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**Pblais** · 26-04-2012, 17:21

You chop the mast - no big deal just need a sawzall and a case of beer. Now you rerig the entire boat and replace all the sails after you gamble on a decent design for the whole rig so you can even sail it. The cutting of the mast is of course cheap, but the rest of the costs get pretty expensive for an untested design that no one would buy should you desire to sell once you find out it sails poorly. You end up with a "funny looking boat" at great expense. Sell the boat now as is for more money and get a cheaper ugly one to motor up and down the ICW in. You'll get something that works and save money.

When you know what you want it is best to just cut losses, move on, and start over.

downunder · 26-04-2012, 17:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sand crab

The big balls thing has been done to death here especially when the OP is talking about a cat. And, I've never seen a tabernacle for a mast that big. Please post it if it exists. But there is an open bridgedeck design 64' gaff rigged schooner cat that would clear the bridges.
Catamarans for sale

This link is for a 12.5m Schonning that is based in Perth, western australia with a tabernacle for lowering mast to get into Perth.

Capella Charter1 - Perth Boat Charters - The Vessel - Capella, Charter 1

I had some photos of the operation but can't find at present.

Rakuflames · 26-04-2012, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by capcook

Hi All...

Probably a really dumb question, but if your boat had a 70' mast and you wanted to be able to move up and down the East Coast USA ICW... and you needed to buy a new mail sail anyways... could you have 6 feet cut off the bottom of the mast? Just relocate the Boom etc... does anyone ever do this?

I assume you would cut the bottom but maybe it would be easier to cut the top ??

Or do they just try to sell the 70' Mast and buy a new shorter one ?

I understand I would be giving up sail area but figure in good wind it won't matter and in light winds I would just be motor sailing anyways...

Thoughts ?

That's almost a 10% reduction in mast height. I would certainly talk to a marine architect familiar with sailboat design before doing it.

Rakuflames · 26-04-2012, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

That's almost a 10% reduction in mast height. I would certainly talk to a marine architect familiar with sailboat design before doing it.

I had another thought about this. We have several bridges in the area with a 65' height. Is that what you were thinking of?

That would be from the waterline -- in other words, mast plus freeboard plus whatever else it's on (cabin top, etc.) The top of your mast is well above 70' if the mast itself is 70' long.

marshmat · 26-04-2012, 18:24

Yes, it's possible to cut down most rigs in this manner. (If you want it to work, it does require redesigning the sails, and you ought to re-calculate all the rigging loads- although it's unlikely that anything would be more highly stressed with a shorter rig, the shroud angles will have changed and the distribution of force between the head and main sails will be different.)

Yes, it'll greatly compromise the boat's performance.

Yes, it'll make the boat much harder to sell, and worth much less money when she does sell.

No, it's not a good idea. Two suggestions mentioned in previous posts- trade her in for something smaller, or take the offshore route instead- are far, far better options than trying to cut down the rig on an existing yacht.