Trailering with the mast

[Guest]

I am unhappy with the way my mast mounts to my trailer. It bangs against the boat. Does anyone have pictures of the way they trailer their mast? I particularly want to know ideas on how to raise the mast at the stern. I have a protor mast.

Mike Witteman (mikewitteman-at-comcast.net)

[Guest]

I don't have any pictures, but the way I trailer my mast is above the boat. Into the fittings for the rudder fits a homemade brace that the previous owner fabricated. It's a 2x6 board with some metal piping that extends out from the board about 2" and then elbows up another 18". The pipe is attached to the board with a round fitting screwed into the wood. At the top of this extension is a U-shaped fitting that the top of the mast rests in (it's wrapped in foam and tape like you'd find on a tennis racket handle). Then, at the other end, the trailer itself has a vertical member with another U-shaped piece at the top, and that holds the bottom of the mast.
My mast has a tabernacle, or hinge, in it. When I step the mast, I untie it from the above configuration, and secure the back of the tabernacle base on the "big" section of mast to the matching tabernacle half on the "permanent" section of the mast (under the cuddy roof and poking through about 2"). I secure the shrounds, get in the boat, and 'walk' the mast up hand-over-hand until it's fully up. Then I secure the front of the hinge so it won't open up, secure the forestay, and off you go. It sounds harder than it is...the real problem is getting it DOWN. I strongly suggest you not try that alone...you'll ding something or someone with that mast coming down. The leverage of you standing about 6 feet from the base when gravity takes over is simply not enough to prevent it from crashing down onto your boat. Check other threads under "mast tabernacle" or "stepping the mast" for more discussion on this.
Good luck!

Tom (tom.beames-at-wachovia.com)

[Guest]

I had a contraption the previous owner built to hold the mast horizontal, it worked but was a pain to assemble, shock cords, tie downs, blah blah blah. I finally went to the Marine store and got a couple of new pintels (those hooks that hold the rudder on the back of the boat)and a retainer (the flat metal piece that keeps the rudder from popping up) and put them on a 2x4, spaced like the rudder. Now I can put the post in in a couple of seconds. A couple of "U" shaped pieces of plywood padded with pipe insulation cradle the mast on top of the 2x4 post. A shock cord holds the mast in the bracket.

Barry (bkelleher-at-sandiego.gov)

[Guest]

Please see www.aisol.com/daysailer/index.html for an idea for stowing the mast while towing. I put the trailer lights onto a 2x6 support beam that stretches across the transom. The support beam has a padded area to hold the mast in position while trailering. I can remove the light bar to prevent the lights from shorting out when I launch.
-Ron


RJ Swenson (rswenson-at-aisol.com)

[psness]

Wow RJ - great restoration job...and I thought my DSII was in bad shape! Where did you get the "O'Day Daysailer" sign, or is it the old one cleaned up?