Chopping down a mast

[ddrewry]

Ok, not literally, but well sort of...
I recently purchased a Hunter 37.5 and I'm seriously considering lopping off 3-4 feet from the top of the mast. At 59 feet the rig is just too tall to allow passage through the 56 bridge clearance along the Tennessee River. Has anyone done something similar? Any idea how it effects handling and performance - especially handling?
I bought this boat as a cruiser so losing a little off the top speed is minor compared to the increased cruising potential. I'm thinking that with the fractional rig it will only require a shorter backstay and a recut of the main. Any experience out there or recommendations?

 

[Ron20324]

Some masts are tapered, so what fits at the top now, might not fit where you cut it. Might need some research on that one.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Ok, not literally, but well sort of...
I recently purchased a Hunter 37.5 and I'm seriously considering lopping off 3-4 feet from the top of the mast. At 59 feet the rig is just too tall to allow passage through the 56 bridge clearance along the Tennessee River. Has anyone done something similar? Any idea how it effects handling and performance - especially handling?
I bought this boat as a cruiser so losing a little off the top speed is minor compared to the increased cruising potential. I'm thinking that with the fractional rig it will only require a shorter backstay and a recut of the main. Any experience out there or recommendations?

Hope you never wish to trade it in on another boat.

 

[kloudie1]

Folks around Destin and Panama City used to do that because of the bridge at Destin and the one on the GICW just east of Pensacola. Not too uncommon. Upper shrouds and upper diamonds need to be shortened as well as the sail re-cut. A good rigger can help with getting that done.

 

[cb32863]

I just don't understand how this makes sense to anyone.....

 

[seadaddler]

I would talk to a few different riggers first and get a few ideas of how it should be done but have heard of many who have done this and maybe some sail makers to get best ideas.
Nick

 

[alexco38]

Think resell value

 

[Joe]

If I were convinced that a shorter mast was my only option.... especially with a fractional rig... I'd consider removing equal amounts from the top and the bottom of the mast... at least you wouldn't have to relocate the spreaders and the forestay connection to maintain the rig's balance and keep the boat from looking stoopid....

But listen dude......... there's other ways to get under the bridge without chopping up your brand new boat... what if you move? Would someone please post the video of the guy tilting his boat to get under a bridge... you know the water bag one. I don't feel like looking it up.....

 

[kloudie1]

If buying up north nd bringing it down to Seabrook, ya may consider unstepping the mast for the part of the trip where the low clearance is .. ya can't sail much on the Tennessee/Tombigbie system .. then restep mast in Mobile to head west to Searook..??

 

[Benny17441]

Regarding the loss of performance I would say that the folks in San Francisco Bay would hardly notice any. Analyze the prevalent wind conditions in your intended sailing area . I would roughly estimate that you would need a wind speed of 2 knots higher to compensate for the loss of sail area. I would say the determinant factor whether to do it or not would be the frequency that you would need to go under that bridge. Are there facilities to unstep the mast? Are you heading into the Gulf for extensive sailing? food for thought.

 

[kito]

It sounds to me that you have no other choice other than selling it. Mast height would have been way up there on my sailboat buying check list.

 

[Sailgunner]

Buy a different boat or move

 

[Allen Gunn]

turn it into a ketch rig and you shouldnt loose much performance. make an aluminum arch on the back with your boom rigging and a boat davit and corner seating on the rails for 4. Theres lots of affordable mast on E Bay. I just added 5gs to your value for 3gs investment and some time. Send pics when its done.

 

[ddrewry]

Ok so here's the deal, I've sailed lots of fast boats in the Gulf, I just recently listed my First 435 which is in my opinion the prettiest and most perfect boat but it has a 7.5 foot draft and a 65ft mast. Perfect for winning offshore races but just plain unworkable for moving to northern Alabama. I was looking for a smaller boat and was seriously considering the 35.5 when I came across a great deal on this 37.5. The boat offers more of everything good about the 35.5 and what I think will be a quite enjoyable interior. Frankly I don't like the newer boats just as I didn't like the newer First Beneteaus. I like wood, teak in particular. I also like the racer cruiser lines and look. Other than a bigger more comfortable cabin the 37.5 draws 3 inches more draft which I can live with. It also has a mast height 3' taller than the 35.5 which I cant handle with the 56 bridge height along the Tennessee River. I have sailed all my life and you will have a hard time convincing me that removing 3-4 ft of this fractional rigged mast will appreciable effect the top end speed. Lets be honest most of you reef your sails in anything that would approach a top boat speed anyway which is going to put you right where I'll be with a slightly shorter mast. Actually I'll have a larger main because when you reef you also shorten along the boom whereas I will recut the sail to fit the new triangle. My J30 would sail equally well on either the main or jib with its fractional rig, I suspect the 37.5 would handle similar. Hope that answers the question of why anyone would think of doing this. I may not be competitive if I were to class race it against other 37.5's, but from all the reviews I've read on this forum and others and the boats I've actually observed I would be willing to bet you can still beat half the boats you might encounter during the informal race back to the harbor at the end of the day. And I increase my range and utility along the way. I'm not interested in resale, I;m interested in comfort and style, although I suspect there would be a lot of folks who would still be interested in the boat for the same reasons if I later decide to sell. So am I missing something? Does someone know that this creates a catastrophic situation that I haven't considered for some reason? I really do appreciate all the inputs and knowledge of others, that's why I asked the question, particularly of this audience.
Thanks, Doug
ps you can see my Beneteau currently on Yachtworld if you're interested, its a wonderful boat and I truly hate to sell her. Now I need to start a new thread here because I'm looking for inputs on adding A/C to the 37.5...I know it will add weight and slow her down even more...but I'll be much more comfortable! Oh and wait until I come up with a folding mast that's practical as I toy with the idea of taking the 37.5 on the Great Loop down the road...

 

[ddrewry]

Buy a different boat or move

I did move, that's the problem. Now I need a boat for where I moved to.

 

[ddrewry]

Regarding the loss of performance I would say that the folks in San Francisco Bay would hardly notice any. Analyze the prevalent wind conditions in your intended sailing area . I would roughly estimate that you would need a wind speed of 2 knots higher to compensate for the loss of sail area. I would say the determinant factor whether to do it or not would be the frequency that you would need to go under that bridge. Are there facilities to unstep the mast? Are you heading into the Gulf for extensive sailing? food for thought.

Great input! Unstepping the mast is not an option as I'm looking for something to cruise in the area and not a one time trip. Although I may use that option to get the boat to northern Alabama initially. Thanks

 

[ddrewry]

If I were convinced that a shorter mast was my only option.... especially with a fractional rig... I'd consider removing equal amounts from the top and the bottom of the mast... at least you wouldn't have to relocate the spreaders and the forestay connection to maintain the rig's balance and keep the boat from looking stoopid....

But listen dude......... there's other ways to get under the bridge without chopping up your brand new boat... what if you move? Would someone please post the video of the guy tilting his boat to get under a bridge... you know the water bag one. I don't feel like looking it up.....

The 37.5 has a fractional rig, so if I take it only from the top the only impact is to change the backstay and recut the main. All my halyards and stays and the spreaders remain unchanged.

 

[ddrewry]

To gain from the experience of others, like a couple of the posters said, I'm not the first to do this. I prefer to learn from others rather than reinvent mistakes when I can.

 

[kito]

If the bridge height is 56 and your mast is 59, wouldn't you need to cut at least 6 foot off? I don't know how much the Tennessee River levels change but I know on the Mississippi that I grew up on can fluctuate daily due to the lock and dam system. Granted, no one sails on the Mississippi where I grew up since the current was 3-5 knots.

 

[ddrewry]

The TVA regulated it pretty well for the occasional commercial traffic, its usually lower rather than higher. I'll just stay st home the few days syear it might be up. Don't want to lose more thank have to and want yo keep the cut wellabovr the stay atyachment