Mast/Spars/Sail Storage Tube

Breeze Bender

Breeze Bender
The search feature isn’t helping me on this one. I’ve got 3 Sunfish at my cottage, but no garage or shed for storing the rigging. They are kept behind the couch, which is not ideal. I’d like to store them outdoors in the 8” diameter PVC tubing, I think I’ll need 14’ length, with a cap on each end. The sail will be completely dry, of course. The tubing is expensive (but cheaper than a shed!)
Any good reason not to go this route, other than cost? I saw a bunch at a construction site, might see if they can give me a deal. Home Depot/Lowe’s doesn’t sell this diameter.
 
I made sunbrella covers/sail bags. Since I sew a lot of projects, I have enough sunbrella scraps to stitch together "bags of many colors"! But you can also purchase them for about $100.
Build a "box" to store them...and the blades? Kinda like you might see for garden tools...but custom sized for your needs. $100 of lumber, hinges and paint, might be enough...?
 
The search feature isn’t helping me on this one. I’ve got 3 Sunfish at my cottage, but no garage or shed for storing the rigging. They are kept behind the couch, which is not ideal. I’d like to store them outdoors in the 8” diameter PVC tubing, I think I’ll need 14’ length, with a cap on each end. The sail will be completely dry, of course. The tubing is expensive (but cheaper than a shed!)
Any good reason not to go this route, other than cost? I saw a bunch at a construction site, might see if they can give me a deal. Home Depot/Lowe’s doesn’t sell this diameter.
A house partial demolition across the street from me had a 30-foot length of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe removed—which I "rescued". :cool: Unfortunately, it's also very heavy. :( There may be available a thinner/lighter "schedule" of PVC to protect sails. (Schedule 10, maybe?)

There are all kinds of rodents waiting to ruin your sails—red squirrels in particular. In Florida, it's mice and rats, and they'll chew through PVC to find food or lodging. Mice chewed through a wood box I made, and chewed a big chunk out of my Tornado mainsail. :confused: (Making it worthless, in spite of its having an Olympic inspector's seal). :(

I know it's a pain to navigate sails and spars inside the house, but I think they're safer behind the couch! ;)
 
You’re right, L&VW, those mice can get into just about anything. The sails aren’t without risk inside the cottage, either. This guy (and his cohorts) preferred to make a nest out of my tshirt, fortunately. Next time I might not be so lucky!
 

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Aw, look at the little dude... he's just trying to make a living, like everyone else, lol. Wouldn't last long here with these three cats... two tigers & one house panther that are death to rodents. :eek:

I must say, the peskiest rodent I ever met was the pack rat which was living under my floors when I first arrived, took two months of all-out war to trap that thing... very smart creatures, pack rats, and wary around cats or any kind of trap. :mad:

Had to put up with his gnawin' and a-chawin' at all hours of night, thing was LOUD too... larger than your average mouse or rat. Had some teeth on him, large incisors just made for gnawin' and a-chawin'. :confused:

He finally messed up one day when he appeared in my Pool Room in broad daylight, with two cats sleeping nearby on a couch in the adjoining room. I think the rodent was boldly trying to steal beer outta my fridge... ;)

With Crackhead's help, I cornered the blasted varmint in a small closet, then used the kitchen trash can to trap him and relocate him... gave him a limo ride to the outskirts of town, didn't have the heart to kill him after he outsmarted me for two months, lol. :rolleyes:

Very clever animals, pack rats, this one was the most formidable adversary I've ever faced in the rodent world... I cut him loose in a nice field with brush, trees, a fallen log, and some other hiding places. Several miles from my home, so he couldn't possibly make his way back to plague me again, lol. :cool:
 
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Very clever animals, pack rats, this one was the most formidable adversary I've ever faced in the rodent world... I cut him loose in a nice field with brush, trees, a fallen log, and some other hiding places. Several miles from my home, so he couldn't possibly make his way back to plague me again, lol. :cool:
So you say they're very clever animals? :rolleyes: Never see him again? :confused:

I'll sit on the porch with telescopic sights on a Ruger 22 rifle , and search for rodents with my binoculars. So far, no luck.

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Haha, that pic is funny... :D

When I gave the pack rat a limo ride to the outskirts of town, he was confined to the plastic trash can, a large coffee table book hastily taped in place atop the can to prevent him from escaping... :rolleyes:

Had I let him ride shotgun, hanging his head out the window like a dog, he undoubtedly would've noted every landmark on the way and returned to my home within 24 hours... :eek:

I'm tellin' ya, the thing was smart... last I heard, he'd already obtained his real estate license and is now selling parcels to rodents in that same large field. ;)

BTW, that .22 might not give ya enough firepower, I saw the blasted varmint sporting Kevlar in the past... :cool:

P.S. If you catch a glimpse of him, be careful, or he'll rob ya blind... he's notorious for stealing beer and leftover BBQ out of the fridge. His "Wanted" poster is hanging on the wall of our local Post Office! :confused:
 
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I used three sections of round metal duct joined together with duct tape, and end caps to store my sail and spars. If I didn't the mice would have gleefully chewed it to shreds. The only problem I ever had was that some condensation built up inside over the winter.
 
I used three sections of round metal duct joined together with duct tape, and end caps to store my sail and spars. If I didn't the mice would have gleefully chewed it to shreds. The only problem I ever had was that some condensation built up inside over the winter.
Good idea. I've got leftover woodstove chimney pipe that would work.

Metal screening and hose clamps would solve that condensation buildup. (Or baling wire instead of clamps).
 

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