Remove your mast for winter storage?

[John Perri]

Hi,i'm just taking delivery of my first baby - 1985 C27. Done a few posts here and haved gotten great information - thanks to all.I've checked with a few boatyards for winter storage and some make it mandatory to remove the mast, others optional. What are the pros and cons of this? Without knowing, i would hesitate to do this.John.

 

[Dave]

loosen the stays and shrouds?

Also, if you don't remove the mast, do you loosen the stays and shrouds? If so, how many turns? I've heard that you are to loosen, but I talked the boatyard yesterday and they seemed ambivalent about it. They said some do, some don't and they had not strong opinion. I'm taking about when wintering in Wisconsin.

 

[David Foster]

Leave the stick up, and tight

Stresses on the hard are much less than when carrying sail. Loosening the stays means that the rig has more room to shift and wear.David

 

[Gerry]

Removing your Mast

I have a O'Day 272 and I have my mast taken down every year. Removing the mast is here nor there. I mainly remove mine so I can give it a thurough inspection top to bottom before the next years use. This way I am not trying to repair something the next year from a bosuns chair. Its also easier to inspect the stsnding rigging for stress problems when its right in front of you while sitting on the hard.

 

[Bill]

removing mine

I would have to pay an additional fee as well as sigh a waiver to leave it up. I can inspect and replace bulbs, etc while it down. Cost at my marina is 500.00 but works out a sa good investment. The price includes steping and tuning.

 

[Brian Stevenson]

Mast off, Mast on

I have a C27 and leave the mast up for winter. I do not adjust the shrouds(loosen) as this would only serve to encourage motion. Our marina has about 150 boats and and most leave masts up. A few take down the mast and place horizontally to become a ridge pole for tarps, this method helps to shed the snow. I would only take down for maintenance purpose, not storage.