Towing with Mast Half Up Question

[Jack O'Brien]

Anybody here done any towing with the mast still stepped, resting on the pedestal crutch and hanging way out over the stern? If so, how far have you gone this way and has there been any damage to the mast or spreaders? Did you leave the mast raising pole up with tension on the jib halyard to help support the top of the mast? Did you support the mast in any other way? Did you take the boom and mainsail off or leave them connected to the mast?

[Robert]

Only from the staging site across the parking lot from the ramp.
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I would be very affraid up the upward pull on the place where the base of the mast is bolted to the top of the deck. I think that it is only engineered for downward load forces. Trailering and going over bumps would likely make the mast bounce and put a lot of unplanned forces on that mount.
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If the mast base broke loose while towing, how would you notice it from you tow vehicle driving position?
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When fully stowed the mast is still something like ten feet up, with the mast only stepped, it would be much higher.

[Moe]

I've only done the same as Robert, and agree with his statements. In our case, the first time we launched the Mac, we did the short distance from the setup lane to the ramp, after discovering the head wind, combined with the weight of the roller furler, was putting too much load on the mast raising gear. I left the mast raising gear in place and cleated, secured the mast to the support pole in the pedestal and proceded slowly to the ramp. That's as far as I'd go in that configuration.

[Jack O'Brien]

Three times we have gone two miles from our club to the nearest ramp and back with the mast still stepped. The head is about 14 feet high and did clear the wires. Yes, it bounces. To stop the bounce and prevent bending the mast at the crutch support point, this last time I made a auxiliary crutch at the stern and also left the raising system in place with the jib halyard helping to support the top of the mast. The boom and mainsail were in the cabin.

Not sure, but, I'll bet a cold beer this could work. Might have to have a quick way to remove the sliding companionway hatch. Cut the crutch tube slightly shorter and rest the boom/sail on it, with the boom still connected to the mast. Make a "X" crutch at the stern to support the mast and stabilize it side to side. Leave the gin pole up with the jib halyard helping to support the mast top. Run a red flag up the backstay and trailer to nearby sites. Would save a lot of work versus a complete raising/lowering every darn time.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Jack, I have a boat ramp in my neighborhood probably 1/3 of a mile away. I've towed that distance several times with the mast partially stepped. I go pretty slow and have to go under the high side of telephone lines attached to poles. The mast just barely clears it as my wife keeps watch out the window. I don't do it much anymore though because I learned the hard way that the turning clearance is different with the mast hanging way off the back. I clipped a telephone pole with the end of the mast turning out of the ramp...bent the crutch some (have it mostly bent back now) but no damage to the mast luckily.

[Chip Hindes]

I don't do it much anymore though because I learned the hard way that the turning clearance is different with the mast hanging way off the back.

I've been thinking this as you guys were discussing it, but Dimitri's comment gave me the incentive to check it out. By my calculation this puts the mast tip somewhere around 22' aft of the trailer pivot point. OK in the ramp lot if you're careful, but even with a red flag attached, way too far for safety on a public highway, IMO, and it may even be illegal without special signing.

It means you not only have to be careful of clipping stuff at the side of the road, but by my calculations it means when you make a normal 90 degree right turn on a two line highway, even when you swing wide the mast tip will protrude 6-8' into the opposing traffic lane.