How are you guys securing your masts while trailering?
I tie my mast to the trailers mast cradle (foward) I live my spin halyard cleated through the jib cleats the rest of the line is stored in teh tramp back. I secure the top of the mast to the rear crossbeam with a bungee cord.
For the mast: Forward: trailer mast cradle with beefed up carpet for padding. Tied down with an old piece of line. Not sure I like how this trailer's angle is (might change it somehow) Rear: I built a hokey little mast support from wood with padding that fits snugly on the rear beam. Tied down with another piece of line to main beam. Tie main halyard to end of spreader to keep it from banging mast.
For hulls: Web strap across front trailer beams (carpet between strap and hulls). To keep the strap from bouncing (and loosening), I've tied a piece of line from the web strap to the trailer (positioned between the hulls). Another piece of line from the rear beam to the rear of the trailer.
Stays and trapeze wires: Short trip: coiled up, put on tramp and tied to footstraps; long trip: remove from boat completely and put them in truck.
Spin halyard: remove and put in truck.
Spin pole: in truck.
Rudders: remove and put in truck.
Mast: Same as Tom...I use an old line with a loop knot tied to one end. Feed it thru the hole on the
U
support located on the mast stand (the loop knot won't feed thru). This allows me to wrap the mast and have a nice place to
cinch
it tight and tie it off.
I noticed that Chuck H. put a couple of old tennis shoes on his
U
support to act as a padding ... I'm out running lots of miles now so I can use some beat up old shoes <img src=
alt=
/>
On the rear I use folded carpet to protect the traveller tied by a similar loop knot rope put thru the traveler eyestrap and around the mast. Cinch tight.
Trailer straps. (note: Magic Tilt Trailer configuration) 6' straps with kwik lock buckles (Home Depot 4 pack around $16). I don't use the eye hook on the front as I find it to close to the hulls and the buckle could vibrate from wind and damage the hulls. Instead I connect the hook the the large
U
bolt that connects the trailer parts together (you might need to loosen and offset them slightly to get the hook thru -- be sure to tighten back snugly <img src=
alt=
/>). I don't go over the hulls, I go straight up around the beam (looped twice for support) and back down to the
U
bolt. Tighten the strap.
Same procedure in the rear, except now I use the eye hook as it doesn't come close to the hulls. I also use a gardeners cushion ($2 ea @ Home Depot) under each hull to displace weight. Tighten securely.
When stored, I loosen all trailer ties so as not to have downward pressure on the hulls.
Shrouds and Stays. coiled and tied off to mast.
Tom I have a hole in my tramp from securing shrouds to the tramp...be careful.
I used to do this, until last year when one of those stupid South Florida afternoon squals came threw and blew my boat off the trailer. She landed on a vacant trailer and recieved a nice 6
long cut in her starboard hull. <img src=
alt=
/>:(
NEVER EVER AGAIN! <img src=
alt=
" />
oops.. I store Blade 703 in a garage. Should be protected!
Chuck told me that forward mast cradle on the trailer blew off @ 70 mph on the Interstate! <img src=
alt=
/> He now has it double-nutted.