It had been a few weeks since I had been out on the water so I was really eager to go. My normal crew was not available with the Admiral planning to go to a baby shower and none of my kids wanted to go. I extended an invitation to a few others, no luck, they all had plans. So I said fine, I'll go by...

I have read of afew "X" masts breaking at the spreader bolt in recent months which makes me wonder why? The mast will break there (BTDT) primarily for two reasons: 1. It is near the middle of the mast where the bending stresses will be the maximum. 2. The spreader bracket bolt hole create...

Chinook,

With my mast top VHF antenna, I am about 36' above the water so I don't think I will try going under the I-90 bridge. The rest sounds great. Thanks for the information!

Bob

I would like to find a good place to launch on Lake Washington for the Memorial Day Weekend and get some tips to motor over to the Puget Sound. Where is the best place to launch and park for a few days, would it be Magnuson Park? Is it a safe place to leave a vehicle overnight? How quickly does this...

This works much better.

http://www.downwindmarine.com/Johnson-Q ... 90707.html
Dave

Really Dave? Have you tried both options? My solution is easily adjustable and is less than half the cost of yours.

My adjuster is certainly less interesting than K9Kampers'

I measured 10 times and cut once and ground smooth the metal strip attached to the stay so that it was the right length for a turnbuckle.



Bob

RJG, details on the LED anchor light? Did you put it atop the mast? I have a 99 X and am leery of all the issues people have had running wires up the mast. I think although not totally legal (makes it partially illegal?) My anchor light is a basic "Hella 2492" fixture with a http://www.do...

Here are a few mods that were first on my list: 1. Anchor light with LED Bulb (I got a Dr. LED Bulb) it uses less than 10% of the current of a standard bulb- around 150 mA I think. 2. Battery Combiner 3. Pressurized water system 4. Auxiliary alarm inside cabin connected to GPS external alarm output ...

A few more comments/unanswered questions from previous posts: 1. The mast was mostly pre-drilled, for the larger bolts. The smaller ones for the main halyard block, spreader bar base and a few other things are not. 2. Ikea trip: no major purchases, just a few small items for the kitchen. Not a whole...

Really guys??? My Rav 4 is equipped with pneumatic tires, springs, and shock absorbers. These do a pretty good job of smoothing out the bumps in the road and keep the dynamic forces on the sprung mass of the vehicle usually well under 1 extra g, easily under 3 g's. If I were to hit a bump capable to...

There are risks in everything we do. Towing a boat 360 miles on an interstate and driving through Seattle is risky, all sorts of calamity can happen if you get a blow out, have catastrophic bearing failure (BTDT while picking up my first boat) get cut off, etc. I was very careful in how I drove. I m...

The Mast on the M and X is not strong enough for the large amout of over hang for a 2 point support system that is 5 ft. or less between supports. Adding a 12ft. 2x6 under the mast would give much more support. Years of experance and FL. Certified Lic. Structural building/ and Certified Building Li...

Mission accomplished! An easy ride on the Rav 4. The Admiral was quite pleased, by not hauling the boat to transport the mast, we were able to go to Ikea before picking up the mast. :) http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n570/RJG_26S/IMG00868-20120421-1707.jpg http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57...

Hey RJ! :D Replacing the mast with the same thing again (ie a new one) could very well result in the same thing happening again under similar circumstances. Improper drilling of the holes can also predispose the mast to failure in that area. If the goal is peace of mind, welding it would make that ...

Just curious. Are you getting an X or an M mast? I thought X masts were no longer available. It would be good news if they are. Good luck. Ken Ken, I am getting an X mast. New mast, spreaders, upper and lower shrouds, forestay, mast foot, and a rigging tension gauge for just over one boat buck. Bob