I'd like to figure out a way to attach my mast to the trailer, rather than transporting it on top of my boat.
One idea is to make a brace that will attach to the gudgeon. This makes me nervous, though. If I go over bumps, it seems like there would be quite a bit of downward pressure placed upon the gudgeon. Can the boat really take this amount of stress>
I have the same question for the mast step hole. Would I be risking damage to the hull if I place a support there?
My Phantom came with a product called a mast caddy by Midwest Aquatics. My last search I found the company name still exists, but it's a SCUBA shop in Michigan. The gudgeon support will only work for a Phantom or a Pointer 14. There are some foam blocks that you can use on the deck to support the spars.
I built a support that slips into the mast hole. It's made from 3/4" plywood (2 layers) and a piece of PVC pipe. It has several coats of sanding sealer and then paint (and yes, I spent far too much time on it). Indoor/outdoor carpet strips are glued (using silicone caulk) to the top and bottom. Just aft of the cockpit I place a flotation cushion ($10 at Wal-mart or Academy) for the spars/mast to rest on. The spars/mast are tied down at the front to the bow handle and to the strap across teh cockpit that also serves to hold the boat to the trailer.