Hey, I got another crazy idea.
What do you think about lopping off the top ~5 foot of mast, leaving just a little bit above the forestay hound?
In connection with this, I'd raise the gooseneck about a foot to give more cockpit/bimini clearance.
Obviously, this would require a new mainsail. This would be sort of like sailing with a reefed main, but I'd get a new mainsail cut with a full foot and maximum roach.
The advantages, as I see it are:
1 - More cockpit space, allowing me to sail with the bimini up. This is a big bonus, where summer temps can get unbearable...
2 - Better bridge clearance. There are a few bridges that have looked just too close to try to go under with the mast up. Despite the hype, dropping the mast on the water is not something I want to make a regular habit of...
3 - Less heeling moment. I'd have a lower COE for the mainsail...
Yeah, I know I'd be loosing some sail area, but, with a full foot and lots of roach, that could be minimized...
I also reconginze there there will be balance issues. But, hull, the way I sail, we've got those problems already...
Short Mast
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Might be better to price out a replacement Spar at shorter length for resale value alone..
If you keep the length as you wrote, you could use your existing standing rigging....
You might even just have a reef cut in your main at the right place rather than buying a new main too....
If you keep the length as you wrote, you could use your existing standing rigging....
You might even just have a reef cut in your main at the right place rather than buying a new main too....
Yeah, If I do this, I'll buy another mast. I won't do it to my original mast... I'm thinking a complete replacement mast, so swapping between the two would be easy...
Yes, I'd want to keep the rigging the same, just lose the top ~5 feet, which extends above the forestay hound... It would be more complicated if I had a backstay...
I'm essentially talking about changing a fractional rig into a masthead rig...
The problem with using the stock main, is that you really lose alot of sail area. I want to minimize that by getting a sail cut with full foot, i.e. not the shortened foot of a reefed main) and max roach...
Yes, I'd want to keep the rigging the same, just lose the top ~5 feet, which extends above the forestay hound... It would be more complicated if I had a backstay...
I'm essentially talking about changing a fractional rig into a masthead rig...
The problem with using the stock main, is that you really lose alot of sail area. I want to minimize that by getting a sail cut with full foot, i.e. not the shortened foot of a reefed main) and max roach...