how high is the mast support

[WinSome]

Thanks for the excellent pics and description. Funtasia has identical Bimini setup, so will make a similar type extension.

[DaveC426913]

Yup. My PO had a crutch extender made as well. Now the mast clears the bimini.
He had the boat fitted for frequent trips through the Trent-Severn locks.

My mast cradle always looks like it's going to fold in half, especailly when I'm sliding the mast around on it.
So I am sure to tie a good strong dock line from cabin winch to crutchhead back to cabin winch. Makes a nice solid support.

[captronr]

Be careful of taller mast height at the rear. My 2002X is right at the facia board height if I back into my driveway. Other critical area is the car wash I take the boat to. The end of the mast just barely clears the doorway! Any higher and it wouldn't fit.

Ron

[Tomfoolery]

So using your sizes I will add a length of pipe to the bottom in the pedestal hole to get the stepping height I want and after tha mast is secure I can remove the extension leaving the correct height handle for me to use. I will also use the lower height for trailering and avoid the excessive height of the rear of the mast.

Just to be clear, the pipe is the mechanical splice. It provides structural support against bending.

The aluminium tube (old spreader, or any 1" OD thin-walled tubing) does the actual spacing. The tube length dictates the amount of height increase of the roller. And you can keep several sizes if you like; a long-ish one for raising the mast high so you don't bump into it (like at the dock), or a shorter one to keep the mast just clear of the bimini if motoring with the mast elevated.

And do use a bit of line to brace the mast against rocking, as in rough water that mast can really get going, which stresses the helm unnecessarily. And remember to do something about a masthead (steaming) light if motoring with the mast down after sunset. A few here have made 'trawler' masts, and the hollow type made from two flat pieces of Starboard or marine ply with paint can actually flank the mast but pin to the tabernacle, and provide mid-span support for the mast. Which I like, as in rough water, I often find myself sitting on the mast (like in a canal lock).

[DaveC426913]

Be careful of taller mast height at the rear. My 2002X is right at the facia board height if I back into my driveway. Other critical area is the car wash I take the boat to. The end of the mast just barely clears the doorway! Any higher and it wouldn't fit.

Ron

I would not have the mast support extension in while trailering. Why would you? You wouldn't have the bimini up while trailering would you?

[Photoman369]

So using your sizes I will add a length of pipe to the bottom in the pedestal hole to get the stepping height I want and after tha mast is secure I can remove the extension leaving the correct height handle for me to use. I will also use the lower height for trailering and avoid the excessive height of the rear of the mast.

Just to be clear, the pipe is the mechanical splice. It provides structural support against bending.

The aluminium tube (old spreader, or any 1" OD thin-walled tubing) does the actual spacing. The tube length dictates the amount of height increase of the roller. And you can keep several sizes if you like; a long-ish one for raising the mast high so you don't bump into it (like at the dock), or a shorter one to keep the mast just clear of the bimini if motoring with the mast elevated.

And do use a bit of line to brace the mast against rocking, as in rough water that mast can really get going, which stresses the helm unnecessarily. And remember to do something about a masthead (steaming) light if motoring with the mast down after sunset. A few here have made 'trawler' masts, and the hollow type made from two flat pieces of Starboard or marine ply with paint can actually flank the mast but pin to the tabernacle, and provide mid-span support for the mast. Which I like, as in rough water, I often find myself sitting on the mast (like in a canal lock).

Perfect that's just what I had in mind. A spacer for height adjustment with a stronger pipe in side to slide the existing support high enough to keep it strong.of course now I am using dry storage so the mast stay up all the time. But I still Ike trailer to new lakes.

[Tomfoolery]

You can see the wear ring on the SS crutch tube in the pic I posted on the previous page, and that it's about 1 ft up from the bottom. The pipe in the picture is longer than 2 ft, but that's not the one I usually use. The aluminium tube in the pic is the actual spacer, and comes flush with the top of the helm, so obviously it's as long as the length of crutch tube up to the 'ring'.

Be advised that some helm structures on the X are tall and some are short, so do measure before committing (and cutting) raw material. Mine is the short version. If you have the tall one, and if the pin in the crutch receiver tube is more than a foot down, then you may need to make the spacer tube longer so it doesn't get stuck down in there with no easy way to get it out. Since mine comes up flush with the SS socket, I can just pull it out with a finger if it slips back down as I pull the pipe out. Another option is to flare the bottom of the pipe slightly so the aluminium tube can't get past the bottom, and it comes out with the pipe. Just a heads-up.

Hope it works out for you.