Sail, Spars and Mast Transport

Mark P

Mark P

New Member
Does anyone have any good ideas (pics) of how they transport their spars and mast while trailering?

I want to secure them to the top of the boat when it is on the trailer. I will wrap them in a blue camping tarp so wind and dirt etc do not harm them.

I am thinking of pool noodle padding on the coaming (splash rail) and securing with a few bungee cords. I figure then I would also tie them at the bow handle and a tie at the stern.

Thanks in advance.

Mark
 
Mark,

Like Catya said, look at SF Sailor Files and messages 3193 & 3194. I made two "UU" brackets to carry my spars, one in the dagger board slot and one fits in the rudder bracket. The wide side will hold 2 sets of spars w/sails in a bag (and sails wrapped around a pool noodle to the spars)and the smaller side will hold one mast. all secured with bungee's. To carry 2 masts, make the outside leg a little longer. After about 2000 miles being transported this way, I have had no problems. Pict #1 shows the 2 brackets w/mast, Pict #2 is the rear bracket w/mast and spars (no bag) to show fit and Pict #3 is ready to go with 2 sets of spars and sails in the bag (mast is hidden).
 

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I use a spar bag I got from APS to hold everything. I put a small boat fender under the bag at the stern right at the bridle. The fender gets attached to the bag and the bridle eye straps via a bungee cord. At the front, forward of the halyard fairlead, I have a styrofoam block under the bag high enough to have the bag clear the splash guard. The foam block gets attached to the bag via a line that is recessed in the bottom of the block.
I tie the bag down with line using the halyard cleat. Since the bag has nylon carrying handles, I secure the bag to the front and back of the boat with a long line to keep the bag from shifting forward or backward. (This is very important, the bag slipped back once. Luckily I was going slowly at the time.) The main idea is to not have the spars hit the boat at any time and to make sure they don't slide off.
This method is not as fancy as some but it almost costs nothing and it works. I've traveled 350 mi this way many times.
Also, don't wrap the sail around the spars when traveling! The bouncing will wear a hole in the sail. Roll the sail up to the spars and keep the gooseneck vertical away from the sail.

Fred

Fred
 
Correction: I secure the bag to the front of the TRAILER and the back of the boat via a long line.
Sorry

Fred
 
Thanks so much for the info. It sounds like I am on the right track.

Just wanted to make sure that they didn't end up under a 18 wheeler on the Hwy.

Thanks again,

Mark
 
Has anyone tried making a storage tube from some large diameter PVC. Maybe that would be a way to store/protect the mast,spars, and sail while travelling. Cap the ends but have one end that can be removed. Now just figure out a way to mount the thing on the SF trailer, or strap it to the boat.
Whatdayathink?
 
Bama,

See the SF Class Home page, Tip & Tricks, Mark Dickson's trailer. He did use some 8" pipe for spar carriers and carries his SF deck down over them.
 
Yes, I did see the PVC tube idea here - http://www.cattanach.org/sunfishtrailer.html

It looks like a great soution- very safe for the sail etc... I think that a wet sail may be in issue in the tube. I am sure that you could take it out for drying and then put it back in the tube... Maybe holes in the tube would help the drying process.

If I don't like the bag on top of the boat I may decide to go the PVC route this winter.

Thanks again for the ideas.

Mark
 
Sounds like you're going to store the sail in the tube or whatever you use to transport. Not a good idea. The sail should be stored so mold doesn't grow and the sail doesn't get too crumpled and creased. After transport always dry the sail and store it properly.
Holes in the PVC tube will allow water in when transporting in the rain.

Fred
 
I think that I will go the bag route. I like the idea of using a pool noodle to roll it on to.

No doubt that I will make sure that the sail is dry before storage.

By the way, does any one have tips for salt water sailing? I am going to the beach and want to make sure that the salt doesn't eat at anything it shouldn't.

Just hose off after use I assume? I am mainly worried about aluminum and metal.

Thanks again,

Mark
 
Mark,

You got it, hose it off WELL with a nozzel that gives a hard spray. Flush everything, mast, deck, hull (mast well and dagger board slot), sail, dagger board, rudder - get clean water in between the rudder and rudder head (cheeks) and tiller straps, salt love to hide there. Any place the salt can hide. I have a badly cared for rudder with corrosion on the aluminum rudder head assembly and tiller straps, salt and/or corrosion is actually in the wood where the tiller straps were bolted to the tiller. The krud is hard, hopefully a good cleaning, scrubbing (maybe a wire brush), refinish the wood and everything should be ok.
 
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