440: Can you transport your stepped mast onboard?

[Nahbrown]

Just based off of the specs of the boat I estimated the mast to be between 55 to 60 feet long once stepped. Would you be able to transfer your mast In a way that you feel would be safe for the boat and the mast? Our plans would be to take our boat quite a ways inland and up the intercoastal waterway Of the United States To property that we own during hurricane season. Lots of low bridges...

[Jim Cate]

You don't tell us much about your boat, so a bit hard to answer... but lots of folks do carry their UN-stepped mast on board when traversing canals or river systems. The mast typically extends some distance fore and aft of the hull, and is kinda vulnerable to damage from too-close encounters with other vessels or fixed objects.

(Stepping a mast refers to installing it vertically on the boat, fwiw)

Jim

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

You don't tell us much about your boat, so a bit hard to answer... but lots of folks do carry their UN-stepped mast on board when traversing canals or river systems. The mast typically extends some distance fore and aft of the hull, and is kinda vulnerable to damage from too-close encounters with other vessels or fixed objects.

(Stepping a mast refers to installing it vertically on the boat, fwiw)

Jim

Thanks for the correction Jim, We dont own a 440 yet however it is the boat we will be targeting so I tagged this thread with 440. I am more worried about the safe supporting of the horizontal mast vrs the chance of running the mast into inanimate objects.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

Thanks for the correction Jim, We dont own a 440 yet however it is the boat we will be targeting so I tagged this thread with 440. I am more worried about the safe supporting of the horizontal mast vrs the chance of running the mast into inanimate objects.

OK, I'll leave it to someone with a "440" (Lagoon?) to answer specifically about possibilities for mast carriage on board. But typically spars are supported in two or three places along their lengths and that is enough to preserve them.

But don't underestimate the issue of pranging things, for the consequences are pretty severe, both to the spar and to the yacht itself.

Jim

[AiniA]

We just came from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River via the Oswego and Erie Canals with our mast on deck. Our boat is 45' and the mast is around 65'. No problem really, you just need a suitable crane for up and down and sturdy supports for the mast. For the purpose you are talking about I would be inclined to get the stick pulled and stored just before the first low bridge - don't see why you would want the mast once you are inland unless there is somewhere worth sailing there.

[Bean Counter]

Lagoon 450, mast projected 10 ft front and rear. Used an aluminum bracket bolted to the cockpit roof support and a timber support at the front. We took it up the ICW from Florida to Cape May, no problems at all, quite an interesting trip in fact (we had planned on doing the Great Loop - but stopped at the Ocean and bad weather and ran out of time). Not recommended for ocean passage from there to New York unless sea is dead calm.

[Bean Counter]

Close up on L 450

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

Lagoon 450, mast projected 10 ft front and rear. Used an aluminum bracket bolted to the cockpit roof support and a timber support at the front. We took it up the ICW from Florida to Cape May, no problems at all, quite an interesting trip in fact (we had planned on doing the Great Loop - but stopped at the Ocean and bad weather and ran out of time). Not recommended for ocean passage from there to New York unless sea is dead calm.

And this is why I love This message board!


Thank you very much bean counter for posting this!

[Quadrille in JB]

I don't see why you wouldn't have the mast removed and stored before starting your trip. It's will be much safer for both the mast and yacht. And most importantly, much easier on your stress level.
We recently had both masts removed on our 41.6" Morgan at Port Napolean near Marseilles and stored while we transited the Rhone, the Soanne, other rivers, and the canal systems going through 232 locks. We went through Lyon, Nancy, Verdun, and Amsterdam ending our yearly trip in Berlin.
This would have been impossible with the masts on board. Not counting the high stress levels caused by worrying about the fore and aft boat extensions.
Two years later we had the masts trucked to Berlin where they were stepped and we went happily on our what.
BTW-the Morgan made a great powerboat with its 56 hp Yanmar which pushed us at 5.6 knots using about 1 gph.

[Moonskater]

Nahbrown,
Look up Yacht "Moonskater" on Marinetraffic.com and have a look at the pics.
We went from Amsterdam to Brailla in Romania this way. worked like a charm.
Pics are from Budapest.
/petter

[stillbuilding]

I unstopped my heavy section alloy main mast and transported it on board from Broken Bay, Sydney to Coffs Harbour.

Weight around 400 kg. Supported at pulpit, cabin top and stern and strapped on securely.

I was lucky with the weather I guess - flat calm.

Not sure I would describe it as seaworthy though. [emoji38][emoji38]

[stillbuilding]

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