Masts of adjacent boats connected

[Kermit]

Hey y’all. Long time no see. We’re in Ft. Pierce, FL even as we speak. While having lunch at a marina restaurant, I noticed the masts of two sailboats attached to each other. It took me a while but it appears they do that so both boats will sway in unison. A quick google search turned up no information on doing that. Does anyone here link your boat to another while docked? It appears they use an extra-long halyard going up the taller mast that then runs down the forward edge of the smaller boat. Pretty interesting.

 

[Tally Ho]

I assume you mean the boats are in the water.

Greg

 

[DaveJ]

Hmm, haven't seen that, but when we raft as a group, we make sure our masts do not interfere with each other. We stagger the boats. I would think the wave action would not be 'in tune' with joining the masts together. Maybe there was another reason for doing it??
Cheers
dj

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Hey, @Kermit sounds crazy but I'll bet you money if you talk to the owners, they will have an exact reason for keeping their masts connected and no matter how insane, makes perfect sense to them.

 

[Kermit]

I assume you mean the boats are in the water.

Greg

Yes. In slips next to each other. I couldn’t get a good angle or very close for pictures. It took a while to figure out that was why they were connected. Trust me, I knew y’all were gonna ask for pictures.

 

[Kermit]

Hey, @Kermit sounds crazy but I'll bet you money if you talk to the owners, they will have an exact reason for keeping their masts connected and no matter how insane, makes perfect sense to them.

Oh I’m sure. But the owners were nowhere to be found. I asked our cute young little waitress. All she said was she had been sailing once in middle school.

 

[Kermit]

Hmm, haven't seen that, but when we raft as a group, we make sure our masts do not interfere with each other. We stagger the boats. I would think the wave action would not be 'in tune' with joining the masts together. Maybe there was another reason for doing it??
Cheers
dj

There were actually two pairs of boats joined in the same manner. Oddest thing I’ve seen. (Other than my ex-wife.) It took me the longest of all to figure out how they accomplished it. I figured the owner of the smaller boat would have to board the larger boat to disconnect if they weren’t planning to go out at the same time.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

You mean this one you green frog

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Oddest thing I’ve seen. (Other than my ex-wife.)

Do tell. Anything you feel we should be aware of ?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I figured the owner of the smaller boat would have to board the larger boat to disconnect if they weren’t planning to go out at the same time.

And why do you figure they would want to disconnect ? That just wouldn't make any sense.

 

[Kermit]

Do tell. Anything you feel we should be aware of ?

Someone asked how I would feel when she got remarried. I said relieved and also sympathy for the new guy.

 

[PaulK]

They are obviously radio buffs and are trying to listen to broadcasts from Mongolia on their SSB's. They need an extra long antenna for that.

 

[nightowle]

Redneck catamaran?

 

[Kermit]

Redneck catamaran?

I actually did think sorta like that.

 

[capta]

I can't imagine the forces on those mastheads should they get out of rhythm. Could it be a halyard got loose and wrapped around the other mast, unintentionally?

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

I can't imagine the forces on those mastheads should they get out of rhythm. Could it be a halyard got loose and wrapped around the other mast, unintentionally?

Hi Capta. Kermit said there were actually 2 pairs of boats set up that way. Doubtful that on both pairs a halyard got loose ?

On the other hand, I have done that with a smaller boat rafted up to a bigger one so that climbing the mast of the larger boat allowed work to be done on the masthead of the smaller one. Done on a wind-less day in the quiet of the marina where no waves could create any movement. And done in a way that allows immediate release if need be. Limited crew on board both boats to minimize movement also. I certainly would not ever want my boat's mast attached to another one for any lenght of time if I wasn't there to supervise and release.

 

[Head Sail]

Gives the seagulls a place to land besides the windex.

 

[Kermit]

I can't imagine the forces on those mastheads should they get out of rhythm. Could it be a halyard got loose and wrapped around the other mast, unintentionally?

There were two sets of boats set up that way. And the connectives were tight. There might have even been lower lines connected. I couldn’t be sure about that. I swear it was the oddest thing. But the two boats really did swat in unison. But one would think that two boats side by side would receive the same wind and wave action as each other.

 

[Kermit]

Hey, @Kermit sounds crazy but I'll bet you money if you talk to the owners, they will have an exact reason for keeping their masts connected and no matter how insane, makes perfect sense to them.

I took your advice as much as I could. I just got off the phone with the marina. The dock boy guy had never noticed it. He promised he’d see if he could find out and call me back.

 

[Head Sail]

The boats tied together at the mast would have a damping effect on wave and wind action. Prevents boats from banging the dock.