DaySailer.org Forum

Is it okay to store the mast, with stays attached, outside for a Vermont winter? It's high up on a barn wall, lying horizontally on three hooks (secured to the hooks). The slot is facing down. Not too concerned with rust (should I be?) but wonder if the stays might get kinked due to ice build up. The side faces south and there are a couple of large trees nearby so they may act as a foil to any heavy weather.

Thoughts?

You could put the stays under slight tension, perhaps?

If you are interested in protecting the mast, you could cut a strip from a tarp, wrap it around a long batten, and nail it above the mast into the barn wall, then tie down the lower end after you draped the tarp over the mast.

Mast (aluminum) and stays (stainless) should not rust. If you used the boat on saltwater, rinse before storing it (unless you were relying on the rain ).

Supporting on three hooks seems fine. Mine is supported in two places only (but under a tarp - except for mast step and mast head) and I can't see any issues.

Thanks for the response, GreenLake.

I store my mast outside but cover it. I don't worry about the metal parts but want to protect the halyards and plastic parts from UV. I would think if you were to remove the halyards you would have little to worry about.

I occasionally remove all halyards, but my winter storage gets interrupted due do a mid-winter series that I've taken part in a few times. That means, anything I do for winter storage prep I get to do twice with half the return. This year I'm planning on washing all the running rigging.

I think you'll be fine with outside storage, especially since you are storing it up higher and on a barn wall. I see masts left on the boats, used as cover center beams, stored on saw horses, even laying on the ground and I've never seen or heard of any issues. I'm about 4 hours west of you on the other side of the adirondacks so we're similar environments.

Thanks all for your advice. I think it will be fine. The halyards and topping lift have been removed, as well as the forestay. I left the sidestays on because they are 'wired' onto the spreader ends and didn't want to undo a nice job of wraping... I did, however, remove the rubber spreader 'boots'. Think I will take some slack out of the stays, as GreenLake suggested, to prevent kinks.