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Our HOA happens to have its own marina, but we are not allowed to overnight or put in for the season due to permitting rules with the Corps of Engineers or for some other flimsy excuse.

BUT....I can drive from my house to the marina with the mast up as there are not overhead lines or blockages. Since this is a residential neighborhood, top speed is supposed to be 25 mph.

My neighbor offered to trim the trees on the property line so I could store my 26D with the mast up. This would make getting out for an evening sail a whole lot easier and a whole lot more common.

My question is....is there any harm in leaving the mast up while on the trailer for a few weeks at a time? I realize that many people moor their boats in slips fully rigged for extended periods of time, but when in the water, the boat is free to move a little to release tension. While on the trailer, the boat would not be free to adjust in an attempt to counterbalance the forces.

Thanks,

Curwen

My 26m was stored on the hard, fully rigged, with the main and Genoa furled before I bought it. It was parked 50 yards from the ramp. Other than being dusty from the shell parking lot, it showed no ill effects that I can see.

Same here 26X stored mast up on its trailer about 30 yards from the ramp

I'm interested to hear other members answer to this. I've never done it, but I also cant see any harm. I assume you are planning on leaving the boom and sails on for the fast setup. It seems to me that the wave action when moored or at dock is more of a stress on the rigging than what it is exposed to on the non moving trailer.

I'd be much more worried about trailering with the mast up. I don't know what an HOA is, and I'm assuming it is a very short distance to the ramp, but for the record, how far will you have to trailer that way?

Edit.... OK at this point I'm thinking Home Owners Association ...duh

and an even bigger duh if i'm wrong on it

but also you mentioned your "neighborhood" and a neighbor cutting his own trees. The housing complexes with marinas in this area are all condos.

You know the rig is good for ~25 mph (if you have a 90hp). As long as he doesn't hit a tree limb, he should be fine.

My HOA won't let me park mine in my driveway. Thankfully it fits in the garage.

Unless subjected to higher wind loads there should be no issue. The idea being that the rig is designed to be on the water and when wind increase heel is induced reducing stain on the rig, this does not happen on the trailer. I think this has more of an impact in hurricane prone areas though.

We've been mast up on the hard for almost 10 years in a locked compound at the marina.
Best of both worlds, but as always ... a compromise;
- lower rent and only temp anti-foul paint
- but still slave to the tide for launch and weekend warrior gong show pulling the boat out after a long trip.

Mast-up; almost fully rigged during sailing months


Mast down; fully cover winter months

Nearest ramp to my house is 3mi. When we pulled the boat up the ramp and before we started to drop the mast I guy asked me how I got the boat home like that.... I was kind, polite, and asked him to stick around and watch us drop the mast...much to his relief. What is obvious to some is not necessarily to others

1st Sail wrote:Nearest ramp to my house is 3mi. When we pulled the boat up the ramp and before we started to drop the mast I guy asked me how I got the boat home like that.... I was kind, polite, and asked him to stick around and watch us drop the mast...much to his relief. What is obvious to some is not necessarily to others

One never knows what the reaction is going to be for our boats.

The first time I pulled Nice Aft up the ramp at the marina we were slipping her at, at the time, a fellow who was watching the water pour out of the ballast quipped that the boat was too new for that much water to be in it's bilge. He was serious. I assured him all was well

Ray

Following Ray down the rabbit hole, there are only a few M and X boats on the bay here. I'm apparently the only one that launches at Fowl River. Overheard a guy tell his buddy when we were putting the M on her trailer; "That thing will Sail, it planes like a power boat, it's way cool, run you about $200,000".

Apparently, some see a value in a dual purpose boat.

Last time we pulled out at the ramp an interested fisho came over so I said in a loud voice to the crew "I told you it was your job to put the bungs in" as the water gushed out for a good 3 or 4 minutes.

The look on his face was priceless

No harm in storing your boat mast up. Thousands of trailer sailers do it. As long as you are not driving too far on bumpy roads, you will be fine,,, and as long as you dont drive down the side of your house and let a shroud catch on the gutter like I did The mast made quite a noise as it buckled and snapped.

Although the noise my missus made as she ran outside and screamed at me was far more impressive

I've often wanted to say something like "I've been waiting all month to empty that holding tank", but the DEC police around here are rather Joe Friday-esque, and I don't need someone dropping a dime on me for a joke that could be hard to explain.

Tomfoolery wrote:I've often wanted to say something like "I've been waiting all month to empty that holding tank", but the DEC police around here are rather Joe Friday-esque, and I don't need someone dropping a dime on me for a joke that could be hard to explain.

I like the way you think, I might try that one next time I have a audience

My best is when asked man u got a serious leak in ur bilge & I tell them Man u don,t think I,m haulin all that sh_t home do U !!!
if u watch the mac promo video it show,s all kinds of mac,s "S" "D" "X" & "M" sitting in mast up storage marina,s
there have been post on here where guy,s have filled the ballast tank with water & anchored their boat,s & trl,s onto a concrete pad & survived Hurricanes & Tornadoes

I do not see any issue other than makin sure if the main & head sail r left on make sure they r well tied or bungied so as they will not undo & stress the riggin & mast '
One benefit of my furler,s is they can b locked down , so even if the sail,s became undone they cannot unfurl


J