Mast up storage

ok I know this might raise some debate, but I was wondering what most of you do when storing mast up. I leave the boat on the trailer in the club parking lot with the mast up. There is a mountain and trees just a few feet behind it and a tree line about 100 yards ahead of it so the boat is pretty well protected from the winds i think. I was leaving the mast free to rotate so it can turn into the wind and reduce the strain on the trailer ties and the ground ties (have tied the boat down like crazy after seeing some recent carnage from a freak storm). the bows are pointed to the distant tree line where the most wind is likely to come from. But found online the idea of securing the mast in place to prevent it osscillating and pulling up the tiedowns. So figured would ask around and see what the majority thinking was.
thanks

As I wrote on the www.1design.com forum a few days ago ;



When faced with an immergency a trick is to tip the boat over yourself and possibly weight down the tip of the mast. If the trampoline is parallel to the wind direction then the boat will be very stable.

Also tie down your mast rotation at all times when parking the boat. An oscillating wingmast can and will break the boat loose no matter how it is secured. Typical method employed by European sailors (who all have on beach permanent mast up parking) is to tie two lines running from the tip of the mast rotation arm to each side stay hull fitting. This makes a huge difference when the boat is caught in a storm.

Also when tying down for mast up parking, it is best to have two lines come straight up from the ground next to the the sidestay hull fittings. Tie these off to these fittings and possibly use the left over end to tie them off to the trap wires. This latter action is no longer employed by use here on the beaches as it doesn't appear to be necessary with a properly tied down mastrotation. The line from the sides must be taught so tie a loop in the these lines and use that to really tighten the line (lashings). Moor the boat to these lines when it is off its dolly and when taught then move the dolly under the bows to roughly where the bridle fittings are. Now the tie downs will be really taught and the boat is well anchored to the ground and ready for everything they has to withstand on our beaches.

Tim, if I were you I would forget about the trees (too much slack in the lines anyway) and just dig two holes in your garden spaced apart a little more then the width of the boat and lay a 1x2 or 2x4 piece of wood in them will a line looped around it. Then fill up the holes, of course. They need to be deep 2 feet deep is enough and 2 feet long pieces of timber is enough as well.

This trick is also easy at regatta sites when there is ground your are allowed to dig in. This is because it is easy to get these ground anchors out later. Just dig up one end, leverage this end up and pull it out sideways.

It does surprise me that so much US masts are broken this way. Afterall these issues have been covered many times on the related forum. Some should have known better.

With F16's, a proper tie down policy is your friend. And when designed right it will not more then 2-3 minutes to tie is down properly.

Wouter

Wouter is right about the wing mast being a danger when loose.
I had a bad scene in a 50 knot blow at my beach. I keep my boat mast up and used the same common sense approach...let mast turn to wind.
Problem is when the gusts got high enough with the boat aimed directly into the wind the mast started to occilate. It vibrated so fast and intensely that it started to pull the pegs which were driven 800 into the ground right out. The whole boat was shuddering and trying to fly.
Tie the boat down well. Tie mast off using spanner and halyard back to rear beam.
When you know it is a storm of over 40 knots, pull the mast down.

I differ very much with Wouter about hitching to side stays. At the time I spoke of I had straps over the bows to pegs and from the side stays to pegs. The energy broke one of the chain plates.
I tie off to the main beam now. The stays front and back are a bad idea as they are engineered to be strong on an upward pull, not a downward one and get 'worried' and will leak or break.

We store mast up. The main thing again is to secure the mast (I tie the rotation into the “Y” at the traveler line) and keep the wind from getting under the tramp. During the monsoons we face her into wind and place the beach wheels at the stern then pound in a couple of stakes about 1-2 meters abeam and tie in the traps. Whole process takes about five minutes and there’s no question she’s going to stay put. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Is there anything wrong with just cleating the rotation adjustment or is that going to allow enough "wiggle room?"

one cord out to sides of boat will make it safer.

When tying an F16 down, you should not allow anu wiggle room anywhere. Just using the mastrotation limiter line is insufficient in my opinion.

With respect to side stays, I must admit that I have a homebuild boat and my attachments points are heavier as I also use them to sheet my spinnaker of them. I'm guessing that they are also stronger on the Blades then on the Taipan, again because initially it was decided the sheet the spinnaker from them.

Wouter

Mine is a Taipan. I noticed when I replaced the chain plate with the same numer Ronstan part that it was a heavier gauge. It had been riveted on. I replaced rivits with bolts and washers as while I understand the idea of sheer strength...I just don't need to be that mean with weight.
And I hope I was clear..re Wouter saying the mast limiter line in not sufficient. I mean one extra cord to tie that to both sides of the boat is no big dealwhen it supplies peace of mind.

You also need to understand the winds around your boats position.
We just had a one in 150 year storm here with gusts of 90 plus Knotts!
It was from a direction I knew would go over a hill and that my boats would be in no more than 20.......but that has taken me time to be sure about.

I would not tie down via the shroud attachments. They are designed to be in tension (i.e. holding the mast up).

I put my boat on 4 tyres and then tie down as follows:

1, Tie the boat down at the back beam - either on the traveller or around the rear beam in the middle and then to a stake directly under the meam.

2, tie the boat down around the mast foot and then to another stake directly under the mast.

3, Tie the boat down via a stake each side just in front of the mast with a long bit of thick rope. From the stake, then over the bow just in front of the mast, under the Spi pole, then over the other bow and then around the other stake, and then back over bow, under pole, over bow and then tie down.

4, Secure the mast rotation.

I am not sure if you are tieing down for winter or in between rides.
I push beach wheels toward back of boat so tramp can't catch air and then it is a clip each side at the beam and a ratchet belt at bows, followed by the mast rotation.....about 3/5 minutes.
I don't like the marks tyres put on my hulls.

I sail all year around. I do this every time I finish for the day.