Please tell me about your Arches!

[BOAT]

Hey all – I got a 2013 MAC. I have raised the mast many many times now. The same deal that bugged me the first time is still bugging me now: the spreaders get caught in the lifelines.

AND I have raised that mast many times with the spreaders off too but I don’t like that either – (it’s just more ‘stuff’ to mess with).

The answer obviously (as many of you have already figured out) is the get that damn mast up higher when walking it to the trailer position so the spreaders never go under the lifelines in the first place!

Everything about the mast raising is easy except the part where I walk it to the step or walk it to the pulpit. It’s the dang spreaders in the lifelines! And have you ever seen our tiny marina in Oceanside where I live!?!? The boat trailer parking lot is so small that when we walk back our masts to raise them they stick out into the main lane of traffic! We all watch for big trucks coming because they are too high to drive under the mast when it’s in the down position hanging out into the road:



I would like to pin the mast rotation somehow too when trailering, but mostly, I gotta get that mast up higher so the spreaders are out of the lifelines! AND it would be nice if the mast was higher off the ground during the walk back process to trucks could drive under it while I am raising the mast.

So – it’s obvious I need a new arch.

Anyone got any great arches/mast roller carriers they really love?? If so, where did you get it?

Any suggestions?

[Paul S]

I pin the mast when going down wind, or trailering. easy enough. drill, drill bit, pin. done.

I take the spreaders off the moment the mast is down. bought some quick pins and drilled out the holes to match. takes 2 seconds per spreader to remove ..then lash them and the rigging to the mast, drape the rigging and all lines so they won't snag on the walk up. Practice makes perfect. I can do it in my sleep now, with no drama. at first.. was quite frustrating!

by the way.. I would suggest buying and storing a couple spreaders on board. You WILL bend some in time! harder to find that stock than one might think. Buying them pre-made from BWY, at a reasonable price, is a good thing.

but yeah, pin the mast. makes life a lot easier. unpin when sailing. I pin it downwind because I use a boombrake, which is hard to use on an unpinned rotating mast.

[Paul S]

I don't know what to say about the boat ramp parking..that doesn't look fun. where I am, one ramp is kinda close, few times truck have kissed the vhf antenna. I just try and be quick, if that's the location that is open when I get there.

I would think you would need a very tall mast carrier or some other rigging to prop the mast up THAT much higher that it isn't a hazard to trucks.

Maybe contact a local boat yard. maybe their riggers could come up with a safe and reasonable engineering solution. Maybe some kind of tall a-frame with a roller on top like the factory setup...that can be hoisted up, raising the mast way up before moving the mast back to the deck mount.

[Tomfoolery]

harder to find that stock than one might think. Buying them pre-made from BWY, at a reasonable price, is a good thing.

My favorite non-ferrous online supplier. http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cf ... top_cat=60

They have stronger alloys too, but the cost is prohibitive. It's cheaper to buy an 8 footer and cut the 44" lengths from it than a pair of 4 footers, but shipping may be too costly. Something to explore at least.

Oh, and they're 1" OD x .125" wall x 44" long. BWY sells them for $28.80 each with cap, plus shipping.

Carry on.

[mastreb]

Or put pelican hooks on the lifelines so you can drop them.

[Highlander]

Here's a couple of things I have done , in this pic u can see the adjustable leg I made it lowers for towing supports the mast while towing keeps it from bouncing all over the place when going down the hi-way, raise the the leg when stepping the mast this allows u to stop the process if need if some thing should snag up & u r by urself it allows u to rest the mast right there at any position as they r now above the lifelines



Also Pelican Hooks too the front of the lifelines
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 33307c.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 555559.jpg

I also have a modified arch that has to heights standard & raised 16"
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 0016-1.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 010014.jpg

The above mast crutch arch is now in the process of being modified again by me to make the precess easier will post pics in the spring when done
To pin the mast just drill a hole in the mast base plate & use a small hitch pin

J

[BOAT]

So it's okay to drill a hole in the base plate?? That seemed like the obvious answer but I was afraid to do it. I worried it would hurt the base plate.

And the arch? How is that extended again?

[Russ]

Re: Mast sticking into traffic.
Can't you just raise the mast once the boat is floating?

Re: Spreaders.
I drop the lifelines to get them out of the way.

[BOAT]

Yeah Russ, I guess I could put it in the water and then raise the mast but like I said - the harbor is really small. After leaving the boat ramp you just take two left turns and you're in the ocean. The harbor is just a place to put in or pull out or park if you have a slip. The navigation channel is big enough I guess but not by much. If you're putting out from Oceanside your basically sailing in the open oceans, period. Five minutes from the launch ramp and you're in the big blue pacific swells and all. (There are breakers INSIDE the mouth of the harbor!) It's a little harbor built by the residents of Oceanside with their own money and partially paid for by the Army Corp of Engineers to save ships in trouble as there was no safe berth between San Diego and Dana Point. Without the Army money the residents could have never built even the tiny harbor that exists now. It's not a place to 'Hang Out'; we have no harbor queens here. Those are all down in San Diego or up in Newport.

As far as I can tell there is only one other MAC in all of Oceanside harbor (it's an older 26X in a slip). Everyone has a slip. All the trailer people have non-MAC boats (Potters, Jensen's, you know older boats) or older MACs like the real fast D style. (Like I said - it's OCEAN ONLY sailing. The people are all real nice and we look out for each other by calling out the trucks. The ramp is very friendly and everyone helps each other. It's more courteous to step the mast in the parking lot versus barging the channel or even worse - barging the launch ramp. People from Riverside do it, but we locals don't do it.

If I can't raise the mast to my liking I guess I will go with the pelican hooks on the lifelines but I sure like the idea of getting that mast higher up so I don't bump my head all the time coming out of the cabin when I'm on the trailer! (OUCH!)

[Tomfoolery]

Re: Mast sticking into traffic.

Can't you just raise the mast once the boat is floating?

That's what I've done when land traffic doesn't permit doing it on the trailer. No biggie if baby stays are used, and if the water is reasonably flat. Big wakes would probably make that a non-starter, though.

Softer landing if you fall off the boat, too.

[Russ]

I sure like the idea of getting that mast higher up so I don't bump my head all the time coming out of the cabin when I'm on the trailer! (OUCH!)

I hear ya there. Hit my head many times coming out of the cabin. When in the driveway, I have learned to lower the mast to the side out of the way.

I wouldn't attempt to raise the mast while underway or in open water. I have done it at the launch dock. But then our launch isn't very busy. Probably not welcome while others are waiting for it.

It seems that what you are asking for is some kind of extension of the arch. I bet someone would fabricate a pole or some such thing to provide a roller higher up for you. A good welder should be able to do this fairly easily. Like Sumner's support


The older Macs had the mast support in the ped



You could make something simple like Sumner's support


--Russ

[BOAT]

Yeah, I guess I could make something - but more gadgets? More weight? More STUFF! I'm trying to minimize such things. I guess a really nice arch like power boaters use could be an option or I could just modify the one I have. I guess i will get back to the drawing board!

Thanks for the help!

[DanInCanton]

I don't know how well this might work on an , but here's an arrangement I made for my old 25. It's an inexpensive arch marketed for dinks, but it did the trick for me. They are being discontinued, so grab one quick if you want it from:
http://fishmaster.com/products/RadarArch.htm

Best Wishes,
Dan
Sailorguides.com

[bartmac]

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1771

Whats to tell.......this mod shows ours.... does a number of things 1. Carries mast at above head height in cockpit which allows for on the road/water full usage of cockpit which in turn allows for easy full tarping of MacX along the length of the entire mast....also allows both dodger and our 2 biminis to be used under the stored mast.2. Carries solar panels x 6 and aerials plus wiring internal for the those and lights ie anchor,cockpit lights x 3. 3.Creates shade by the fitment of the solar panels.......in short the arch is one of the best mods we have....ho forgot also allows for dinghy towing from a high point which makes possible prop fouling less likely...also good washing/drying line mount....when anchored and facing rear to the late west sun...nothing better than to hang a big towel to shade you after a long hot day on the water

[BOAT]

Very nice. I wish I could put a gunnell to gunnell radar arch up but it will hit my roof where I park the boat. I pretty much need to keep the narrow profile of the stock arch but I am looking at a picture of a boat called: "SOL MATE" and it looks like he has somehow come uo wuth somthing but the picture is not real detailed. I will search for him on the blog.