Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and why?

Bill Goldsmith · Post by **Bill Goldsmith** » Oct 25th, '14, 09:31

This is mostly aimed at CDers in northern climes who winter store on the hard. I unstep my mast every 3-4 years during winter storage. Some skippers in my club unstep every year, some never do. Every year seems like overkill, never seems like tempting fate. I keep Loonsong on the lower Hudson River and except for occasional cruises into salt water, the boat is mostly exposed to brackish conditions. After having a rollicking first night on the Around Long Island Regatta in 2013, everything performed flawlessly, but mindful of safety I decided to do a full inspection by a rigger this winter before doing the 2015 race next year (took this year off). Last time I unstepped in 2010, the rigging, new in 2004, still looked like new (fabricated by Rigging Only).

I'd like to hear others' opinions and comments about their experiences and recommendations regarding interval of unstepping and inspecting the rigging and why.

Thanks!!

tartansailor · Post by **tartansailor** » Oct 25th, '14, 09:48

I unstep the mast on my Cape Dory 25 every year because the mast acts as a
horizontal support for it's winter canvas cover. Inspecting the rigging, lubing the
halyard rollers and checking the spinnaker block and connections is a factor.
Antenna and light terminals are then cleaned. The boat's venue is mid Atlantic salt water.
Dick

steveg · Post by **steveg** » Oct 26th, '14, 08:04

Hello,

The mast is pulled every year. The boat will not fit in the storage building with the mast up.

Cathy Monaghan · Post by **Cathy Monaghan** » Oct 26th, '14, 12:10

We do it every year.

All of the running rigging is removed and brought home so I can wash it. The stuff at the top of the mast is removed (antenna, anemometer, masthead fly) rigging is checked and the mast is wrapped and stored in the boat yard's mast shed. Every spring the mast is cleaned, compounded if needed, and the whole thing waxed. The sheaves at the masthead can be easily removed, cleaned, lubed and replaced. The antenna and anemometer are re-installed. The clean running rigging is easily re-installed. Any lights/light bulbs on the mast can be easily replaced and the rigging is checked once again. The wiring is checked. All the turnbuckles get cleaned and lubed. Then the mast gets restepped.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

Paul D. · Post by **Paul D.** » Oct 26th, '14, 14:05

Eight years or so. Sweet water sailing rules.

I go up the mast every spring and check fittings, lube the sail tracks etc.

Klem · Post by **Klem** » Oct 26th, '14, 18:58

We take down the mizzen every year to make the winter cover easier but leave the main up. My rule is a yearly inspection with the mast coming out at least every 10 years (and potentially only for a few weeks). Replacing the standing rigging or snaking wires through the mast are good reasons to take it down but otherwise pretty much everything is easy enough to do in place.

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Oct 26th, '14, 20:56

Sailing south for winter is just so much more appealing then dealing with these sorts of things!

Sorry, I couldnt help it.

John #126 · Post by **John #126** » Oct 27th, '14, 07:40

My rigger says every seven years for rigging inspection here in Chicago. More frequently if there are other issues that must be addressed. My yard charges by the foot to unstep/step the mast so I unstep it only as needed.
John

Dalton · Post by **Dalton** » Oct 27th, '14, 18:53

Every year. Mostly because I bought a one piece Fairclough cover and they are less expensive then one with all the work involved in a "mast up" two piece. It keeps all water out. It keeps the sun off the woodwork and topsides. And the vibration on a windy day is scary. Unlike in the water where the boat moves with the gusts, on the hard it just shakes and vibrates like crazy. Can't be good. The local shipwright, Hans says I'm nuts, We get a bunch of boats together and we share the price of the crane. Typically around a hundred per. And to Cathy's point a total inspection, all running rigging is washed and all scratches are touched up. All standing rigging is stowed at home I've even put a few coats of AwlGrip on the mast over the years. Painted masts are a pain. And I just got a brand new Fairclough. I got 16 seasons out of the first one. $2,600.00 bucks or $162.50 per season. Anybody want the old one? Its a little threadbare and would need restitching.

Dalton

bottomscraper · Post by **bottomscraper** » Oct 29th, '14, 20:28

Every year. We typically have our boat hauled home to our yard every winter so the mast must come down anyway. Keeping the mast up over the winter would put added stress on both the mast and the hull. Nor'easters and blizzards in a boat yard among a bunch of other sailboats with masts up seems like a recipe for disaster. Taking the mast down is also an opportunity for inspecting the rig.

Tom Keevil · Post by **Tom Keevil** » Oct 31st, '14, 13:57

Our boat is in the water 12 months, and we never take the mast down. We do climb it at least once a year, ususally in the spring, and give it a thorough check. Found a missing clevis pin cotter pin once!

mike ritenour · Post by **mike ritenour** » Nov 10th, '14, 08:53

In 23 years of owning LaVida I just completed the 77th step/unsteping (counting each pull and insertion) cycle
Between annual cycle we go through here in the Great Lakes and entering and leaving the Erie Canal bound for far harbors, it is a never ending nail biting experience.
We ducked it this year by heading for key west!

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Nov 10th, '14, 20:37

Raven and I have been together for a little over ten years now. I had her hauled the first year and the mast came down. I brought her home a few years ago and redid all the standing rigging and rewired the mast. Other than that the rig has stayed up. I seem to get up there every year and check things out. There has never been a problem. I don't think it is good for the rig to take it down too much. The yards may be careful but things still get stressed if not bent. If you let them set up the rig tension without checking it, you are apt to have even more problems. I check rig tension before every trip and it is generally good. You can't say that if you pull the mast every year and just go sailing the way it is. Even if you do spend the time tensioning things, they are likely to change in the first few weeks after the boat has been launched. If the mast is stored under cover then it does save some weathering but my yard stores the masts on an uncovered rack outside. I just think it is better off where it belongs, Steve.

Dalton · Post by **Dalton** » Nov 10th, '14, 20:43

We took down 10 masts yesterday. Crane cost, $970.00.
4 hours and we all got to talk boats, this years trips, next years trips etc. planned trips together next year, and checked out each others boats as we all helped each other and get to know one another.
Kinda like neighbors, only new ones every year!

And some of us have done this for over 30 years now so a lot of sharing and camaraderie.
So now mine is stripped and ready for a good cleaning.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ar5sgllyoyaw ... .jpeg?dl=0

The Cape Dory Board

Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and why?

Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and why?

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Every year

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Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and

Re: Poll: How often do you unstep your mast for winter and