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Unstep Mast for Winter Storage?

lisailor

New Member
I will be having my E29 set up for winter storage. Can I safely leave the mast and Harken Roller Furling up during storage. The yard said the mast should be untepped or it may cause gelcoat damage (Stress). But I see many sailboats stored for winter with the mast up. The cost take it down and re-rig it is significant, am I making a mistake by leaving it up? The boat is stored on Eastern Long Island, NY. Thanks in advance for any advice. Bob Jasensky
 

Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
I store my 32-3 at McMichaels' in Mamaroneck and it recommends *not* taking the mast down more than every 3 or 4 years because of the wear and tear it causes on the mast. Because I usually leave the mast up, I had a hole drilled in the bilge (plugged by a set screw in the Spring) so that the bilge can drain to the outside during the winter. Ericson masts let a lot of water into the boat.
 

Andy Rogers

Member II
We haul out our 1984 E-38 for dry storage during the winter and keep her in Stamford, CT. This will be our second year of storing Nirvana and we've opted for taking the mast out both times for the following reasons:

1. Reduces the stress on the boat/rig from high winds encountered during winter storms.

2. Keeps water from collecting in the upward facing swage fittings and then having it go through the freeze/thaw/refreeze cycle which can be very damaging to the standing rig.

3. Allows us to rig up a tarp to keep water completely out of the boat/off the deck.

4. Provides an annual inspection of the rig and makes replacing bulbs, fittings, etc. much easier.

Also, check with your insurance company to see if they have any requirements about unstepping the mast. I'm pretty sure our yard requires that you accept all liability of damage/loss related to leaving the mast in during the winter.

Andy
 

Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
Interesting, I have never heard of ice forming in a properly made swage. What's the source of your information? (I believe that if the swage is not water tight, you will get crevice corrosion which I have seen destroy a 1/4" SS clevis pin in one season.) As for covering the boat, I invested in a canvas Fairclough cover which, when amortized over its 10 year life expectancy, is money well spent (IMHO) and much cheaper than shrink wrap. The cover works equally well if the mast is in or out.
 

Andy Rogers

Member II
I read this article on Sailnet's site that first led me on to the potential of ice damage to swage fittings. I'm pretty sure I've seen the same mentioned elsewhere but I can't remember where.

http://www.sailnet.com/collections/articles/index.cfm?articleid=caldwe0019

In the other article it also mentioned that by just unstepping the mast and laying it horizontally that you don't necessarily eliminate the risk of ice forming in the fittings and having the same happen.

As for tarps, I went the blue-poly tarp route last year and the stupid thing disintegrated in the first wind storm that came through. The green-poly tarp replacement lasted the rest of the season and we hope to get one more after this layup.

Andy
 

Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
The article does say that and as I have no particular expertise on swages I can't add anything (other than the observation that swages have an open end on the lower side, which should permit drainage of any water and that in my yard, at least, leaving the mast up is the rule, rather than the exception - alot of boats in the J145 and Baltic 42 class do it.) I had the same experience as you with the tarps - even built an elaborate frame of metal piping, but still ended with pockets of water that turned into big blocks of ice that threatened to bend the stanchions. I had my mast taken down this year to get it repainted. The cost of taking down the mast was over 5 boat units! I don't want to think about the cost of Awlgripping the mast.
 

Tom Smith

Member I
I took my mast down this year for the first time since I bought the bought the boat in 1999. Glad I did it.

I removed the shrouds this weekend and put them in a 3' square box for protection. They will get a good washdown before I store them for the winter

The Mast is on A frames so it isn't resting on the stanchions. I'll use the mast as the ridgepole for the winter cover. I slanted the mast so water would run down to the butt and drain out. Hopefully that will prevent any ice buildup inside.

Having the mast down gives you a good chance to eyeball everything without swinging from a bosun's chair, and allows you to replace anything you have to at your own pace.

Not sure what they are charging out on Long Island, but I paid $1.50 per foot to have the mast hauled, and will pay the same to put it back in the spring. For the peace of mind it gives me, I think the money was a good investment.

Tom Smith
 

Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
I guess we have less room in the yards on the Sound because they don't let you store the mast on the boat. (At my yard it's put in a plastic sleeve and stored indoors). At a previous yard in Connecticut, the yard owner said if I wanted to store the mast on the boat, I would be charged as though the boat was the length of the mast! BTW I noticed last weekend (with this thread in mind) that 2/3rds of the boats kept their masts up and I am not exagerating when I say that my 32-3 is one of the least valuable boats in a yard overrun by the nouveau riche.
 

Tom Smith

Member I
I probably should let you know I store my boat on club property, not in a "for profit" boatyard. We're tight for room as well, (waiting list for winter storage), but don't charge for the extra mast footage. The flip side of this is that the club will not take down masts (safety issue), so we have to go to the local marina to hve the work done. I still think it's worth the price :)

Tom Smith
 

Bill Sanborn

Member III
Perhaps those of you who pull your masts can help me with pulling mine from my E29.

I tried to have the yard pull it with a crane a year or so ago. It was stuck so tight to the step that the crane was actually starting to lift the boat out of the water. We tried various methods of moving the mast while pulling with the crane to break it loose to no avail.

The only suggestion the yard had was to rip the deck step and mast from the boat and go back and repair the damage. Not a good option.

I elected to leave the mast in place where it still is. Have any of you had this problem? How did you get the mast off?
 

Bill Robbins

Member II
Bill,

Your situation is common for masts that are seldom or never removed. Water collects inside of the mast, and corrodes the inside bottom aluminum surface of the mast and the mating surface of the mast step "shoe." This oxidation can bind these two surfaces VERY tightly as you are finding out. I had this same experience on my E-35 last year.

Hauling on the mast such that it pulls the rig out by its "roots" is a very bad idea and I would be suspicious of any further advice from the people who recommended this course of expensive and needless action.

In my case the yard used penetrating fluid on the area and went to lunch to let the moment of frustration pass. An hour later they used a blow torch to heat up the base of the mast, and a hammer to encourage the beast to let go. It worked. My mast base was very corroded. They said that if the heat and hammering did not work they would cut the mast just above the step and then add phenolic shims to raise the rig back to its original height.

In my case the pitting at the bottom of the mast was so bad they needed to perform a "Butt Cut" which took the last 1.5" off the base of the mast. This is the same manuver they may have to do to yours while it is still on the boat. They later used two Phenolic plates under the mast base to make up for the cut distance. The mast base now sits on top of the phenolic plates and bolts through them into the reinforced cabin top.

I have also heard that a person wrote about this procedure in practical sailor a month or so ago. This person also used the yard I did. Svendsons boat yard in Alameda California.

Good luck
 

Kim Bache

Junior Member
From reading the replies there is a lot of difference in opinion. Here's mine- we have always unstepped our mast for the winter in concurrence with the other sailors who do also. This is on the advise of my brother who is an accredited marine surveyor who agrees it is hard on the rig leaving it up, gives an opportunity to inspect etc... BTW, in Huron, Ohio the annual cost to unstep is $125. Well spent for the benefits listed above AND it makes a great ridge pole for the tarp.
 

JORGE

Member III
In New York(CIty Island)

I asked the yard to remove the mast, so partial deck rebuilding could be done, but opted out, after they said about $20 per foot (x32). Most of the boats leave the mast up there.. The wind there is very forceful and no doubt causes stresses everywhere. I guess I'll wait till I hookup the climbing harness, and go aloft in the Spring to check all the rigging. There is information about checking the rig and fitting, which I intend to do.
 

Joe Benedict

Member II
Unstep the Mast

When I bought my E29 it was stored with the mast up. The marine survey stated that the mast should be unstepped every other year. The stress is one thing but the aerial part of the mast do need repair or preventative maintenance. In any case, when you store the boat make sure the keel is resting on wood, carpeting, or some other non-abrasive material. The fiberglass at the bottom of the keel can wear through and lots of water will enter the boat. (A whipping mast can aggrevate the situation.) This isn't folklore as it happened to me.
 

chrism

Inactive Member
$20 a foot seems steep...

My marina is charging about $1200 to haul, powerwash, store outdoors, step and unstep the mast, and launch.

Is that a good price? Apparently the first time it's cost more than a grand to keep her over the winter.

And the best part- this is a new marina, and it's about 200 feet from my mooring. No more early-season cold weather long sail to home.

Chris
 

Steve

Member III
You may have got off cheap

In southern New England prices have gone crazy, attached is a storage agreement from a marina near us, fairly typical of the area. Look it it over and you may never complain again!
 

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