Trailering; Spreaders on or off?

[hriehl1]

We'll be trailer-sailing our DS II.

Thus far, we have been assembling and dis-assembling the spreaders at each launch and retrieve. It is quick, but we don't have spreader boots and it is just a matter of time before we rip the main on an unprotected spreader tip.

Do others leave spreaders always assembled (with boots) when trailering. Or you you assemble / dis-assemble the spreaders (and boots) for each launch-retrieve?

Thanks

hriehl1

[Orion]

I leave mine on. I've never considered taking them off. But they have left some chafing on the deck (blackish-gray rub marks) from the ride.

[Sean McGuire]

I always leave mine on, but I think my trailering setup is probably different than yours. My trailer has a mast support above the winch and I have a rear mast support that uses the rudder gudgeons. I also have a support that sits on the mast plate in the center of the boat. My mast rides about a foot or so above the cuddy parallel to the ground. I keep the stays from flapping with a couple of bungee cords. I made a pair of "boots" for my spreaders by cutting an old garden hose and prettied them up with white rigging tape. Much cheaper option than going to West Marine. If you would like more details on my trailering setup, send me a message.

Sean McGuire
1984 DS II IONA

[Adrift]

The spreaders stay on. I've seen a lot of variety, especially in the stern, as to what holds the mast. But I've never seen anyone take the spreaders off of a DS to trailer.

Sounds like my setup, and the one my father had, were somewhat like Sean's but not so high up.

I have a tabernacle on the mast and I leave the stub in the hull so I put a foam pad on that, and I have an extension on the trailer winch post (where foam stays put), and in the stern sits a PVC pipe (foam stays put). The mast is supported at those 3 points, leading edge up (if I recall correctly), and the spreaders drape to the deck with no issues.

My dad did not have a tabernacle, so his mast sat a tiny bit lower -- on a cushion on the cuddy, on an extension on the winch post, and a pole on the rudder gudgeons. Again, the spreaders lay nicely on deck.

Stays are neatly gathered to avoid kinks, and velcro straps or bungees hold it all together.

[calden]

Don't need to remove the spreaders.

I built a mast crutch for the rear. PO had just sat the mast on the stern with a pad. My mast crutch holds the mast a couple of feet above the transom, and has a bow roller to help me with stepping my hinged mast.

[thumb=267]

My deck has a couple of worn spots in the gelcoat where the spreader tips had touched when trailering. I didn't like this, so figured out that I can position the mast on the supports so the aft side (with sail groove) is up, and the masthead is foreward. This way, the spreaders hang down into the cockpit and the jumper stay spreaders (yes, I have those) are facing down, positioned up above the deck. This way nothing touches the deck, and I can easily throw a tarp over the whole boat and secure it with two bungees.

WHen stepping, I have to turn the mast top-to-bottom to put the sail slide slot in the right position, and need to turn it front-to-back. Then I roll it back on the bow roller and the hinge lines up.

Carlos