From what I hear here, no one seems to give the impression that sailing the C-16, even part time, would be a viable option. So let's say I stick with the M-17 for good. This leaves three options:
a) Boat on trailer, mast down, reduce rigging time. Has any one tried anything like the Compac Suncat hinged mast (mast tender) option? This is a system in which the mast is cut at a point above the boom, and hinged there. The mainsail stays on the boom, boom stays in place for trailering (sail is covered with a sail cover), the mast hinges back and rests in a support on the back of the boat. My main concerns are: how solid such a system is, and how hard is it to install it (seems to require cutting a hole in the top of the cabin, since the bottom part of the mast has to be secured solid to the compression post in the cabin). The advantage is that all you have to do is raise the top part of the mast (lighter), attach the jib, and you're ready to sail. b) Boat on trailer, near water, mast up, fully rigged. I have some hints on where I could find a parking spot near the water closer to where I live, I'll have to research this. Obviously this would be the best solution, if I can find the right parking spot. c) Boat in the water. Clearly needing bottom paint, I'll talk to a marina to find out what it would cost to put barrier coat and bottom paint. Will research the price of this as well. To answer some of the questions. Right now I have manufactured a rear mast support from a 2x4 that has a roller on top, and which sits on top of the rudder gudgeons. However, the way my mast is set up, rolling it back until the spreaders hit the support is not enough to get the mast bolt in, I need an extra 5 inches. Right now I was thinking of modifying the mast support (this would already be the 5th iteration in 2 weeks!) so that it sits at a slightly backward angle, and thus give me the extra 5 inches. Any other suggestions? What seems to take an awful lot of time is just the going back-and- forth. Here's how I do it now. I remove the bungees that hold the mast at top and bottom. Hop in the boat, roll mast back to spreaders from the front. Holding the mast to not balance backwards, walk back to the rear support, lift mast up and move the spreaders past the mast support (the extra 5 inches). Walk forward, put the bolt into the hinge. Remove sail ties holding spreaders and stays. Open cabin, get the mainsheet system. Walk to bow, attach one of the halves of the mainsheet system to padeye on front mast support, the other half to the forestay. Start pulling on the mainsheet, thus raising the mast. This only raises the mast 2/3 of the way, walk back and push the mast all the way. Prior to this need to check that spreaders are in the right position, and the rear triangular bracket holding backstay is straight. Walk forward and attach the forestay; tighten it. Remove the mainsheet system, walk it back to the cockpit. Loosen the strap holding the gunwales. Get off the boat, remove the gunwale strap from the trailer, remove the boom and rudder from their storage place underneath the boat, on the trailer (I don't know if this is a custom system, or if some boats were supplied with this system, but the rudder and the mast stay in a support on the trailer). Walk to the back of the boat, remove the mast support from the rudder hinge, put rudder on. Put boom in the boat, put the mast support in the trunk of the car. Hop back in the boat. Remove topping lift from where it is attached on the mast, attach to rear of boom, insert gooseneck into mast. Attach the mainsheet to boom and traveler. Attach the boom vang to mast and boom. Remove sails from the cabin, take the foresail to bow, clip it on, using the halyard to keep it up. Throw the sheets to the two sides, run them through the blocks, around the winches, cleat them. Attach the mainsail halyard to the mainsail, insert the head of the sail in the track, loosely cleat the halyard. Bend the mainsheet on the boom, attach the clew at the gooseneck, tighten the outhaul, roll it twice around the boom, strap it with a sail tie. Take the tiller from cabin, attach it to rudder. Hang four bumpers on the boat, attach bow and transom docking lines. Clean up the mess in the cockpit. Get off the boat. Release the bow winch line. Finally ready to back the boat in the water. What do you see here that could be improved? Thanks, Andrei. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
