Javelin mast crutch

[Fimpowde]

Have a 1978 oday javelin that I bought in not so good shape, but now have it back in the water sailing again. Next is to make a mast crutch to help when trailering. I am sure others have done this already so hoping not to reinvent the wheel. If you have one and wouldn't mind a couple of pictures and steps, that would be much appreciated. Thank you

 

[Joe11688]

Have a 1978 oday javelin that I bought in not so good shape, but now have it back in the water sailing again. Next is to make a mast crutch to help when trailering. I am sure others have done this already so hoping not to reinvent the wheel. If you have one and wouldn't mind a couple of pictures and steps, that would be much appreciated. Thank you

There aren't many places on an O'Day Javelin to mount a mast crutch. I was able to mount one on my stern pulpit which allows me to mount my rudder on the stern when I launch my boat each time.
The only place that you can mount a mast crutch is on the rudder gudgions. This would have to be something that you can design yourself which would consist of wood 2X4 with pintles attached to it that would fit into the gudgions similar to the way the rudder is attached.
The crutch could be a 2X6 X 8" with a rabbet groove where it is attached to the 2X4. I would put a small roller inside the crutch with a long bolt for the pin.
If you know someone who does welding, you could use 1" stainless steel pipe with a flange on the top to hold the wood crutch with wood screws. The pipe on my Gin Pole goes through the flange and into the wood about 1" and the flange is screwed to the bottom of the crutch. This give it more strength. So you could go with either an all wood crutch or one made up of pipe and wood. My mast crutch is wide enough so that my mast can slide aft or forward on the roller and the roller can be moved to a higher position. When I trailer my boat, I wrap a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet around the mast where it fits into the wooden crutch and I tie the mast to it with rope. The rug makes it nice and tight for trailering and the rope secures the mast so it won't pop out. I have some pics of my mast crutch and my Gin Pole. Hopefully you'll get some ideas on how you want to construct your mast crutch.
Years ago I owned a Sturdee Cat that had a rudder that needed to be left on the boat while trailering because the tiller fitted through a hole in the stern and the rudder involved too much time and work to put on and take off. I had to mount a stainless steel flange to the stern for 1" pipe and the wood crutch that I just described so you may want to look at another way of mounting the crutch other than using the gudgions.
Joe

 

[Fimpowde]

There aren't many places on an O'Day Javelin to mount a mast crutch. I was able to mount one on my stern pulpit which allows me to mount my rudder on the stern when I launch my boat each time.
The only place that you can mount a mast crutch is on the rudder gudgions. This would have to be something that you can design yourself which would consist of wood 2X4 with pintles attached to it that would fit into the gudgions similar to the way the rudder is attached.
The crutch could be a 2X6 X 8" with a rabbet groove where it is attached to the 2X4. I would put a small roller inside the crutch with a long bolt for the pin.
If you know someone who does welding, you could use 1" stainless steel pipe with a flange on the top to hold the wood crutch with wood screws. The pipe on my Gin Pole goes through the flange and into the wood about 1" and the flange is screwed to the bottom of the crutch. This give it more strength. So you could go with either an all wood crutch or one made up of pipe and wood. My mast crutch is wide enough so that my mast can slide aft or forward on the roller and the roller can be moved to a higher position. When I trailer my boat, I wrap a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet around the mast where it fits into the wooden crutch and I tie the mast to it with rope. The rug makes it nice and tight for trailering and the rope secures the mast so it won't pop out. I have some pics of my mast crutch and my Gin Pole. Hopefully you'll get some ideas on how you want to construct your mast crutch.
Years ago I owned a Sturdee Cat that had a rudder that needed to be left on the boat while trailering because the tiller fitted through a hole in the stern and the rudder involved too much time and work to put on and take off. I had to mount a stainless steel flange to the stern for 1" pipe and the wood crutch that I just described so you may want to look at another way of mounting the crutch other than using the gudgions.
Joe

Thank you VERY much for the information... for the brackets, was thinking the same way, from DR Marine they have the replacement rudder pins that attach the rudder to the boat, will just get a pair, mount to wood and proceed... The roller is a GREAT idea, will definitely use that.
Thank you again.

 

[Joe11688]

My pleasure. Have fun!

Joe