Best location to rig larger boat?

[padimanatee]

Hi forum members. My wife and I built a 60' aluminum sail boat now near the Florida Georgia line. We purchased a slightly used mast which is in Maine. We have been told by other yards, that the best price to rig the vessel is in the Carolinas.
Anyone with experience with this sort of project?
Thank you in advance.
sv Oystercatcher

[skipmac]

Carolinas would be good but I think other locations a little closer to you would be just as good and just as cheap.

Will you be buying the rigging and install it yourself or paying a rigger to do the whole job?

I know there is a good rigger based in north central Florida that is very well regarded and could come to you to do the job. Another option is to have the rigging done by Mack Sails in Stuart FL. They do rigging as well as make sails.

Probably someone around Green Cove Springs on the St Johns as well but would have to ask around to find a name.

[klem]

Getting the mast and boat together in one place is likely to be quite expensive. If you think that a motorboat trip up to Maine would be fun, then take the boat up there and get it rigged. Shipping the mast may be an option but it will depend on whether it is a single section or whether it can be taken apart.

I highly doubt that meeting in the middle would be more cost effective. If you are shipping the mast, then the incremental cost to get it all the way to you will likely be a lot less than the cost to get the boat to the midway point. Figuring out the cost of shipping the mast will be key to this.

[Pblais]

No place is more or less cost effective based on the place. Getting the boat to where the mast is would usually be cheaper depending on the style you travel in, Time to get there and willingness to pay offset those too.

[padimanatee]

Thanks all. We have a price to deliver both masts to Florida for $2500 to $3000 which is fine. Motoring to Bar Harbor is possible, but the season is short there. We considered New Bedford where I have family, but were advised to look for yards further south.
Is ther anyone with specific experience with a yard to do this work?
We could do it, but I'm getting too old for rigging a 78' mast and a 42'mizzen.
Regards and again, thanks everyone.

[skipmac]

If you want to stay local there is a forum member that has a rigging company in north Florida that could do an excellent job. He is also mobile so can come to your boat anywhere in the area.

Contact username sparmanusa, his name is Julian.

[gjordan]

I would highly recommend against trying to motor any distance in a sail boat without masts. A keel boat without a mast has a violent motion, and you would probably pass a thousand power boats going up the ICW. I did it once for 20 miles in a 37 foot boat and was lucky not to have broken ribs by the end. Just my 2 cents worth._____Grant.

[Sparmanusa]

Hi, I work with some really good yards in North FL and South GA, we could also get the mast down here on our mast trailer. With this size boat i would go to Green Cove Springs. We could supply and fit all the rigging and arrange with the yard to put the mast up no problem. Also St Marys yard in GA is a great yard to work in. If you want to chat about your project give me a shout anytime 352-222-4019. Cheers
Julian
Sparman

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, padimanatee, and Julian (Sparman).