How does restepping work after transport?

[vjm]

I am considering buying my first sailboat (Bristol 24) and will have to transport it to me from out of state. I am trying to put together a reasonable ballpark estimate of how much the whole project will cost.

Is the following correct:

I pay to have the boat pulled out, the mast taken down, and anything taken off that needs to come off for transport.

I pay to have the boat lifted onto the transporter's trailer.

I pay for transport of boat and mast.

Here is where I am kind of drawing a blank. When the boat arrives, can we just launch it from the transporter's truck, mast down and then have the mast restepped and the rigging hooked back up while it is in the water?

I do have one gate valve under the waterline that I need to replace and the others don't have proper flanges and backing plates. The mushrooms are fine, just the rest is a mess. Can I do that work while it is in the water? For cost reasons it would certainly be best to just launch and do everything once it is floating. Should I just put it on stands, fix, restep, and then launch?

Thanks everyone. This whole process is full of all kinds of things that I had not anticipated and am not sure how to plan. Needless to say, all the things I am discovering cost money.

[valhalla360]

The mast usually comes on and off while in the water.

If you can coordinate it, have them pull and drop the boat directly onto the truck to save the cost of a lift. If you need to do below waterline work, they may charge you for two lifts and for the time it's in the yard (if one yard is much cheaper for the haul out and yard time, do the valve there assuming distance isn't a big deal)

[Lizzy Belle]

I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle (as in, all the planning and most of all, all the $$) but ...

I'm assuming this is a deck stepped mast. On a 24' boat, that's easy enough to take down and put back up. We did it on a 22' I owned years ago with just one guy and some rope, since the boat had no installation yet for doing the job.

Taking the mast down is something the current owner might do for you - not a huge job. It's usually done when still in the water, then the whole package gets lifted.
When the boat is where you want it to be, any sailor there can probably help you put it back up.

[Stumble]

You would need to arrange for one of the local yards to put it in the water for you and step the mast. It shouldn't be that expensive, but since you need to do some below the waterline work I would just have the boat put on jack stands until that's done, then do the stepping and splashing.

If trailering the boat is going to be a common process for you, then obviously buying a trailer would be necessary. But after that Southern Yacht Club's big crane could pick up your boat pretty easily (5ton limit I think). Once the boat is on the trailer stepping the mast isn't much of an issue. It probably won't take more than an hour using a jin pole, or less using the club's crane.

[vjm]

Thanks everyone! I think I was starting to freak out and you all helped me take a step back and think it through. I had honestly never even thought about the fact that I can put up the mast, which is definitely possible.

Also changed my profile to accurately reflect my location. Sorry about that. New Orleans was almost five years ago. But I hear what you are saying about using a crane and getting a trailer if moving it becomes a more common thing.

[Lizzy Belle]

A crane for a deck stepped mast on a 24' boat? Really?

Since my English falls short here and maststrijkinstallatie probably makes no sense to you guys, a few pics:




^ A "I do this a lot" solution.



^ Example of a "hope this was the last time" solution.

[Paul Annapolis]

Where are you and where is the boat? I know the Bristol 24--nice boat--and they have done some serious cruising. Two friends twice sailed from Maryland to the Caribbean and back. Is this your first boat? It would appear that way. Your best bet is to of course talk to the yard but I am wondering why you'd spend all this money for a boat that may only be for sale for under 5k in the first place. Better to sail her yourself or buy a boat closer to you--put the money into the boat rather than services you may not really need if you bought a boat closer to you. You will never recoup for services other than those that really improve the boat or that improve your abilities and enjoyment such as instruction/training etc.

[vjm]

The boat I am looking at is a really great deal, the Bristol 24 matches what I want to do with a boat over the next five years, may match my needs over many more years than that, and there aren't many boats out there in the condition this one is with 6' headroom for under $5000. This particular boat is a good fit for me. That's the only reason I am bothering to go through pricing the whole project out before deciding what I want to do. While I would love to sail her down to me, I cannot take off any time at work until (maybe) next year. I can never take off months at a time without planning it way in advance and taking a sabbatical. So that's out, sadly. I don't own a tow vehicle or a trailer, and the cost to rent both and return the trailer is much more than a transporter, especially if I can get one who has an empty rig coming back down to Florida from a northern delivery.

I very much appreciate the advice, and it is perfectly reasonable, but I have looked at a lot of boats, including all the Bristol 24s available in Florida. It's a hard knock life down here for inexpensive boats, and most are really not taken care of at all. Major repairs don't get done because it would be just a sunk cost given the market value of the boat. Finding a sub $5000 boat that is fit for the Keys, Bahamas, Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream, Dry Tortugas, etc., has decent headroom and living space, and that doesn't need an absolute ton of money dumped in it right away or massive amounts of time I don't have is proving to be quite challenging. I came up with this one. It's only big flaw for me and my needs is that it isn't here.

If anyone knows of an equivalently capable and roomy boat, in great condition, for under $5000, and located in Florida, please let me know. I walk docks and do the usual round of "Boats for Sale" websites. I am certainly not averse to looking at something promising.

[japarker11]

VJM,

With 30 years experience moving ourc pocket cruisers between salt water venues separated by over five hundred miles, a couple of things you should consider.

The thru hull and seacock modernization must be done on the hard. Yes, theoretically you could accomplish the backing plate and seacock conversion to ball valves in the water, but my experience has been the mushrooms will need rebedding. And there are probably more than four that will need to be addressed. You might enquire as to cost and resources available at both ends of the transit.

Bottom paint - Assuming from your profile that the termination will be the Big Easy, you need to find a bottom paint for local conditions. That and anode replacement will need to be done prior to launch.

Mast - the Bristol 's shipping vertical height (bottom of keel to top of pulpit ) will allow shipping the stick on top. The unstepping and cribbing could be accomplished in the water at origin. This way shrouds, stays, furlers and most running rigging could be left attached to the mast.

Stepping at the other end is done in the water. Your call on this, many marinas have a mast crane or mechanized davit for loading fish gear or pots that work should you be unable to round up a couple of hands to assist.

As the boat is new to you, would strongly suggest a month on the hard at the launch yard. Aside from the tasks you have identified, there is always something. I have had only one transport ,950 miles, that splashed, stepped, rigged and sailed away in 24 hours, in fact made 40 nm. Lay days in a yard are a whole lot cheaper than a pull and relaunch. Lay day charges usually approximate monthly moorage costs.






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[vjm]

japarker11,

Thank you so much. This is great info for me to consider. I will do some research in where I could keep her for approximately a month while I deal with the safety and seaworthiness issues. Of course, those choices are either far from the coast or rather spendy. I do have a friend who will let me put it on her property, but that necessitates a crane to drop off and a crane to pick up and deliver to her eventual dock. Sort of washes out the savings.

All great things to add into the mix. I am in West Palm now, so the costs have gotten rather exciting.

[Dymaxion]

KLACKOSPARS has a great system for self stepping masts, provided you have a spinnaker track on the mast. They provided most of C&C mast systems. They will build for you, or DIY with some alloy tube 1.25"OD thick wall is fine. Nice folks, useful video, and they encourage DIY. I have no connection with them. Dropped my deck stepped 32' mast single handed with zero fuss last fall. Let's hope the raising goes as well. Under $100 for the alloy bits at local metal yard. Cheers

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

A crane for a deck stepped mast on a 24' boat? Really?

Since my English falls short here and maststrijkinstallatie probably makes no sense to you guys, a few pics:




^ A "I do this a lot" solution.



^ Example of a "hope this was the last time" solution.

I've helped some folks with a similar sized boat and it can certainly be done.

But last time we did our mast it was around $150 for the crane to do it on our 43' mast. Since the price was by the foot, I would expect his mast to be under a $100. Not really worth the hassle of DIY in my mind unless he plans to pull the mast on a regular basis.

I would suggest the OP price up having the marina do the lift before committing.

[Dymaxion]

I agree, stepped 4 masts on 26 footers manually last spring with three or four of us each time. Otherwise about $80. Mine at 32' was a grunt, shorter masts are easy to push up, hence the DIY rig. Just make sure the owner has attached the back stay properly!

[Cu Mor Glas]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

A crane for a deck stepped mast on a 24' boat? Really?

Since my English falls short here and maststrijkinstallatie probably makes no sense to you guys, a few pics:




^ A "I do this a lot" solution.



^ Example of a "hope this was the last time" solution.

I understand the I hope the "I hope this is the last time"
I had a situation last spring with my ketch where I needed the stick down and the place I had scheduled to do it was on the other side if a bridge that was broken in the down position. I made up an a frame like that. The mizzen was uneventful. It's stepped on cockpit sole. The main was stressful but possible. I'd happily pay someone else to do the main in the future. A friend took video of me and my children and friends taking the main down.

https://youtu.be/V44qstQDYFQ

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[Lizzy Belle]

The bigger the boat ....

My current 29' has a big, heavy keel stepped mast. I need a crane, period.
But the mast on my 22' boat, we took off (and back on) with just 2 ropes in about an hour. Even moored next to a crane - I don't pay $100 for something I can so easily do myself

But since I was moored in between low bridges, I had a "mast down installation" made for her. With that, I could single handed lower the mast as much or little as needed while I motored. Easy as can be. Bridge cleared? Mast up, and never even had to stop.

Sometimes, I miss those days ...