Howdy Capt Ron,I read the post by Wild Bill dated March 22, 2013. It was pretty good. However, I do not have a trailer that has the high front support post. I recently purchased my boat and trailer which had a makeshift and delaminating plywood mast support in the stern and the base of the mast rested on the bow of the boat. So, in my conservative nature, I fabricated a new support system out of 1.5-inch PVC pipe, 2"x1.5" PVC tees (with the 2" portion cut in half using a hacksaw), and some hardware as shown in the attached pictures. This system allows me to slide the mast back on the supports, remove the front support, lever the mast into the maststep, and insert the securing bolt without having to lift the mast. Then I can simply step the mast from that point. The back support uses the rudder supports without the use of bolts and nuts and can therefore be easily lifted out and stored while sailing. The supports keep the spreaders just above the seats in the boat. The cost of the system is about $8.00. For transport, I simply tie down the base of the mast at the bow fitting and use a tie-down strap in the stern to prevent the support and mast from lifting out of the rudder support when the trailer hits a big bump. The system is also very aerodynamic (low profile).
Well, that's my version of mast support for trailering.
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I read the post by Wild Bill dated March 22, 2013. It was pretty good. However, I do not have a trailer that has the high front support post. I recently purchased my boat and trailer which had a makeshift and delaminating plywood mast support in the stern and the base of the mast rested on the bow of the boat. So, in my conservative nature, I fabricated a new support system out of 1.5-inch PVC pipe, 2"x1.5" PVC tees (with the 2" portion cut in half using a hacksaw), and some hardware as shown in the attached pictures. This system allows me to slide the mast back on the supports, remove the front support, lever the mast into the maststep, and insert the securing bolt without having to lift the mast. Then I can simply step the mast from that point. The back support uses the rudder supports without the use of bolts and nuts and can therefore be easily lifted out and stored while sailing. The supports keep the spreaders just above the seats in the boat. The cost of the system is about $8.00. For transport, I simply tie down the base of the mast at the bow fitting and use a tie-down strap in the stern to prevent the support and mast from lifting out of the rudder support when the trailer hits a big bump. The system is also very aerodynamic (low profile).
Well, that's my version of mast support for trailering.
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Hi Timothy. Thanks for the feedback. The hooks are standard make and come from the hardware section of Lowe's (you can also get them from Home Depot or other general hardware store). Fortunately, the diameter of the metal hooks was close to the size of the holes in the rudder support, so they fit well. The hooks are attached to the PVC pipe with nuts and bolts (matching the hole diameter in the hooks) that go through the entire diameter of the pipe. The hole spacing was measured based on the spacing of the rudder supports and the holes were drilled in the pipes with standard drill bits (for metal). I used the bolts because short screws could possibly deflect inside the pipe and strip out with any excessive weight and long screws would end with a sharp point outside the pipe. Since this support doesn't go in the water, you don't have to worry about getting galvanized hooks (the stern portion of the boat is also stored out of the rain under a cover). If concerned about rusting hooks, a spray application of WD40 periodically should do the trick. (They are also cheap to replace.) I'll edit this message later with a close-up photo of the hook assembly. I hope this answers your question.Great design! For the back support, how did you fashion the two hooks that fit into the rudder supports?
Thanks.
Hi Timothy. Thanks for the feedback. The hooks are standard make and come from the hardware section of Lowe's (you can also get them from Home Depot or other general hardware store). Fortunately, the diameter of the metal hooks was close to the size of the holes in the rudder support, so they fit well. The hooks are attached to the PVC pipe with nuts and bolts (matching the hole diameter in the hooks) that go through the entire diameter of the pipe. The hole spacing was measured based on the spacing of the rudder supports and the holes were drilled in the pipes with standard drill bits (for metal). I used the bolts because short screws could possibly deflect inside the pipe and strip out with any excessive weight and long screws would end with a sharp point outside the pipe. Since this support doesn't go in the water, you don't have to worry about getting galvanized hooks (the stern portion of the boat is also stored out of the rain under a cover). If concerned about rusting hooks, a spray application of WD40 periodically should do the trick. (They are also cheap to replace.) I'll edit this message later with a close-up photo of the hook assembly. I hope this answers your question.
Don't mean to be dense but are these clothes hooks? What is the original purpose of the hooks? Thanks for all the helpful info about measurements and bolts.
Jeff -looks like a great idea but how do you keep it from jumping out of the rudder loops going over bumps?