Mast on trailer - which way round?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2478
Printed Date: 18 Aug 25 at 5:45am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Mast on trailer - which way round?
Posted By: ColH
Subject: Mast on trailer - which way round?
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 4:12pm
|
Have noticed a bit of variation (ok, only two options in fact) in whether people stick the mast on the trailer heel first or tip first. Which do people reckon is better, and why? Col (Blaze 612, Fireball 13257) |
Replies:
Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 4:57pm
|
If you put your mast support and light board onto your rudder pintles then it is best to put the foot of the mast on the trailer support as it keeps the weight off the pintles (a good thing!!). If you have another way of attaching your mast support then it is probably immaterial ------------- 
|
Posted By: owain
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 4:58pm
|
on our fireball we usually put the spreaders pointing up, with the mast tip on the lighting board. Not sure why, weve jst alwasy done it, also it dosent get in the way of the number plate so much. I think alot of people put the tip at the front, probably better weight distribution ------------- Owain H 49er GBR055 Fireball 14291 Plymouth Uni Sailing Club & Chelmarsh Sailing Club |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 5:01pm
|
I dont think theres any particular gain in doing it either way... just depends on which way it fits better on the trailor against the boat and any supports. Tip first seems more natural to me though ------------- |
Posted By: HinExeter
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 5:03pm
|
I put mine pointy end to the front for three reasons, heavy end on the transom as the mast support on the traileris a bit springy side to side, also as the top of the mast is tapered it's probably not as strong so I don't want that taking the weight. Having said that probably doesn't really matter as the loads are going to be less than when sailing. I do find that there is allways a fair bit of string to deal with at the thick end, I tape it all on to the mast to keep it tidy and I'd rather have this at the back so if it did come undone it won't fall on the roof of the car or under the boat it would just trail on the road. H |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 5:25pm
|
Mast tip at the back as it weighs less... ------------- |
Posted By: yellowhammer
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 11:00pm
|
i've found the bag from a squashed fold-up chair is ideal ... tie off and coil all the ropes then pull the bag over the lot ... the drawstring tightens above the gooseneck and i wrap with tape in a few places to stop it flogging ... it also avoids the unsightly rings that tape leaves on a black mast i also unhook the shrouds and trapeze wires and coil them in the boat ... just as quick as trying to tie them to the mast and stops them kinking/ fatiguing/ rattling ... you can leave them attached to the adjusters/elastics foot forwards for me, so the C of G of the mast is as close as possible to the mast support ------------- Laser 3000 @ Leigh & Lowton SC www.3000class.org.uk |
Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 02 Dec 06 at 11:39pm
|
we used to put an old wetsuit leg or arm over all the halyards etc as it kept it all together and it didnt flap about. Then we coiled up the shrounds either side of the spreaders then taped it to the spreaders in two rings. stopped them banging on the boat or the mast! -------------
|
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 7:11am
Why's that a consideration? |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 9:30am
Because the back of the boat is unsupported and flexing as the trailer goes over bumps so better not to put more weight on the transom. ------------- |
Posted By: Worthy
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 10:02am
Take your point, but then the opposite argument is that the mast itself has to support the heavy end which is dangling over the car and bounces at every bump in the road. It is all horses for courses really, the mast itself is strong enough to go either way round so I think it is just personal preference. ------------- |
Posted By: Jamie
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 12:11pm
|
Mostly this sort of thing, how to tie your boat on to the trailer, where the mast sits, trailer board position etc seems to be down to the individuals religious preference for tying things on. Everyone is universally convinced that theirs is the absolute correct method. Surely if it is strapped down and doesn't damage anything else and is legal it's fine. ------------- www.sailfd.org/GBR - GBR Flying Dutchman |
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 2:54pm
pointy end first.... more aerodynamic! must be better fuel consumption?! 
------------- http://www.facebook.com/bearfootdesign - BEARFOOT DESIGN Cherub 2648 - Comfortably Numb |
Posted By: les5269
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 3:26pm
|
Mast head at the transom... If it comes undone it doesn't slide off (within reason guys!) ------------- 49er 531 & 5000 5025 and a mirror(now gone to mirror heaven)! http://www.grafham.org/" rel="nofollow - Grafham water Sailing Club The greatest inland sailing in the country |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 3:53pm
Masts are designed to flex - hulls are not ... ------------- |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:13pm
Unless you break suddenly...    ------------- |
Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:24pm
exactly -------------
|
Posted By: les5269
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:27pm
Experience ? ------------- 49er 531 & 5000 5025 and a mirror(now gone to mirror heaven)! http://www.grafham.org/" rel="nofollow - Grafham water Sailing Club The greatest inland sailing in the country |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:43pm
|
Luckily not... Im one of those people who spends hours tying every little loose bit of boat down with every available bit of string, then taping over the string, then borrowing some shockcoard to tie over that, then taping anything ive forgotten to tie.... then untieing most of the bits I then decide arent tied well enough, taping them up, and retieing with larger knots and more string.... ------------- |
Posted By: IanW
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:44pm
| Foot first then the halyard bag blow off as you drive down the motorway |
Posted By: spin cycle
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 4:50pm
|
Depends on the boat for boats like int 14's and 49er's I used to have the bottom of the mast tied at the transom as this meant the large section stuck out the front of the trailer was fairly light and mast weight was more evenly spread over the 2 tie down points. When towing rs 200 etc i tend to do ity the other way round as it is easier to tie the mast to the boat that way
|
Posted By: Charlie
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 6:11pm
|
Hmm base in the boat seems fine for me, plus mast doesn't weigh much
bout 8kg i think, so prob doesn't make difference which way round, just
seems better to have the mast foot in the boat rather than flexing
above the car.
------------- Finn GBR 657 - Blown It Laser 164635 Planet Earth: 30% Land, 70% race course! |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 11:12pm
I have to admit I find it very hard to believe that the loads coming from the extra 3 or 5 kg of mast weight on the transom with the boat that weigh round can be within even an order of magnitude of 70kg of helmsman's backside bouncing off waves... |
Posted By: Calum_Reid
Date Posted: 03 Dec 06 at 11:39pm
|
see i think the point is not so much the weight on the transom but the fact the weight is onto rudder pintales that are not designed to take loads in that direction! -------------
|
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 8:44am
|
I think we are going round in circles now... I think the question that needs to be asked is "Have you ever damaged your boat or mast when towing that could have been avoided had the mast been round the other way?" ... I have a feeling the answer will be NO!
------------- http://www.facebook.com/bearfootdesign - BEARFOOT DESIGN Cherub 2648 - Comfortably Numb |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 9:37am
|
I don't sit in my boat on the trailer; the only time the helms weight is in the boat the hull is supported by water ... ------------- |
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 9:55am
|
I just leave mine up and put "avoid low bridges" into the satnav... ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Posted By: MRJP BUZZ 585
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 10:44am
|
That sorted that ------------- Josh Preater http://www.bu22.co.uk">  BUZZING IS FUN
|
Posted By: jpbuzz591
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 11:40am
|
sort of james may style in the top gear amphibious vehicle challenge ------------- Jp Indoe Contender 518 Buzz591 Chew Valley Sailing club Bristol |
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 11:49am
|
Off topic but I have the white RS800 spinnaker that was supposed to be in that feature (it's the one in my avatar) The plan was that originally the Herald was due to have a longer mast capable of flying a masthead kite, the thinking being that Jezza and Hamster were to chug up the lake, and at the last moment Captain Slow was to pop the kite on the Herald and whizz past them. Apparently the BBC had spoken to the RYA who had put them in touch with the RS association and then on to Steve Irish (whose kite it was before I bought it off him). However when they looked at it they realised that it probably would not make it go any quicker and there was too much to go wrong, also there would be more laughs from having a short Mirror rig that could actually drive around without hitting anything rather than putting the mast up by the lake so they dropped the spinnaker idea. Anyway, that's the story...so the kite had a lucky escape from TV embarrasement in front of millions of viewers and went on to win a Nationals instead! Top Gear? Fixed?? ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Posted By: m_liddell
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 12:43pm
| Slightly off topic but still amusing. When I picked up my 14 I realised the mast extends almost the entire length of the boat and my car (punto). They guy told me to be careful on angled drives at sailing clubs since the mast can squash the car! I wonder if he ever did this... |
Posted By: ColH
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 6:45pm
|
Ah, but the screws/bolts would at least be having a force applied perpendicular to the thread, so that ought to be better for them than the force applied by dragging a rudder blade thru the water at [*] knots.....?? * = Insert your speed freaks figure here ------------- |
Posted By: allanorton
Date Posted: 04 Dec 06 at 6:52pm
bolts should be used in tension, not shear. rivets should be used in shear, not tension |