broke down. I think that I understand what you're looking to do. You want to be able to carry your mast in a permanent type of travel lock that will allow you to motor and use your tiller to steer. My mast crotch pipe fits into a flange on the sole plate so that the weight of the mast is sitting on that when I'm trailering. I use a 3'X 4" piece of indoor/outdoor carpet wrapped around my mast where it fits into my crotch opening, to take up that wide gap of my mast roller. I only do this for trailering to and from the club each year. My friend Walter had the 2002 Mac 26 and I think that his mast crotch was detachable like mine. I store my mast crotch in the cabin under the settees when not in use, and the flag staff goes into the yoke on my stern rail. My friend Wayne has a single pipe stern rail, and he built a wood mast crotch with a small roller in the crotch. I stole the roller idea off him and he stole his Gin Pole idea off MacGregor, which I robbed off him also. Years ago I bought a book entitled "The Sailor's Sketchbook" by Bruce Bingham. It's out of print now, and they're asking ridicules money for it now. This book has a lot of mods that the author did on his Flicka 20. The book is loaded with beautiful hand drawn sketches. He has a couple of pages on this subject. You may be able to find this book somewhere. Check your local library or used book stores. They may carry it. The book is chuck full of ideas that can be used on any sailboat. Also, check out this site under
http://www.practical-sailor.com/ "Tools and Techniques" you may find something.
Joe
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Mast Crutch
The Hunter trailerables use a crutch with a roller. You can remove it or leave it in place while sailing. Maybe you can get some ideas from this:
The Hunter trailerables use a crutch with a roller. You can remove it or leave it in place while sailing. Maybe you can get some ideas from this:
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Do you remember that song; "You say tomatoes, and I say toomahtoes?, and you say patahtoes, and I say potatoes?"BTW guys, it is a mast Crutch, not CROTCH.
George,
That mast crotch is very similar to the one that my friend Walter had on his Mac 26. I think that his fit into a metal bracket on the stern of his boat.
Joe
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Mast "crutch" or crotch on a 26S as far back on the boat as possible and behind the tiller so can stay in place all the time.
I have to spend too much time in a factory in China and recently had to convince a woman engineer that they needed to be careful with this "little slot" on the product in order to meet a particular spec.
She kept refering to the "little slut". Pretty hard not to laugh but if I did so, I would have had to explain why it was funny.
I have to spend too much time in a factory in China and recently had to convince a woman engineer that they needed to be careful with this "little slot" on the product in order to meet a particular spec.
She kept refering to the "little slut". Pretty hard not to laugh but if I did so, I would have had to explain why it was funny.
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The one in the picture is "hacked" from the original crutch which was just a piece of wood with a notch at the top. I used the original "U" brackets and moved them to the rear. Its mostly custom.
I set the height as high as possible so that when the mast was in the trailering position, we could still fairly easilly get into the boat for a sleep break on long drives (like the trip from Denver to Lake Powell leaving after work). But I also want the crutch as low as possible because I often drive the boat about a mile with the mast dropped into the crutch but still in the pivot and there is one fairly low power line the end of the mast must pass under. The PVC pipe in the picture is for mast load distribution for when I do the one mile drive. The crutch is behind the bimini so no issue. The crutch stays on the boat always - but I almost always trailer the boat also.
I set the height as high as possible so that when the mast was in the trailering position, we could still fairly easilly get into the boat for a sleep break on long drives (like the trip from Denver to Lake Powell leaving after work). But I also want the crutch as low as possible because I often drive the boat about a mile with the mast dropped into the crutch but still in the pivot and there is one fairly low power line the end of the mast must pass under. The PVC pipe in the picture is for mast load distribution for when I do the one mile drive. The crutch is behind the bimini so no issue. The crutch stays on the boat always - but I almost always trailer the boat also.
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Do you have a stern rail?
Here's what I have on mine, I never remove it. It works really well. Originally it had one small roller, just like Walt has, but I always had a fear that the mast would walk off the roller while I was moving it, or the mast would scrape on the metal. So I added one of these three piece rollers, now I don't worry about the mast falling off the support.
If you don't have a stern rail you might still be able to come up with a similar arrangement.
Here's what I have on mine, I never remove it. It works really well. Originally it had one small roller, just like Walt has, but I always had a fear that the mast would walk off the roller while I was moving it, or the mast would scrape on the metal. So I added one of these three piece rollers, now I don't worry about the mast falling off the support.
If you don't have a stern rail you might still be able to come up with a similar arrangement.
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I have a single stern rail like Walts, so I will need to fasten it to the boat's stern at the bottom and the rail. Like the 3 piece roller. Lots of good ideas.
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