Association Forum - Winter Storage: Mast Up or Off?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Winter Storage: Mast Up or Off?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1739 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/04/2009 : 11:42:15

While still enjoying the summer and looking forward to a long fall sailing season, my boat club, that I have stored my various sailboats at over the past 20+ winters, has announced that they will no longer be accepting sailboats over 20' for winter storage. I am now looking at the local boat yards as options.

One question that the yards keep asking is if I will be keeping my mast up or will I be unstepping it over the winter. I have always had to unstep the mast for the winter but by keeping it up I would save a fair amount of money. What do others in the northern climates do? Keep the mast up or take it off for winter storage? If I keep it up are there any issues I should be aware of? Should I plan on unstepping every other year if I do keep it up this year?

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Edited by - on

pfduffy
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2009 : 11:55:26

This is my first year with the boat, but the PO (my father in law) has kept the mast up all winter since he purchased the boat new in 1984. I plan on doing the same but making a cover with some tarps and perhaps some flexible fiberglass tent poles.

Edited by - on

cks
Navigator

Members Avatar

126 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2009 : 12:01:37

i and the vast majority of sailboats at my boatyard (norwalk cove) keep the mast up. Some even keep their jibs furled (although i learned a very expensive lesson by trying this).

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2009 : 12:05:03

The mast can come down with a couple of guys and an inexpensive A-frame in just a few minutes. In the spring, it can go up the same way. My marina would chage $160 to remove the mast. I'm guessing yours is similar. Since it is a deck stepped mast, their crane really isn't necessary. You can do it yourself and it won't cost anything but time and maybe a six-pack for the helpers.

I mention this because, it's a lot easier to effectively cover the boat with the mast down and acting as a ridge pole from bow to stern. Sure, it can be covered with it up but, making allowances for the stays, shrouds and mast make it more difficult and provide more chances for the cover to fail. I left mine up the year before last, I won't do that again. It's just easier to take it down and cover it.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5239 Posts

Response Posted - 09/04/2009 : 18:37:12

This is my plan for winter '10, get four strong guys and take the mast down before she gets hauled.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 09/05/2009 : 05:23:10

This topic will probably generate 2 or 3 pages of responses because everyone has an opinion or story about which way is best or easiest. I'm not sure if there is a, proveable, "right" way to do it but I store my boat with the mast down and on deck for the following reasons.

1-When the boat is on the hard it can't heel in response to high winds (Think of the mast as a long lever handel) so there is less stress on the the rig and hull if the mast is down. Also having the mast down eliminates the harmonic vibrations that can occur when the wind blows through the mast and rigging which can add to wear at fittings.
2- Taking the mast down provides for annual inspection and allows for maintenaince and repair of rigging and mast head mounted devices (Windex, VHF Antenna, Anchor and Steaming light etc.)
3- Easier to install a leak free winter cover.
4- The boat is less likley to shift in the cradle during high wind storms or blow over if stored on a trailer or supported with jack-stands.

Edited by - Renzo on 09/05/2009 05:24:16

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 09/05/2009 : 06:17:41

At the boatyards around me, I'd say 99% of the sailboats, including mine, winter store with the masts up.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 09/06/2009 : 16:49:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 At the boatyards around me, I'd say 99% of the sailboats, including mine, winter store with the masts up.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Interesting. The yards in my area store about 75% with mast up and 25% with mast down. I wonder why the disparity.

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1739 Posts

Response Posted - 09/06/2009 : 18:22:30

Possibly cost. As I have been talking with people in may area, the cost difference between having the yard remove the mast or keep it up is considerable. I fully agree that it is better for the boat to have the mast removed when on the hard. However, most yards in may area are getting away from "do it yourself" work and therein lies the economic rub. What I am finding is that most people remove their masts every two to three years so to save some money. I Am still looking for/at places where I can get the mast removed cost effectively.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/06/2009 : 18:51:09

We take the mast down and use it as the ridge for a tarp tent that protects the boat from the elements over the winter. Easy to do.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2009 : 12:43:39

I stored at Norwalk Cove and left it up about three out of five years. It came down for new shrouds, and again for new sheaves and rope halyards.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/07/2009 12:44:40

Deric
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2009 : 17:26:26

I am located in Central New York, so the best preventative maintenance for my boat is to store the mast in doors. The mast comes down, the boat stored next to my garage, the mast stored inside. Each spring I can take a 9 volt battery to test the wire connections; all in the comfort of an indoor garage.

If I was loving in a warmer climate state, I would store the boat with mast up at the local marina.

Deric

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 06:52:43

Lowering your own mast is not that big of a deal. There is plenty of information on how to do this if you look through past postings. So the cost of stepping should not be part of the equations. I am in Michigan and I trailer my boat in the winter back to my house so I lower my mast. Others opt to leave it up for the winter, it’s your call, but what Renzo said makes sense.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 09:16:02

One issue I forgot to mention is "pumping"... If you leave the stick up, you want your standing rigging to be tight enough to prevent any movement. But if the rig induces a very slight amount of bend (which is hard to avoid), wind can create a harmonic back-and-forth bending that some call "pumping", which is not good for the rig and can shake the whole boat. (I've had it happen on a windy day in my slip, as well.) I read somewhere that the risk of pumping can be reduced by wrapping the halyards around the mast in a top-to-bottom spiral... Supposedly this disturbs the wind passing around the mast, in a way that reduces the tendency to develop the harmonic motion. So I did it--who knows if it made any difference...

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 12:26:00

I'm surprised so many people leave their masts up even in the very cold climates. Do you cover the boat at all or leave it as is? I know that boats that stay in the water year round are not covered and do OK but I guess I figured that most boats that are out of the water in the winter are covered. Do you all cover your boats?

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 13:23:25

Yes. Not only does the cover protect the boat from the Michigan winter, it also keeps the leaves off it. The leaves if left on can make a nasty stain that is hard to remove come spring. This also gives me room to store my cockpit cushions on deck, along with other items.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 13:59:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 I'm surprised so many people leave their masts up even in the very cold climates. Do you cover the boat at all or leave it as is? I know that boats that stay in the water year round are not covered and do OK but I guess I figured that most boats that are out of the water in the winter are covered. Do you all cover your boats?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Covering the boat during the winter in northen climates(in or out of the water) prevents snow and rain water from seeping in to small imperfections,in the gelcote and then freezing and thawing and freezing again, which will result in cracks in the gelcote. Also heavy snow and ice build-up in the cockpit, and on deck can add up to a lot of weight which can put stress on the hull and keel if the boat is on land or on docklines if the boat is in the water.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 15:35:14

Can't resist replying although mostly there is no use.

We remove our mast, drg the boat home and store it in the back yard. we also have the space to do this. this fall we will either rent a truck or hire a towtruck to bring th eboat home on our trailer since we don't have a vehicle up to the task.

Once home I plan to rewire the mast, in th ecomfort of my basement before using it as a ridgepole for a tarp. Being able to do all this without hiring a boat yard is one of the advantages of owning a smallish boat. The bumps on my head are the disadvantage.

Edited by - on

cks
Navigator

Members Avatar

126 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 16:46:07

vast majority of the boats in my boatyard in CT including me leave the mast up with the boat uncovered.interestingly, i would say that the majority of the owners who choose the shrink-wrap option are powerboat owners-i see very few sailboats shrink wrapped (or covered). When i first got my boat, i remember doing a little reading on pros and cons of shrink-wrapping. the thing that stood out for me was the potential for mold to grow underneath the cover. that being said, i would say that the cost of unstepping then stepping the mast by the boatyard would run over $500 for the season. I think i paid around $65 a foot for winter storage. i seem to remember the cost of shrink-wrap being pretty steep also. If there is no compelling reason to unstep the mast or cover the boat, given the cost (what's the cost of a boat cover?), i think most boat owners around here would rather spend their money elsewhere.

Edited by - cks on 09/08/2009 16:47:31

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
822 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2009 : 03:11:12

If overwintering in a boatyard, at least 99% of sailboats in our area (Central VT)are stored on cradles with the mast up and are covered. Many of the big boys are shrinkwrapped or have custom covers, but the majority of boats are covered by the owners. In my boat yard probably 50% of owners also remove the lower stays to make covering the boat easier and perhaps 10% remove all halyards. Removing the lower stays may be a function of our location in a small ravine, however, where we are protected from most winds. Local boatyards in recent years have both significantly increased the cost of unstepping/stepping masts and either assess a separate charge for storing the mast or, if the mast is stored on the boat, increase the storage cost (per ft) based on the overall length.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2009 : 05:36:01

Winter Storage

Tarps

Mast down

.............. Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2009 : 06:39:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by glivs
 If overwintering in a boatyard, at least 99% of sailboats in our area (Central VT)are stored on cradles with the mast up...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Boatyard in Central VT

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2009 : 17:22:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DaveR
 Winter Storage

Tarps

Mast down

.............. Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hurricanes

Manatees

Salt water corosion

............Hhhhmmmmmm

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
822 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2009 : 19:21:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Boatyard in Central VT

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Southern VT is virtually a Boston bedroom community, northern VT (known locally as "The Kingdom")considers themselves the only true Vermonters, and those of us in the center, i.e. within driving range of Burlington are grouped as "flatlanders".

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5853 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2009 : 06:50:06

As a point of reference, most people with keel-stepped masts, by far, leave the masts up when they're on the hard. The only reason why most people with deck-stepped masts even consider taking them down is because it's relatively easy to do. It's undoubtedly preferable to take the mast down over the winter, but, IMHO, the benefits are so slight that they're hardly worth considering. Yes, with mast up, the boat is more likely to be hit by lightning, or the boat has more windage and is more likely to be blown off it's cradle or jackstands, but how often do those things happen? Moreover, isn't that why you have boat insurance?

Your choice should be based more on how you choose to store your boat (covered or uncovered, etc.). In your case, the fact that it's significantly less expensive to store it with the mast up is ample justification to leave it up. If you don't cover the boat, or, if you use a framework or other system to cover your boat, then I don't see any significant benefit to taking the mast down.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2009 : 09:16:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">...and is more likely to be blown off it's cradle or jackstands, but how often do those things happen? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Wouldn't once would be enough!

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">...Moreover, isn't that why you have boat insurance?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I have auto insurance but I don't leave my car unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

Edited by - on

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.