I live in CT about an hour and a half from any decent sailing. I've tried to minimize my rigging time on my H18 w/wings but it still takes an hour or more depending on who the crew is... usually I'm doing everything myself while my crew is mixing up some mojitos..

I'd like to get away from trailoring and keep the boat at a marina but I have a few questions:
1. Can the boat be stored mast up on the trailer? Is this allowed at most marinas?
2. Any idea on how much this would cost?
3. Do some marinas provide a winch or something so I wouldn't require a tow vehicle to get my boat in the water? (my car is nice, my tow vehicale is a beater) I guess otherwise I'd need to invest in beach wheels.
4. Anyone know of a beach cat friendly marina in CT?

Thanks!

1. Can the boat be stored mast up on the trailer? Is this allowed at most marinas? - possible but not the most secure method. increase it's likely hood of being blown/thrown around. Stakes would be needed but even then... could rip out of the ground or brake free. (the tramp acts as a sail, and the wind blowing off the ground could be bad)

2. Any idea on how much this would cost? - mast up storage around here (FL) is about 1200/year

3. Do some marinas provide a winch or something so I wouldn't require a tow vehicle to get my boat in the water? (my car is nice, my tow vehicale is a beater) I guess otherwise I'd need to invest in beach wheels. - depends on the place. lots of dry storage places will put your powerboat in the water on request but who knows ...

4. Anyone know of a beach cat friendly marina in CT?

Beach wheels would be ideal for that situation. Its much easier to launch off of them anyways, they can be pricey but are well worth it.

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Greenville SC

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I kept mine on a trailer and used a ramp for a year. Unless you can hoist the sails on the water this sucked. On a Prindle 18 you really need solid ground to hoist. Anyways, I would point my trailer into the wind, hoist the sails and drive the boat to the ramp and drop off. Paddle out a bit tighten the sheets and go.
Coming in was harder. Hauling out a wet boat, up hill, takes a lot of torque I don't have, but it worked, but very hard on the clutch. My gf refused to be the haul-out driver because the car was in peril. So I would get the boat out, sails flapping and drive somewhere on the lot where I could point the trailer into the wind and drop the sails. The monohull folks were not impressed.
This year I am back on a proper beach.
Get beach wheels.

car_guy

I live in CT about an hour and a half from any decent sailing. I've tried to minimize my rigging time on my H18 w/wings but it still takes an hour or more depending on who the crew is... usually I'm doing everything myself while my crew is mixing up some mojitos..

This would be a good thread to collect some "quick rigging" tips from everyone.

All the time I've been sailing the Hobie 18 w/wings I've gradually cleaned up the trailer rigging to vastly reduce the number of things that need to be tied-down, bungeed, removed etc. that takes so long.

A couple of tips that apply to the Hobie 18 and possibly others.

1. I don't need any ties or line to secure my shrouds, once the mast is down and secured I take the lids off the ports and push the shrouds (and trap wires if you have them) into the ports. If you get it all laid out nice and clean you don't need anything else to secure them.

2. For a long time I didn't remove my rudders when trailering, but after I upgraded to the Hobie 20 tiller connectors and new EPO2's I now easily remove the tiller arm and then remove the rudders and upper casting by removing one (1/2 inch head) bolt at each casting. I find this much easier and quicker than removing the pin. I just leave the lower castings where they are.

3. Securing the wings I do with my home made wing supports and a cam strap. This secures them in an upright position held away from the diamond wires (chafing) and keeps them from moving either in or out.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=11711
Those pictures show my original rope and bungee method but the same pvc support. I now use a single cam strap which is quicker to rig and more secure.

Anyone got more?

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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I like the idea about stuffing the shrouds in the ports. My technique is to coil the port and starboard rigging and then secure both to the tramp with a single bungee cord.

I secure the wings struts to the tabs with bolts and nylock nuts. I love how ridged it makes the wings but it is time consuming... Maybe clevis and hairpin is the way to go here..

To hold the wings while trailoring I made a pvc "I" brace that holds the wings straight up. I then cross the jib sheets and attach to opposite hull's wing to hold in place. It's super secure and not to time consuming using carbineers.

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I kept mine on a trailer and used a ramp for a year. Unless you can hoist the sails on the water this sucked.

I tend to look for boat launches with a nearby beach I can walk the cat over to... Although I have raised the sail twice while tied to a dock with little issues...

For wings use 1.5-2 inch quick pins. I never had one pull out.
I use nylon clips to attach the hiking wires to the bungie at the hull. You can disconnet them and tie them to the mast base before you drop the mast. I feed them thru the mast rotator the use the bungie that keep the jib sheets from getting tangled on the mast rotator to tie them in place. It also used nylon clips. Just leave them there till the next time you set up the boat. It makes mast stepping much easier because they are not getting tangled on anything and it keep them from becoming the mouse nest with the shrouds and forstay when they are coiled on the tramp.
I used a quick pin for the forestay but if you do this I reccommend the you place the shackle for the jib thru the forestay plate/roller furler lower hole.
To store the bridles for travel left them attached to the bows and I took a piece of line and hung the roller furler from the mast once it was down.
Get a quik pin for the hotstick.
If you have a righting line(and there is a bungie that goes to the rear cross bar to keep it tight) use that to keep the rudders from droping down. Just pull it up and over the hotstick bracket. We used to refer to this as a parking break. If also works great when you are cat tracking the boat around.
I used to sail solo and I had it down to about 30 min setting the boat up by myself.



Edited by beachsailor on Jan 11, 2012 - 02:10 PM.