Mast crutches for Oday 222, or similar

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anchorclanker

anchorclanker

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May 27, 2012
1,152
Oday 222 Beaver Lake, Arkansas
Would anyone have general dimensions for mast crutches, and/or general guidelines for safely carrying the mast on a 222 for transport? I am planning to bring my boat home this spring for some long overdue TLC. This will be the first time she's been out of the water in at least 8 years, and possibly (probably) not since 2002.

Im in the process of locating a trailer, and when its set up as best I can guess at, I will go retrieve the boat. It would be nice to have some crutches and/or other equipment along so that once I lower the mast I can secure it properly. I would hate to have to set it back up and do the trip over, as its over 75 miles round trip up to the boat. Which is just nuts because its only 6 miles away as the crow flies.

Thanks in advance for any and all help/suggestions
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
You're going to need to take the mast down, and to accomplish this you're going to need a make-shift mast crutch on the stern so that when you lower the mast it will sit in the apex of the crutch. For this, you're going to need to eyeball the height needed which is going to need to be just high enough so that the mast clears the cabin slider when it's in the closed position which is where you'll be standing when you slowly let the mast down into the crutch. You don't want the crutch too high because after you get the mast laying in the crutch you're going to need to walk to the stern and stand and straddle the cockpit seats near the crutch and reach up to take the mast out of the crutch.

The mast crutch can be a couple of 2X4' x 6's with a bolt to join them together. Actually, the crutch will look like a giant pair of scissors. You'll need to bring your drill and maybe a saw with you to adjust the height of the crutch. Also, you're going to need to secure the crutch with ropes somehow to keep it stationery.
The important thing here is to get the mast down and tied to the crutch and bow rail so you can get the boat home. Six miles should be a piece of cake.

After you get the boat home you can concentrate on making some nice permanent mast carriers. I can show you how I made my bow carrier but I can't help you with the stern carrier unless you want to go the route I did by having a metal fabricator construct one for you. It would help if you had a stern rail similar to mine which was a rarity on the O'Day 222's back in 86 and 87.
The only other thing you need to do is make sure that the area where you'll take your mast down is level and also it is important that you have the wind come directly from aft. This will insure that the mast is lowered nice and straight and shouldn't go over the side.
You're going to need to put some slack in your fore stay in order to remove it. I used to attach a single sheave to my bow stem chain plate via a small shackle and run a 3/8" X 60' nylon line through it. One end of the line was attached to the Jib halyard. The halyard raised to the top and cleated on the mast cleat. I'd loosen the fore stay and pull on the line and bring it around the mast above the goose neck fitting on the mast and cleat it off on my Starboard bow cleat. Then I could remove the fore stay and bungee it to the mast with the rope holding the mast up.
I did this for many years when I trailer sailed my boat.

That's about it. If you have any questions, shoot. Errrr-- that phrase seems to be politically incorrect these days.;)
 
anchorclanker

anchorclanker

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May 27, 2012
1,152
Oday 222 Beaver Lake, Arkansas
Trinkka, I would be very interested in details, pictures etc., of both your crutches. For the rear crutch, the distance from the cockpit floor, or gunwale, to the top of your crutch, would be the same.

With the mast supported in the two crutches, am I correct to assume you put a pad under the mast over the main hatch to help support it?
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
What I can do is upload some pics now and then provide some dimensions later on when I get my boat uncovered.
I don't have a mast support or a pad on my mast tabernacle which is probably an excellent idea but I just didn't feel it was needed. I wanted to keep my mast raising gear to a minimum because I keep it stowed on board at all times in case of an emergency. I do have a flange screwed to my sole plate near the stern in which my rear mast crutch pipe sits on and carries the weight of the mast in the stern instead of my stern pulpit carrying all the weight.
My mast is level when it's sitting in the carriers.
What I can do tomorrow is go on this site and make a new Owner's Photo Album entitled, "Mast Crutches" and upload some pics to it. That way, anyone can check it out.

Joe
 
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