Dry-stored / Slipped / or Moored?

[Frank C]

Last time we ran a similar test it revealed about half of all Mac powersailers are stored in the water.
My own boat has spent its six years of resting time on the trailer.

In this case, I've added a separate category for moorings, due to reports of several dismastings while moored. I've theorized that the rigging loads while moored (without benefit of full sails) might be problematic. This might especially be due to the constant motion at a mooring. I haven't read of too many owners using a mooring, so looking forward to see how many you number ... all comments are welcomed, about any aspects of your mooring experience - and in particular:

1. Do you judge your mooring as particularly calm and sheltered, or perhaps unusually exposed? Thanks!

2. Have you taken any extra effort to test & maintain tune of your rig?

3. If you have had a problem while moored - whatever the circumstance - please report some details.

[Jeff S]

I had to put where the boat was the last 2 years mainly-about 60-70% of the time in the water in a slip. It is in transit right now to the west coast where it will be trailer stored.

1- Both slips I used were protected well. Sunbrella mainsail cover worked well and sunbrella on the foresails on the RF.

2- I have reduced the length of the forestay (forget how much at the moment 3-4" I think), bought Bill (@ boats for sail) rig tuner and a Loos gauge- tuned the rig as best I could determine. Some weather helm, but manageable. Added a simple adjustable backstay and a Garhauer Rigid Vang. The rig seemed to stay tuned better when I kept it slipped mast up. When taking the mast up and down I noticed I had to constantly check the tension on the shrouds and adjust the forestay turnbuckle more often.

3- I mentioned one problem on a trailer in #2. Another with trailer is getting a kink in the stay adjusters if they get stuck. Putting clear tubing on them helps them from kinking. The trailer takes more of a beating (bunks, saltwater immersion, etc.) when trailer stored. Another problem with trailer storage can be keeping the batts charged- some have found solutions to this.

While slipped problems I have seen are bottom growth, even with decent bottom paint. Especially on the transom mounted transducer and ballast gate- they need special paint or they will turn into barnacle and other denizens homes. The other problems are changing the lower gear oil and doing maintenance on the engine.

[zuma hans 1]

You need a category for mast-up storage, a bunch of us park at marinas and let the hoists do all the work.

[Frank C]

Quick feedback - thanks all, but where are you mooring guys!?

For purpose of this poll, mast-up storage is just "stored on the trailer."
The reason .... there's simply no appreciable added load on the rig when mast is up on the trailer - it's when the boat is working her waterline that the problem occurs, heaving & tugging against a painter to a mooring ball.

[NiceAft]

Frank,

I moor the boat for only two weeks out of the year. When I do, there is a line to the mooring ball and one line coming from each of the aft cleats which are then secured to cleats on the dock. Crossing the lines from the aft cleats gives some lateral tension. I've never noticed any problems, but now you have me wondering!

Thanks Frank

Ray

[James V]

Frank - interestning. I would like to find out about the cleats and the standing rigging and any dock line damage. I had mistied a 1/2" line and had a lot of chaft in less than a day.

[Harrison]

We store ours in a mast up storage lot. Truck/trailer hookup, to floating, in 5 min.

---Harrison