Javelin Rig Change?

[John Stevens]

I purchased this 1969 Javelin in Nov that I am restoring. Love the way it sails and the roomy cockpit for a 14 foot boat but, some background...I do a lot of 1 hour sails before work at the lake, just .07 miles to the ramp from my house. I try to fine tune everything to get in and out of the water and back in the garage as fast as possible, because of that, I sail more often.

The rig is the biggest obstacle I'm facing for time and hassle. I sold a Picnic Cat to buy the Javelin. The PC had a hinged mast and the boom stayed rigged on the boat. The mast stayed rigged in the garage, I launched like a powerboater and raised the mast on the water, very simple and quick.

1. With the Javelin, I have to remove the mast to fit the boat in the garage.
2. Unlock the side gate, carry the mast to the front driveway and attach the turnbuckles, tie the mast down, go back and lock the side gate. Do all of that 2 x, coming and going. At the ramp, the usual set up of raising the mast, attaching the boom. Not a big deal when going for a day sail but again, I use this boat for quick 1 hour sails a number of times a month, the less hassle, the more I sail.

Has anyone tried a Sunfish lateen rig, hinged gunter rig or even cutting the mast 5 feet and using a genoa to add sq area? Any thoughts?

 

[Joe]

Since you're so close to the ramp... perhaps you can leave the mast up.... probably not likely... but... why don't you find a place near the ramp area to leave the boat with the rigging up.. maybe next to a store or gas station or someone's house. You could even make a cover for it that would let you leave the rigging up.. leave the boom, sail, tiller and centerboard in your trunk.
Down here in mission bay you can leave your beach cat or dinghy on the beach with mast up at a number of permitted areas. They have hitching posts in the sand that you chain up to for security.

 

[Zeggae]

I just finished the installation of this.
I'm hoping this will solve a similar problem for me. It might help you. I ordered it online at D&R Marine

 

[John Stevens]

I have the same mast step. What I'm trying to do is this:

 

[Sunbird22358]

If you have the mast-hinge as pictured (from D&R Marine), there should be no reason to detach the shrouds when unstopping the mast, only the forestay needs to be detached before pivoting the mast down.
I guess you COULD modify the Javelin to have similar setup to the "Mast-Tendr" on the Picnic Cat, it would require replacing the part of the mast below the mast-hinge with a longer piece, then cut off a corresponding amount above the present hinge, then either building a custom hinge, or re-install the present hinge at the new position. You will need to reduce the size of the opening in the deck where the mast goes through to hold it rigid (original design will allow some movement since hole was designed to allow for the original bilge mast-step. Not sure, but perhaps Hutchins (builder of the Picnic Cat) could be consulted and maybe do the modifications, might be pricey...... but worth checking? I think they are in Clearwater, FL.

 

[John Stevens]

Right, I don't have to take shrouds off to take down the mast but the mast doesn't fit in my garage so I have to take it off and put it around back, hang it on the fence.

I contacted Com Pac a few weeks ago and the hinge doesn't fit my Javelin mast so yes, it would be expensive to purchase their mast and complete setup to just "test".

I think what I'm going to do is roll the mainsail about 5 feet and try a larger head sail to make up for the lose of main sail. At that point, if it sails and handles close to the same as before, I'll look at cutting the mast and building a hinge.

Looking into the Sunfish rig, I'll have to cut a hole forward in the deck to place the step so I'm leaning away from that for now.