Is there a device that can hold the mast securely to the real beam but high enough to clear the tie bar for the rudders. I trailer the boat with the rudders on locally and have a lot of trouble with a good mast support.
I have used life jackets and they work but not well. They are difficult to balance. Anyone know a good solution to this problem?
I would like to be able to rig and secure the boat on the trailer faster and am trying to fine tune the process.
The back part of the mast on the trailer is really difficult to secure quickly.
There are dozens of ways to do this. To each his own. A simple strong and effective way is to purchase a 4" schedule 40 PVC coupling and cut out one side to match the rear beam profile and the other to match the mast profile. Secure it with a 1" NRS strap and it will never go anywhere. Fast, simple, effective.
I drilled a couple of extra holes in the hitch adapter so I can mount it sideways, which lays down the mast support out of the way.
-- Bryan in Poplar Grove, IL
Supercat 17, unknown year. Future project
Hobie 16, 1977 - died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA
Hobie 16, 1978 - current boat --
This is not mine, just an image from the photo albums. Pvc is easy to cut. I know several people who use this
and they work great. Easy to tie around the rear beam. I would buy a cheap contour gauge and try and get a better fit than the one in the picture.
-- Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20 --
I second the PVC. I am using a section of 15" (it's pretty big, but it was free) and works great. On the bottom, I cut it out to fit on the aft crossbeam and on the top I cut it to match the mast. Local travel (< 1 hour drive) I don't bother with carpet or anything, just bare mast on plastic, but anything further, I place carpet to protect the mast. I have a short ratchet strap that I go around the mast and down to the trailer. It takes about 30 seconds to secure the cradle and mast.
I have used the manufactured special beam to mast clamp and after several years, the tensioning bolt cracks and does take longer to secure than the PVC.
-- Scott
Prindle Fleet 2
TCDYC
Prindle 18-2 Mod "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"
Prindle 19 "Mr. Wiggly"
Nacra 5.8 "De ja vu"
Nacra 5.0
Nacra 5.8
Tornadoes (Reg White) --
I've got the Murray's one: https://www.murrays.com/product/13-3002/ and it works really well, but had it not come with the trailer, I wouldn't have bought it. One complaint I have is that it "wobbles" side to side, so I had to add straps to keep it from swaying around. One good thing is that I pull a hitch pin and it rotates down horizontally pretty easily. Had I not got that one, I would've done PVC; the 6" is pretty dang easy to shape with a band saw, if it's a big enough saw.
Mine wobbles too, but does that matter? I had thought about strapping it for anti-wobble but decided that was just one more thing to do with little benefit.
The Murrays one looks nice, but seems pricey. Mine cost about $50 and is a custom height. Actually I need to adjust the height one more time.
-- Bryan in Poplar Grove, IL
Supercat 17, unknown year. Future project
Hobie 16, 1977 - died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA
Hobie 16, 1978 - current boat --
On mine, the wobble is way too annoying and I think too much - I think it matters due to the weight I have on it, etc. and a line on each side from just under the V down to the trailer holds it really stable. Yeah - it's too much money I think, but it is nice polished stainless. I regularly trailer 45 minutes to an hour at freeway speeds, so I really watch my trailer set-ups (mostly). I mean, it's not like I've drug a ladder at 55 for a mile or so before... so, "mostly".
Through the years I've had everything already mentioned... even layered up a custom contoured carbon support for the N20 that someone stole in P'cola. My PVC support is contoured exactly and almost snaps into place on the beam, zero play, even angled to match the front mast support. One 3' strap reefed inside the coupling and around beam/mast locks everything in place and takes just seconds to rig/de-rig. Keep it simple. Go sailing . . .
-- Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA --
your mast also appears to be level
do you have a low front mast support?
I'm not sure who you are asking. If you use the quote button that makes it easier to tell.
-- Bryan in Poplar Grove, IL
Supercat 17, unknown year. Future project
Hobie 16, 1977 - died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA
Hobie 16, 1978 - current boat --