Which way up!

When trailering your boat with full length mast, where do you put the mast foot, on the trailer going over the car, or on the rudder pintle support (ie the lighting board) at the back of the boat? Why do you do it that way?

Now I have one of these doublehander's the mast doesn't split in half so I am in two minds whether the heavy end goes on the boat or the trailer support.

Edit - to make it clearer!

Edited by radixon

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radixon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2407	Post Options Post Reply Quote radixon Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Which way up! Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:16pm
	When trailering your boat with full length mast, where do you put the mast foot, on the trailer going over the car, or on the rudder pintle support (ie the lighting board) at the back of the boat? Why do you do it that way? Now I have one of these doublehander's the mast doesn't split in half so I am in two minds whether the heavy end goes on the boat or the trailer support. Edit - to make it clearer! Edited by radixon

tgruitt Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 02 Dec 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2479	Post Options Post Reply Quote tgruitt Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:20pm
	I have always put the foot onto the lightboard which is attached to the pintels. It makes more sense really to put the weight onto the boat rather than the mast support. Then the mast sticks over the car a bit, and the foot is tied onto the trailer board, there is usually something on the mast you can tie onto.
	Needs to sail more...

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:22pm
	I want the unsupported end that waves about to be as light as possible, so mat foot on the boat.

Calum_Reid Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 09 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 59	Post Options Post Reply Quote Calum_Reid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:39pm
	We always went mast foot on the mast support on the 400 because we wanted the weight off the pintles. The unsupported bit waving about was never a real issue.


Villan Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 26 Nov 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1768	Post Options Post Reply Quote Villan Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:47pm
	Always mast foot on the trailer support and head on the trailerboard. Helps ensure the nose weight is in the right place, and as long as they are both tied down neither end will bounce. Either way round the mast is, the "unsupported" length is exactly the same length.
	Vareo - 149 "Secrets" TandyUK Servers

ratface Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 07 Apr 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 686	Post Options Post Reply Quote ratface Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:47pm
	used to have the foot on the pintles but now have the mast foot on the mast support to reduce the weight on the boat, and this because you are coming to Littleton?
	BLYM Hertfordshire Sailing team Uk-Cherub 2644 Laser 4000 -4089

Webmuppet Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 11 Mar 06 Location: Suffolk Online Status: Offline Posts: 534	Post Options Post Reply Quote Webmuppet Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 10:50pm
	This has been a recent topic on the RS Vareo forum, they suggest that the mast-foot ought to go in the front mast support. - this aids weight distribution as the heavier end of the mast is over the front of the trailer. I've tried loading the mast both ways round in the past and not really noticed any difference, but then the Vareo is very well balanced on its combi. I use one of those pintle mounted trailer boards with a mast support built in, perhaps with the tip of the mast pointing back, less strain is put on the pintles ? Nigel
	I am the milkman of human kindness, I will leave an extra pint (Billy Bragg) Graduate 2530 'Galaxy'

JohnW Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 17 Jul 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 552	Post Options Post Reply Quote JohnW Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Feb 08 at 11:03pm
	Im a recent convert to the heavy end on the mast support school - I always used to be the other way around. With the mast foot on the transom there is not only more weight on the pintles (number board and mast "v" hook onto them) there is more fore and aft pressure exerted on the transom in a direction it is not really designed to take. With the mast foot at the back, any acceleration/braking is transferred to/from the mast via the transom support as this is where the mast is generally secured more tightly (being the thick heavier end). By putting the mast the other way round, it can be tightly secured to the mast support, the tapered end then just rests on the transom support and is lightly secured with bungee. Any large movement of the mast is not then transferred to the end of the boat, but is taken by the mast support. I have a tin rig, I'm not sure if the same would apply with carbon. edit: got beaten to it with some of the points above, so sorry for the repetition. Edited by JohnW

English Dave Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 06 Location: Northern Ireland Online Status: Offline Posts: 682	Post Options Post Reply Quote English Dave Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Feb 08 at 9:05am
	When we double stack Hurricanes for towing we have one mast one way and the other ...er the other way . This is so the diamonds don't foul one another. On a Hurricane mast there's no taper and it's bloody heavy which ever end you have. so there can't be that much difference. I would personally put the greater weight through the mast support rather than on the boat.
	English Dave Ballyholme Yacht Club (You'd think I'd be better at it by now) Hurricane 5.9 SX RS700

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Feb 08 at 9:19am
	I never put anything on the pintles travelling...Silly idea!