Aha. And it could if mounted on a shock absorber. Good point; thanks.Don't let the mast flex while trailering. IMO
Aha. And it could if mounted on a shock absorber. Good point; thanks.Don't let the mast flex while trailering. IMO
Hey Nemosuit, If you tie down the mast at the crutch you don't have to worry. also we strapped the mast down at the mast step to keep pumping to a minimum. I used to sell these beasts and I always told new owner to get some aluminum plate and backup everything. I've seen lifeline stanchions ripped out of the deck. This is not just specific to Ventures. Cheap insurance. When ya gonna launch her? Fair winds and full Sails....Thanks for the window answers, guys. Not trying to hijack the thread; just couldn't get signed on any other way the other night.
Getting back on topic: I, too, am thinking about making a mast carrier that will attach to the rudder mounts while trailering. I'm concerned about stress on the rudder mounts caused by the mast bouncing while on the highway.
I was thinking of building a small gas shock absorber into the carrier upright to cushion the ride.
Is this a legitimate concern? Nothing to worry about? You experienced guys: whattayathink?
VBR,
Pat
Yup! Just might change my user name to "Idea Bandit" because this thread has a couple more good ideas I plan to steal!
Been following your progress.So far, while trailering, my mast is tied down hard to the pulpit and at the hatch/companionway interface... nothing supports it further back than that, and I've not seen a problem yet. I should look into a masthead support for use on the road, I suppose.
I'm happy to report that the crutch worked great for getting the base locked down far easier than last week's attempt. Turned a 20 minute exercise in frustration into a 2 minute exercise in satisfaction.
Oh, and pics...
Me at the helm:
Out in the river, trying to get the keel down (another story):
It's good to have minions at hook-up time:
Returning by sunset:
I didn't raise sail, because we couldn't get the keel locked down. Our first attempt ended with a grounding, because Gravely Point is a rather shallow inlet, and we weren't out far enough in the river. The second attempt failed, because of the headway I was making with the engine... I think it was keeping the keel from fully dropping, so my first mate couldn't get the hole lined up. Since we were short on time and I hadn't put 2 and 2 together yet on the boat speed being the cause of the problem, we satisfied ourselves with the gentle evening cruise by motor.
And let me tell you guys, it felt good to be on the water again.
Your approach to the problem should work fine. I did it that way when replacing the keel bolt in my 25. I lowered the keel as far as it would go, then put just enough tension back on the cable to bring it taught and to help hold things where they were. As a precauton, I also ran a line around the rear of the keel so it would not tend to slide rearward.I then supported the front with a floor jack to take pressure off the bolt.Does anyone's experience suggest that this won't work, or that there's a better way to deal with the problem?