Unstep mast with mainsail left in?
- Thread starter BayMan
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I moved a boat from Chicago to St. Petersburg Fla via the Mississippi with the mast on a frame on the deck. We left all the rigging and spreaders on it. If it's well secured there shouldn't be a problem, but I can't think of a single reason to leave the sail in the mast.
You'll still have to go forward to handle lines for docking and locking. If leaving the spreaders attached impedes that, take them off. Probably don't have to completely remove them, just lash them to the mast. Don't put yourself at risk over a few minutes work. Same thing with the sail, the mast will be heavier with it in. I'm not very familiar with in mast furling but it just doesn't sound like a good idea to leave it in. Not that big a deal to put it back in the bag.
It will be easier to step and unstep the mast without the sail in the mast as it will be lighter.
If the mast can be mounted with the spreaders vertical, you can leave them on. Otherwise take them off. You will need to move around the boat when going through locks and docking.
If the mast is mounted low, at head knocking height as you leave the cabin, tie a short piece of rope to hang down in front of the companion way. That will remind you to duck.
The canal is an interesting trip. Buffalo to Albany is about 7 to 9 days.
If the mast can be mounted with the spreaders vertical, you can leave them on. Otherwise take them off. You will need to move around the boat when going through locks and docking.
If the mast is mounted low, at head knocking height as you leave the cabin, tie a short piece of rope to hang down in front of the companion way. That will remind you to duck.
The canal is an interesting trip. Buffalo to Albany is about 7 to 9 days.
Link is a blog from a friend that went down through Oswego on his Hunter 42. Pictures show how he did it. See the mast pictures.
http://quantumjoy.blogspot.ca/
http://quantumjoy.blogspot.ca/
If some sailors argue that you shouldn't sail a masthead rig without the main (Jib only) because the main helps to keep the mast from pumping, why is it so cut and dry that a furled main in the mast wouldn't resist sagging? I don't understand the argument about making the mast heavier. It's a 45' boat. It's going to take a crane to drop the mast and one to put it up again. It's already heavy.
But I've never done the canal thing so what do I know.
I was visiting the Lockport NY Locks on the Erie Canal today. Interesting place. It was fun watching a tug pull a tree through. They dropped the water level pretty darn fast. I'd like to make a trip for part of it.
But I've never done the canal thing so what do I know.
I was visiting the Lockport NY Locks on the Erie Canal today. Interesting place. It was fun watching a tug pull a tree through. They dropped the water level pretty darn fast. I'd like to make a trip for part of it.
If the sail weighs 50 pounds, leaving it rolled in the mast will make the mast 50 pounds heavier. Does that matter? Maybe not. But the support frame will have to hold 50 pounds more, and if you end up having to move it by hand for any reason, it will be 50 pounds harder. Compare that to the effort of unrolling the sail and removing it, I'd go with removing it. Once the mast is down, you're stuck with whatever decision you made prior to that.
The issue about mast weight is supporting the mast on deck when it is horizontal. While the canal trip is mostly through calm rivers and canals, there are sections where the canal crosses lakes and where large power boats are not as careful about their wakes as they should be. A lighter mast is easier to secure and safer in those conditions.
The locks drain quite quickly. The lock master has some control over how fast they drain and fill. Rapid filling causes more turbulence, making it harder to control the boat in the lock. Going down hill the draining water tends to pull the boat away from the lock walls while going uphill the incoming water tends to push the boat up against the lock walls.
The Lockport locks are interesting. Originally there was a flight of 5 locks, now there are just 2 big/deep ones. Had an "interesting" experience in those locks a few years ago when I discovered the start battery wasn't getting charged.....
When's the last time you saw a roller furling main that completely filled the cavity in the mast from top to bottom? If it did, it must have taken mega horsepower to roll up the rest after the head of the sail had completely filled the upper section of the cavity. Must have been a gaff main you saw.
Like someone said - the mast is already much too heavy to lift or move around without a crane. What difference will 50lbs more make? If my framing and lashing cant handle that extra 50lbs then it is already built too light.
The real purpose of my original question dealt more with not causing damage to the sail or the (swept back) spreaders if they are left on. I would think the swept back spreaders, if positioned down on the frame, may help make the whole thing more stable.
The biggest issue with spreaders is how they limit moving around on the deck when in the locks. If the spreaders are high enough off the deck, i.e., 6 ft. they should not be much of a problem. If they are vertical, again not much of a problem. If horizontal and below head height they will be a nuisance and will interfere with safe locking through.
In the locks you will be maneuvering in very tight quarters. And while you will try to stop the boat so that the person on deck is next to one of the lines or ladders in the lock, you won't always be successful. The locks have ropes or cables that you hold onto as you ascend or descend the locks. Some will be spaced so that the crew on the bow can reach one while the crew in the stern can reach another, but mostly, they won't be spaced that way. Crew will need to move along the side decks unimpeded.
In no way would I place weight on the spreaders. Spreaders are designed to take compression loads from the rigging; not the kind of load that would be placed on them if used as "legs" to support the mast.
The crane at Fair Point Marina (Fair Haven) can support the weight of your mast with the sail in it. You will be pushing the limits at Oswego. Hopenose (sp?) Marina near Albany should be able to handle your mast with the sail, not sure about the one at Castleton YC.
In the locks you will be maneuvering in very tight quarters. And while you will try to stop the boat so that the person on deck is next to one of the lines or ladders in the lock, you won't always be successful. The locks have ropes or cables that you hold onto as you ascend or descend the locks. Some will be spaced so that the crew on the bow can reach one while the crew in the stern can reach another, but mostly, they won't be spaced that way. Crew will need to move along the side decks unimpeded.
In no way would I place weight on the spreaders. Spreaders are designed to take compression loads from the rigging; not the kind of load that would be placed on them if used as "legs" to support the mast.
The crane at Fair Point Marina (Fair Haven) can support the weight of your mast with the sail in it. You will be pushing the limits at Oswego. Hopenose (sp?) Marina near Albany should be able to handle your mast with the sail, not sure about the one at Castleton YC.
I have done it both ways on the Tenn-Tom from Kentucky Lake to Mobile and then coming back up in the spring. At my home port, they took it off. At Turner in Mobile, we left it furled in the mast. Made no difference, but what does is putting the spreaders up, not down.
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You suggest spreaders up? That would allow for better movement on deck but I would think spreaders down would be more stable.
You can't move around on deck through the locks with spreaders down unless you get it (mast) up high which hurts your center of gravity. If you restrain your mast with a good cradle, it is not an issue. Mine restrains it forward and back and I tied lines to the spreaders vertically to cleats on the sides. No rolling possible. Most critical thing is to design a good, substantial cradle.
Moving around on deck is essential. Some locks where you are (maybe all) use ropes and not sliding floating bollards to tie to. We had one bollard stick at Stennis on way North and had to get loose fast. You need room to move on deck fast if the unexpected happens. There are 13 both ways for us, total of 26 locks. Also with your mast sticking out there you need someone on deck fending off in case your mast starts heading toward the lock wall. The torque from contact could roll your mast off your boat. Remember you are a boat the length of your mast, not your boat length and geometry of your fenders and how you gradually approach parallel to the lock wall is very important. If you are set up correctly, you will breeze through the locks. We got to where we were secured on the wall about two minutes after entering the lock and about two-thirds of the way down. Use your prop walk to assist you in that last few feet to stop and ease you into the wall to secure you to your connection with the lock. Keep a sharp rigging knife handy!
Moving around on deck is essential. Some locks where you are (maybe all) use ropes and not sliding floating bollards to tie to. We had one bollard stick at Stennis on way North and had to get loose fast. You need room to move on deck fast if the unexpected happens. There are 13 both ways for us, total of 26 locks. Also with your mast sticking out there you need someone on deck fending off in case your mast starts heading toward the lock wall. The torque from contact could roll your mast off your boat. Remember you are a boat the length of your mast, not your boat length and geometry of your fenders and how you gradually approach parallel to the lock wall is very important. If you are set up correctly, you will breeze through the locks. We got to where we were secured on the wall about two minutes after entering the lock and about two-thirds of the way down. Use your prop walk to assist you in that last few feet to stop and ease you into the wall to secure you to your connection with the lock. Keep a sharp rigging knife handy!
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