Motoring Mast

Sloop John B · Post by **Sloop John B** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:59 pm

Holy crap! I'm going to spend half a day making a ding a ling fake mast pole. Give me a break!

You guys are absolutely frickin nutts.

If you're nervous someone will see your empty step as you zoom along on power, get your ol' lady to put a fancy hat over the sucker. Or hire a gal down at Hooters to lay on top of it when she's off. No one will ever notice or wonder about your empty step.

Good God.

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:01 am

I think you have it looking about the best that you can... but it still just doesn't quite look 'right'. I would love to see if others can continue to improve on this design to see if it can look right. I love the idea of being able to take the mac out for a quicky without having to spend the time setting it up and breaking it down.

Cam

Bransher · Post by **Bransher** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:36 am

Sloop John B said:

Holy crap! I'm going to spend half a day making a ding a ling fake mast pole. Give me a break!

Be assured.......you are not alone in your thoughts.

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:15 am

Hey, why not a faux cruise ship-style smoke stack over the mast step? The MacGregor designs seem to call out for one when mastless.

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:41 pm

After many mastless trips with nothing up there in many pictures I came to the conclusion that the boat just looks wrong with an empty step. The motoring mast also adds to the safety and comfort of the deck, just having something to rest your hand on makes you not so exposed in that wide open void when the sailing mast is removed.

The mast is not all show. It also provides a place for the Coast Guard required white forward facing masthead light that gets left behind with the sailing mast. As a power boat you have to show this masthead light 1 meter above your red and green forward lights at night. Without it you would be identifying yourself as a boat under sail. We actually got stopped and inspected last Feb (we had the sailing mast on at the time so this wasn't an issue) but lights were on the list of items they checked and I'm sure they would have complained if I hadn't had a masthead light as required by law.

Navigation (Running) Lights

Required on boats between sunset and sunrise. A sailboat under motor only, or under sail and motor, is considered a powerboat, and must display appropriate lights.
BOATS UNDER 12 METERS (39.4')

Sailboats-Separate or combination red and green sidelights, 112.5°, visible 1 n.m. White stern light, 135°, visible 2 n.m. OR, tri-color masthead light.

Powerboats-Separate or combination red and green sidelights, 112.5°, visible 1 n.m., placed above hull at least 1 meter (3.3') below masthead light. Masthead: white, 225°, visible 2 n.m., at least 1 meter above side lights. White stern light, 135°, visible 2 n.m. OR, one all-round (360°) white light (should also have sidelights).

In addition gives my wife a backrest up top when the full mast is not there. The only add on she has asked for is some cup holders up there. We actively use the foredeck for a lot of activities. Here is a pic while we were cruising along on our last trip

My solution is super simple and would take anyone with reasonable carpentry skills about an hour to replicate. You could even skip the edge rounding and be done in a half hour with just a jigsaw and drill.

It's not fancy, but it balances out the boat visually and looks substantial while really just being two boards and some bolts. Why cruise around with that ugly empty step giving people more reasons to look down on our Macs. Be proud of the fact your boat can be both a sail and a powerboat that can look good both ways.

You to can easily have a classic look and profile reminiscent of many of the Chris Craft models. They often had little flag masts forward of their cockpit windshields.

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:05 pm

I like it too. Maybe a little steeper angle would improve it. Also a cool piece of electronics like a radar/TV((:) dome would help possibly.
Rolf

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:18 pm

Now I know. WINGS! The pole needs some aerodynamic wings like the chris craft in your last pic.
R

Bransher · Post by **Bransher** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:42 pm

After looking at the pictures again, and reading your reasons for having it, I have reconsidered my original opinion.
I like it!!!
It does have that classic look, and it does serve a purpose beyond just being cosmetic.
And as usual, you did a great job of constructing it.

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:12 pm

I angled it to match the slope of the front panel on my dodger, just as the Chris Craft ones match the slope of their windshields. I can always go steeper by just cutting down the base if I need to. That's much easier than adding material back on.

I thought about and actually drew up some swept back spreader wings like you see in the Chris Craft pictures. I may still do that, I've got some signal flags

coming that tie into a string. I'm going to go from the baby stay anchors to the mast top. Once I see how that looks I'll decide if I should put spreaders into the mix.

Add those to the MYCBC burgee

on a bow pulpit staff and the boat should look very festive for the BWY Rendezvous. We are going to be bold and daring by attending with the motoring mast instead of the sailing mast. I'm sure it will stir up a lot of comments.

The BWY Rendezvous will be a quick trip for us launching at Des Moines (quick and easy sling launch with no trailer dip in the salt water) and motoring over to Port Orchard for just Thursday and Friday night. For such a short trip launching is so much quicker without the sailing mast and all it's setup.

Then the sailing mast goes back on for the 12 day August trip up in the San Juans and hopefully a few other weekends in between.

Bransher · Post by **Bransher** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:14 pm

I just thought of another benefit of having the motoring mast. If you meet any Mac bashers out there that say anything nasty about our boats, you can tell them that it is a “phallus symbol” and indicates that Mac sailor’s are superior. Maybe you should consider making it 3 foot taller?

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 1:44 am

i would love to see a pic of it sloped back further. This might make the mac look more sleek than it already does. Would also love to see wings. Anyone with a

willing to do it? Would like to see how it looks.

Cam

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 3:18 am

It should lean back at the magic angle - where the second Legendre polynomial vanishes

Arc cos of SQRT(1/3) or about 57 degrees. Measure it with a protractor, cut with an ax....maybe I got that backwards....

at your hooters joke Sloop.....

Sloop John B · Post by **Sloop John B** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:20 am

No, the slope is correct.

I wonder if you need the navigation lights for an 'inspection' if you say you don't go out after sundown.

The lights on my fishing rig click down into 'sockets'. But they don't work. Corroded connection.

beene · Post by **beene** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:28 pm

There is a difference between "Planning" to go out after sundown, and "ending up on the water" after sundown. Can't count the number of times I ended up out there hours after sundown for various reasons when not planning on it.

The regs probably apply regardless of your stated intentions.

G

Duane Dunn, Allegro · Post by **Duane Dunn, Allegro** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:11 pm

That's like claiming you don't need PFD's on board because you don't intend to fall overboard.

No cigar, here's you ticket.

Proper lighting on board is mandatory even if you never use it.

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MacGregorSailors.com

Motoring Mast