cost of new sailboat mast

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Replacing Your Sailboat Rigging

• By Wendy Mitman Clarke
• Updated: March 23, 2020

Whether you’re buying a used sailboat that’s new to you or you’ve owned your boat for decades, the standing rigging is what keeps the mast in place, and thus requires particular attention. How do you know when it’s time to re-rig? There are some obvious answers to this one — for instance, if your wire rigging has broken strands or if it’s suffering from “candy-striping,” i.e., rust-colored streaks swirling down the wire. The latter may indicate two things: one, that it’s simply surface rust, which you should be able to polish off, or two, that as the wire was being manufactured, a strand might have picked up some contamination during the process and is compromised, which is cause for concern. A third visual indicator are cracks in swaged fittings, some of the most common end fittings for wire. Cracks are hard to see (use a magnifying glass), and sometimes marks that look like cracks can be left by the machine used to create the swage. Then there’s just age, and this factor as a reason to re-rig is more subject to a boat’s history than anything else.

“There’s a rule of thumb, but it varies rigger to rigger,” says Steve Madden, co-owner of M Yacht Services in Annapolis and the head of its M Rigging division. “My belief is that you should be replacing your sailboat’s standing rigging every 10 to 15 years.” But this time frame also is variable, depending on the boat’s purpose and use. For instance, for an offshore bluewater boat, Madden recommends 10 years, and for a serious coastal cruiser, more like 12.

“The biggest thing we like to have is the history of the boat: what kind of boat it is, how it’s been sailed and where has it been sailed,” says Jay Herman, owner of Annapolis Rigging. “That history will affect what kind of life you get out of your standing rigging.” Some insurance companies, he says, will require a re-rig if you’re purchasing a used boat that has standing rigging older than 15 years.

Either way, Jimmie Cockerill, co-owner of the Rigging Company in Annapolis, recommends that for a sailboat with wire rigging, the mast should be pulled and all fittings and wire visually inspected every five to six years. And although rod rigging may be able to last longer than wire, it too needs to be serviced every five to six years to get the most life out of it. Sticking to the 10-year rule, Madden says, means that for the most part, any corrosion or failure points will be eliminated with a re-rig.

How the rigging has been tuned is also part of a boat’s story. For instance, Madden says, he recently had a customer whose 46-foot cutter had a rigging failure at six years. The customer had had the boat re-rigged, and during a trip to the BVI, the new wire stretched. The owner didn’t adjust the rigging to compensate for the stretch for several seasons. “That was a case of not knowing that the worst thing you can do to standing rigging is have it loose on the leeward side,” he says. “Sailboat rigging very rarely fails from being overloaded. There’s such a safety margin in rigging. So you’re sailing offshore and you’re looking at the windward shroud that’s taut, and that’s not the one to worry about. It’s when the leeward side starts flopping around that you’re asking for trouble.”

Stainless steel has a finite number of cycles — essentially, movements, whether fore and aft or side to side. “The theory is that it can take 10 to 15 years of cycling, but this continual motion when it’s unloaded is what fatigues the wire,” Madden says. “There’s no real way of measuring that. Die testing won’t pick it up, and it’s rare that a wire will give you warning before breaking.”

So how often should standing rigging be replaced? For all of these reasons, most riggers agree that when your sailboat’s standing rigging approaches 15 years old, it’s a good time to consider replacing it.

Wire or Rod Sailboat Rigging?

Riggers say the question of whether to rig with wire or rod is usually fairly easily answered: Run what you brung. In other words, if your boat already has rod rigging, with all of the end fittings to terminate the rods both on deck and in or on the mast, then sticking with rod will ultimately be less expensive than making the switch to wire. Likewise, if you already have wire with fittings that accommodate your boat and mast, stick with wire. Aside from the relative cost differences between rod and wire (rod is more expensive), what also makes a switch pricey is having to significantly modify the mast to accept the different rigging.

Although rod rigging is more common on racing boats, many well-known cruising-boat builders, such as Valiant, Bristol, J/Boats and Hinckley, have rod-rigged models. The benefits of rod are less stretch, less weight, less windage, and arguably longer life than wire, because there’s less possibility for corrosion of the rod itself.

That said, some sailors prefer wire over rod for a number of reasons. First, it’s easier to fix in remote places and on your own. With a spare mechanical end fitting, wire and the proper tools, you can replace a stay pretty much anywhere. Similarly, it’s easier to find usable replacement parts far from busy ports. Wire rigging is generally less expensive and easier to handle. Finally, rod rigging requires a particular type of terminus — called a cold head — that can be fabricated only with a purpose-built machine, which only a rigging shop will have. You cannot use a mechanical fitting on rod rigging.

In the past, long-distance cruisers typically chose wire rigging with mechanical fittings for all of these reasons. They also would carry a piece of wire as long as the longest stay on the boat — coiled and stowed, which undeniably was sometimes easier said than done — as well as spare end fittings and the tools needed to replace a broken shroud or stay. Today, with the advent of super-strong synthetic line such as AmSteel and Dyneema, the need for that extra wire and gear is eliminated. For instance, the Rigging Company makes a spare-stay kit that can accommodate either wire or rod rigging repairs, Cockerill says. It has a synthetic stay with an eye splice, a toolless turnbuckle (the Handy Lock, made by C. Sherman Johnson), quick-release fast pins with an attached lanyard, several high-strength Dyneema loops, and even a heavy-duty zip tie to fish loops in and out of holes in a mast.

“The idea is you come on deck with this small canvas bag and make it happen,” Cockerill says. “Let’s say you ripped a tang out of the mast; you can use a Dyneema loop to create another attachment point. A smaller loop is a makeshift chainplate attachment — you can attach it to a neighboring chainplate and attach the stay to it. It’s good enough to get you to safety and someplace you can make a more permanent repair.” Riggers say very few sailors re-rig from wire to rod or the reverse, but if switching is on your mind, have a professional make a full assessment first.

There are so many variables in the system — types of end fittings, types of masts, types of attachment points — that each boat will have its own specific requirements that can affect cost. For that reason, it’s difficult to give an accurate estimate of the cost of making the switch, even for an average 40-footer.

End Fittings for Sailboat Rigging

All standing rigging, whether rod or wire, has to end in a fitting that attaches to the deck and mast. The three most commonly used types of attachments are swaged and mechanical fittings for wire, and cold heads for rod. Generally, end fittings fall into a few classes: studs, eyes, forks and hooks, each of which comes in a dizzying array of sizes and configurations. There are multiple combinations and variations: For instance, if your mast has double tangs, most likely the end fitting will be an eye — although it can be a marine eye or an aircraft eye, which differ primarily in shape. All rod rigging terminates in a cold head, which accommodates the end fitting or is encapsulated by the end fitting. This could be a marine eye, a marine fork, a T-head or a J-hook, among others.

A swaged fitting is a terminus that’s attached using a machine called a swager. It rolls the end fitting through two opposing dies and compresses the fitting on the wire so tightly that it can’t pull out. “The theory is that you’ve crushed it so tightly that all the wires inside have just merged into one solid piece of stainless,” Madden says. Swaging must be professionally done, and the result is extremely strong and generally has a long life. Top manufacturers of swaged fittings are Hayn Marine Rigging Products, Alexander Roberts and C. Sherman Johnson.

Mechanical fittings can be applied using a few common hand tools by the mechanically handy DIY sailor, which is one reason they’re popular. The two primary manufacturers of mechanical fittings presently are Sta-Lok and Petersen Stainless, which produces Hi-MOD. Both are located in the U.K., and the products are distributed in the U.S. through vendors like Hayn, West Marine, Defender, and local chandleries and riggers. Generally, they consist of either three or four parts (Sta-Lok has three; Hi-MOD has four), including a sleeve; a cone; in Hi-MOD’s case, a crown wheel; and the terminal (an eye, fork, stud, etc.). If you follow directions, they are fairly straightforward to install, although not especially easy. “The mechanical fasteners are great in that you can terminate and then look inside to be sure it’s formed correctly, so you do have a way of inspecting your work,” Madden says.

However, they generally cost more than a swaged fitting; Herman says while Hi-MOD’s newer mechanical fittings are “definitely more user-friendly to assemble, they’re twice the cost of a swaged fitting.” Some riggers will recommend swaged fittings for the mast end of the rigging and mechanical fittings at the deck level: Corrosion is less prevalent at the top of the mast, and you can more easily and regularly inspect mechanical fittings at deck level, where they’re frequently subjected to salt water

Should You Replace Your Sailboat’s Rigging Yourself?

So you’ve determined your sailboat’s standing rigging needs work. Do you hire a pro or go it alone? Good question. Yes, doing it yourself will theoretically save money. For an average 40-foot boat, Cockerill estimates about $100 per foot to re-rig with wire rigging ($4,000), as well as the round-trip cost to haul and launch the boat and unstep and step the rig (an additional $2,500 or so). By taking on the labor yourself, you’ll probably save as much as $2,000 on the re-rigging cost, he says. Madden says that cost isn’t linear, though; as you go up in size (a bigger boat needs heavier wire and larger fittings), you’ll spend more. He’d estimate more like $4,600 for a 40-foot boat, but all of these numbers depend on how much is involved: Are there furlers? What kind of end fittings? Are the chainplates sound? Depending on the answers to those questions and others, a professionally done re-rig for a 40-footer could be closer to $6,000 or more.

If you go DIY, you will be limited to mechanical end fittings unless you hire a rigger to swage your end fittings. The Rigging Company gears much of its sales to DIY sailors and is beginning an e-commerce site to cater specifically to handy individuals. But Cockerill says it quickly becomes evident whether an owner feels comfortable enough to do the work. “You should be mechanically inclined,” he says, “and the way to find that out is if I start talking all this technical jargon and you decide whether you’re suited to handle that at all.”

Additionally, a DIY sailor needs to do plenty of research, particularly when it comes to wire quality, which is something professional sailboat rigging companies watch like hawks. Although anyone can walk into a local chandlery and buy wire, that doesn’t mean the wire is of the highest quality. Marine-suitable stainless wire is called 316 grade, but even that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily getting high-quality wire. Much depends on where it is manufactured; Herman and other riggers say the best wire today is coming from South Korea through a manufacturer called KOS, making wire to military specifications. It’s imported and sold through distributors like Alps Wire Rope.

“We only sell guaranteed-content, guaranteed-process wire,” Herman says. “There are other wires out there that are cheaper, but they’re not guaranteed.”

As for sources of wire and fittings, there are many, including major chandleries and vendors, like West Marine and Defender, as well as some private riggers, like Annapolis Rigging and the Rigging Company, which will work with you to define what you need and help you source parts and materials.

One thing all the riggers I spoke with expressed emphatically was that stainless steel needs oxygen to create a fine film of oxidation that protects the metal. The fastest route to crevice corrosion is to cover the metal with plastic or leather turnbuckle covers or to coat the fittings in tape. Enough tape to cover a cotter pin suffices; otherwise, leave the metal open to the air. Likewise, if you are re-rigging your sailboatboat, use the opportunity to check your chainplates (easily the subject of another article entirely), since that’s one of the most common points of rigging failure.

Another factor in your DIY decision-making process is simple: peace of mind. “Most of my clients say to me without any prompting, ‘This is one area I feel should be done by a professional,’’’ Madden says. “You’re out there offshore and there’s a squall coming and you start worrying about the craziest of things, and you don’t want to have any unknowns.” That’s especially true of the system that keeps the mast and sails up.

Wendy Mitman Clarke is currently between passages. She’s the director of media relations at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and she and her family continue to pine and plan for the day they can return to the cruising life.

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• Mastering the Mast: A Comprehensive Dive into the World of Sailboat Masts and Their Importance

A mast is not just a tall structure on a sailboat; it's the backbone of the vessel, holding sails that catch the wind, driving the boat forward. Beyond function, it's a symbol of adventure, romance, and humanity's age-old relationship with the sea.

The Rich Tapestry of Sailboat Mast History

From the simple rafts of ancient civilizations to the majestic ships of the Renaissance and the agile sailboats of today, masts have undergone significant evolution.

• The Humble Beginnings : Early masts were basic structures, made from whatever wood was available. These rudimentary poles were designed to support basic sails that propelled the boat forward.
• The Age of Exploration : As ships grew in size and began journeying across oceans, the demands on masts increased. They needed to be taller, stronger, and able to support multiple sails.
• Modern Innovations : Today's masts are feats of engineering, designed for efficiency, speed, and durability.

A Deep Dive into Types of Boat Masts

There's no 'one size fits all' in the world of masts. Each type is designed with a specific purpose in mind.

• Keel Stepped Mast : This is the traditional choice, where the mast runs through the deck and extends into the keel. While providing excellent stability, its integration with the boat's structure makes replacements and repairs a task.
• Deck Stepped Mast : Gaining popularity in modern sailboats, these masts sit atop the deck. They might be perceived as less stable, but advancements in boat design have largely addressed these concerns.

Materials and Their Impact

The choice of material can profoundly affect the mast's weight, durability, and overall performance.

• Aluminum : Lightweight and resistant to rust, aluminum masts have become the industry standard for most recreational sailboats.
• Carbon Fiber : These masts are the sports cars of the sailing world. Lightweight and incredibly strong, they're often seen on racing boats and high-performance vessels.
• Wood : Wooden masts carry the romance of traditional sailing. They're heavier and require more maintenance but offer unparalleled aesthetics and a classic feel.

Anatomy of a Sail Mast

Understanding the various components can greatly improve your sailing experience.

• Masthead : Sitting atop the mast, it's a hub for various instruments like wind indicators and lights.
• Spreaders : These are essential for maintaining the mast's stability and optimizing the angle of the sails.
• Mast Steps and Their Critical Role : Climbing a mast, whether for repairs, adjustments, or simply the thrill, is made possible by these "rungs." Their design and placement are paramount for safety.

Deck vs. Yacht Masts

A common misconception is that all masts are the same. However, the requirements of a small deck boat versus a luxury yacht differ drastically.

• Yacht Masts : Designed for grandeur, these masts are equipped to handle multiple heavy sails, sophisticated rigging systems, and the weight and balance demands of a large vessel.
• Sailboat Masts : Engineered for agility, they prioritize speed, wind optimization, and quick adjustments.

Maintenance, Repairs, and the Importance of Both

Seawater, winds, and regular wear and tear can take their toll on your mast.

• Routine Maintenance : Regular checks for signs of corrosion, wear, or structural issues can prolong your mast's life. Using protective coatings and ensuring moving parts are well-lubricated is crucial.
• Common Repairs : Over time, parts like spreaders, stays, or even the mast steps might need repair or replacement. Regular inspections can spot potential problems before they escalate.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our Magazine .

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Costing: The Investment Behind the Mast

While the thrill of sailing might be priceless, maintaining the mast comes with its costs.

• Regular Upkeep : This is an ongoing expense, but think of it as insurance against larger, more costly repairs down the line.
• Repairs : Depending on severity and frequency, repair costs can stack up. It's always advisable to address issues promptly to avoid more significant expenses later.
• Complete Replacement : Whether due to extensive damage or just seeking an upgrade, replacing the mast is a significant investment. Consider factors like material, type, and labor when budgeting.

Upgrading Your Mast: Why and How

There comes a time when every sailor contemplates upgrading their mast. It might be for performance, compatibility with new sail types, or the allure of modern materials and technology.

• Performance Boosts : New masts can offer better aerodynamics, weight distribution, and responsiveness.
• Material Upgrades : Shifting from an old wooden mast to a modern aluminum or carbon fiber one can drastically change your sailing experience.
• Compatibility : Modern sails, especially those designed for racing or specific weather conditions, might necessitate a mast upgrade.

The Impact of Weather on Masts

Weather conditions significantly influence the longevity and performance of your mast. From strong winds to salty sea sprays, each element poses unique challenges. Regularly washing the mast, especially after sailing in saltwater, can help prevent the onset of corrosion and wear.

Customization and Personal Touches

Every sailor has a unique touch, and this extends to the mast. Whether it's intricate carvings on wooden masts, personalized masthead designs, or innovative rigging solutions, customization allows sailors to make their vessel truly their own.

The Role of Sails in Mast Design

It's not just about the mast; the type and size of sails greatly influence mast design. From the full-bellied spinnakers to the slender jibs, each sail requires specific support, tension, and angle, dictating the rigging and structure of the mast.

Safety First: The Role of Masts in Overboard Incidents

A mast isn't just for sailing; it plays a crucial role in safety. In overboard situations, the mast, especially when fitted with steps, can be a lifeline, allowing sailors to climb back onto their boat. Its visibility also aids in search and rescue operations.

The Rise of Eco-Friendly Masts

As the world grows more eco-conscious, the sailing community isn't far behind. New materials, designed to be environmentally friendly, are making their way into mast production. They aim to provide the strength and durability of traditional materials while reducing the environmental footprint.

The Intricate World of Rigging

The mast serves as the anchor for a complex system of ropes, pulleys, and cables – the rigging. This network, when fine-tuned, allows sailors to adjust sails for optimal wind capture, maneuverability, and speed. Mastery over rigging can elevate a sailor's experience and prowess significantly.

Historical Significance: Masts in Naval Warfare

In historical naval battles, the mast played a pivotal role. Damaging or destroying an enemy's mast was a strategic move, crippling their mobility and rendering them vulnerable. The evolution of masts in naval ships offers a fascinating glimpse into maritime warfare tactics of yesteryears.

The Science Behind Mast Vibrations

Ever noticed your mast humming or vibrating in strong winds? This phenomenon, known as aeolian vibration, arises from the interaction between wind and the mast's 

structure. While it can be a mesmerizing sound, unchecked vibrations over time can lead to wear and potential damage.

Future Trends: What Lies Ahead for Sailboat Masts

With technological advancements, the future of masts is bright. Concepts like retractable masts, integrated solar panels, and smart sensors for real-time health monitoring of the mast are on the horizon. These innovations promise to redefine sailing in the years to come.

Paying Homage: Celebrating the Mast

Across cultures and ages, masts have been celebrated, revered, and even worshipped. From the Polynesians who viewed them as spiritual totems, to modern sailors tattooing mast symbols as badges of honor, the mast, in its silent grandeur, continues to inspire awe and respect.

Conclusion: The Mast’s Place in Sailing

In the grand scheme of sailing, the mast holds a place of reverence. It's not just a structural necessity; it's a testament to human ingenuity, our quest for exploration, and the sheer love of the sea.

How often should I inspect my mast?

At least twice a year, preferably before and after sailing season.

Can I handle repairs myself?

Minor repairs, yes. But for major issues, it's best to consult a professional.

Is there an average lifespan for a mast?

With proper care, masts can last decades. Material and maintenance quality play a huge role.

How do I know if it's time to replace my mast?

Constant repairs, visible wear, and decreased performance are indicators.

What's the most durable mast material?

Carbon fiber is incredibly strong and durable, but aluminum also offers excellent longevity.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our range of charter boats and head to some of our favourite  sailing destinations.

Mast Queries Answered

I am ready to help you with booking a boat for your dream vacation. contact me..

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What Is A Sailboat Mast?

A sailboat mast is one of the most defining features of a sailboat (along with the sails of course!) You can immediately tell that a boat is a sailing boat when you spot the tall mast sticking out of the hull.

But why do sailboats need a mast? Having lived on a sailboat for years now I’ve never really questioned the need for a mast. It’s such an integral part of the boat that I just sort of forget it’s there!

When our friends recently lost their mast due to a rigging failure it got me thinking – why do sailboats need a mast and what function (aside from holding up the sails) do they actually play. It turns out, quite a lot!

We’re going to dive into the fascinating world of sailboat masts, exploring different rigs, mast materials, and the different functions that masts play. It’s important stuff if you want to go sailing, and a lot of it I should have known sooner!

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Table of Contents

Why do sailboats need a mast, parts of the mast, what materials are masts made from, single mast rigs, sailboats with two masts, sailboats with three masts, how to look after your mast.

A sailboat mast is a vertical, upright structure that supports the sails of a sailboat. It is a crucial component of the boat’s rigging system and plays a key role in harnessing the power of the wind to propel the vessel. Typically located in the center of the boat, the mast extends upward from the deck or hull.

The height of the mast varies depending on the size and type of the sailboat, directly impacting the sail area and overall performance of the boat.

Together with the boom (a horizontal spar attached to the bottom of the mast), the mast allows sailors to control the shape and orientation of the sails, optimizing their efficiency in different wind conditions.

The design and configuration of the mast can vary depending on the type of sailboat, such as a sloop, cutter, ketch, or schooner.

Sailboats require a mast primarily to support the sails.

It holds the sails in an elevated position, allowing them to catch the wind effectively. Without a mast, the sails would lack the means to be raised and positioned to harness the power of the wind.

There are a few other important jobs that the mast plays:

Control and Manipulation of Sails: The mast, along with the boom (a horizontal spar attached to the mast’s lower end), enables sailors to control and manipulate the sails.

By adjusting the angle and tension of the sails through the mast, sailors can optimize their performance according to wind conditions and desired boat speed.

This control allows for maneuverability and efficient use of wind power.

Structural Integrity: The mast contributes to the overall structural integrity of the sailboat. It helps distribute the loads and forces exerted by the sails, rigging, and masthead components throughout the boat’s hull and keel.

The mast’s design and construction ensure stability and strength, allowing the boat to withstand the forces generated by the wind.

Attachment Points for Rigging: The mast provides attachment points for various rigging components, including halyards (lines used to raise and lower the sails), stays (wires or rods that support the mast in different directions), and shrouds (wires that provide lateral support to the mast).

These rigging elements are essential for properly tensioning the sails and maintaining the mast’s stability.

Height and Visibility: The mast’s height contributes to the sailboat’s visibility, allowing other vessels to spot it more easily, particularly when sailing in congested waters. The mast’s presence also serves as a visual reference for determining the boat’s position, orientation, and distance from potential hazards.

While the mast’s primary purpose is to support the sails and enable control over their position, it also plays a significant role in maintaining the structural integrity of the sailboat and enhancing its visibility on the water.

Basically, the mast is pretty darn important!

Along with a million other confusing sailboat terms , the mast has lots of different parts too. A sailboat mast consists of several distinct parts, each serving a specific function. Here are the different parts commonly found on a sailboat mast:

• Masthead: The masthead is the topmost section of the mast. It often includes attachment points for various components such as halyards (lines used to raise and lower the sails), the forestay (the wire or rod that supports the front of the mast), and other rigging elements. The masthead may also house instruments like wind vanes or antennas.
• Spreaders: Spreaders are horizontal bars attached to the mast, typically positioned at specific intervals along its length. They help support the rigging wires and prevent excessive sideways bending of the mast. The position and angle of the spreaders contribute to the proper alignment and tension of the rigging.
• Shrouds: Shrouds are the wires or cables that provide lateral support to the mast. They connect the mast to the sides of the boat, helping to stabilize the mast and distribute the loads generated by the sails. Shrouds are typically tensioned using turnbuckles or other adjustable fittings.
• Backstay: The backstay is a cable or wire that provides support to the rear of the mast. It helps counterbalance the forces exerted by the forestay and the mainsail, preventing the mast from excessively bending forward. Adjustable backstays allow for tuning the mast’s rigidity based on wind conditions and sail trim.
• Halyard Sheaves: Halyard sheaves are small wheels or pulleys located at the masthead or lower down the mast. They guide halyards, which are lines used to raise and lower the sails. Halyard sheaves minimize friction, allowing smooth and efficient hoisting or lowering of the sails.
• Gooseneck: The gooseneck is a fitting that connects the boom to the mast. It allows the boom to pivot or rotate horizontally, enabling control over the angle and position of the mainsail. The gooseneck may include a pin or other locking mechanism to secure the boom to the mast.
• Mast Step: The mast step is the base or fitting where the mast rests and is secured to the deck or hull of the sailboat. It provides stability and distributes the loads from the mast to the boat’s structure.

These are some of the primary parts found on a sailboat mast. The specific configuration and additional components may vary depending on the sailboat’s design, rigging system, and intended use.

I was surprised to learn that sailboat masts are commonly made from several different materials, each offering its own advantages in terms of strength, weight, and flexibility.

The choice of material depends on various factors, including the type and size of the sailboat, desired performance characteristics, and budget.

Here are some of the materials used for sailboat mast construction:

Aluminum is a popular choice for sailboat masts due to its favorable combination of strength, lightweight, and corrosion resistance. Aluminum masts are relatively easy to manufacture, making them cost-effective. They offer good stiffness, enabling efficient power transfer from the sails to the boat.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber has gained significant popularity in sailboat mast construction, especially in high-performance and racing sailboats. You’ll see black carbon fibre masts on fancy sailboats!

Carbon fiber masts are exceptionally lightweight, providing excellent stiffness-to-weight ratios. This allows for enhanced responsiveness, improved performance, and reduced heeling (tilting) of the boat.

Carbon fiber masts can be precisely engineered to optimize flex patterns and provide targeted strength where needed.

Traditional sailboats, particularly those with a classic or vintage design, may have masts made from wood. Wood offers an aesthetically pleasing and traditional look.

Wooden masts can be constructed using solid wood or laminated techniques, which involve layering thin strips of wood for added strength and stability. Wood masts require regular maintenance, including varnishing and sealing to protect against moisture.

In some cases, steel may be used for sailboat masts, especially in larger vessels or those designed for specific purposes, such as offshore cruising or heavy-duty applications.

Steel masts offer robustness and durability, but they are heavier compared to other materials. They require adequate corrosion protection to prevent rusting.

Composite Materials

Sailboat masts can also be constructed using composite materials, such as fiberglass or fiberglass-reinforced plastics. These materials provide a balance between cost, weight, and strength. Fiberglass masts can be an option for recreational sailboats or those on a tighter budget.

It’s worth noting that advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques continually evolve, introducing new possibilities for sailboat mast construction.

The choice of mast material should consider factors such as boat type, intended use, performance requirements, and personal preferences, balanced with considerations of cost and maintenance.

Different Types Of Masts

There are several different types of masts used in sailboat designs, each with its own characteristics and purposes.

We’ve included how the masts are fixed on the boat. This one is an important one when buying a sailboat as you might have a preference over how your mast is attached to the hull or deck.

We’ve also included different rigs, as some boats have just a single mast and other sailboats will have two or more masts. Again, you might have a preference as to which rig set up you prefer so it’s worth knowing the pros and cons of each.

Keel-stepped Mast

A keel-stepped mast is one that extends down through the deck and is secured to the boat’s keel or structural framework. Keel-stepped masts offer stability and strength, as they transfer the loads directly to the boat’s foundation.

They are commonly found in larger sailboats and offshore cruising vessels. We loved knowing our deck was secured to one of the strongest parts of the boat.

It does come with some problems though, like the fact it can leak and start raining in the boat! A decent mast boot will stop this.

Deck-stepped Mast

A deck-stepped mast rests on a step or fitting on the deck, rather than extending down through it. Deck-stepped masts are typically used in smaller sailboats and are more straightforward to install, maintain, and unstep.

They are often lighter and less expensive than keel-stepped masts but may sacrifice some stability and rigidity.

Fractional Rig

A fractional rig features a mast where the forestay is attached below the masthead, typically at a point less than halfway up the mast’s height. This design allows for a larger headsail and a smaller mainsail.

Fractional rigs are popular on modern cruising and racing sailboats as they offer versatility, easy sail control, and improved performance in various wind conditions.

Masthead Rig

In a masthead rig, the forestay attaches at the top of the masthead. This design is commonly found in traditional sailboats. Masthead rigs typically feature larger headsails and smaller mainsails. They are known for their simplicity, easy balance, and suitability for cruising and downwind sailing.

There are various different rig set ups that just have one single mast. We’ll look at a few of the most popular types, but be aware that there are quite a few variations out there these days! It can get a little complicated!

The sloop rig is one of the most popular and widely used single mast rigs. It consists of a single mast with a mainsail and a headsail. The headsail, typically a jib or genoa, is attached to the forestay at the bow of the boat, while the mainsail is attached to the mast and boom.

Sloops offer simplicity, versatility, and ease of handling, making them suitable for a wide range of sailboats, from small day-sailers to larger cruising vessels.

A cutter rig utilizes two jibs : a smaller headsail attached to the forestay and a larger headsail called a staysail attached to an inner stay or a removable stay.

The mainsail is usually smaller in a cutter rig. This rig provides versatility and options for different sail combinations, making it suitable for offshore cruising and handling various wind conditions.

We absolutely loved our cutter rig as it gave so much flexibility, especially in heavy weather. A downside is that tacking is a little harder, as you have to pull the genoa past the stay sail.

Sailboats with two masts tend to be seen on older boats, but they are still popular and quite common, especially with long-distance sailors looking for versatility.

The yawl rig features two masts, with a shorter mizzen mast positioned aft of the main mast and rudder stock. The mizzen mast is usually shorter than the main mast.

Yawls offer versatility, improved balance, and increased maneuverability, making them suitable for offshore cruising and long-distance sailing.

A ketch rig has two masts: a taller main mast located near the boat’s center and a shorter mizzen mast positioned aft of the main mast but forward of the rudder stock. The mizzen mast is typically shorter than the main mast.

Ketch rigs provide additional sail area and options for sail combinations, offering good balance and flexibility for cruising and long-distance sailing. A lot of long-term cruisers love ketch rigs, though they tend to be found on older boats.

The downside is that you’ll have two masts with accompanying rigging to maintain, which isn’t necessarily a small job.

Sailboats with three masts or more are rare. They tend to be seen only on very large, expensive sailing yachts due to the additional expense of maintaining three masts, rigging and additional sails.

They aren’t great for single-handed crews but they do look very impressive and can power bigger vessels.

Schooner Rig

A schooner rig features two or more masts, with the aft mast (known as the mizzen mast) being taller than the forward mast(s).

Schooners are known for their multiple headsails and often have a gaff-rigged or square-rigged configuration on one or both masts. Schooner rigs offer impressive sail area, versatility, and classic aesthetics.

Schooner rigs are much rarer than the rigs mentioned above so it’s unlikely you’ll find one on a cruising vessel.

These are just a few examples of the different types of masts used in sailboat designs. Each rig type has its own advantages and considerations in terms of sail control, performance, balance, and intended use.

The choice of mast and rig depends on factors such as boat size, purpose, sailing conditions, and personal preferences.

We didn’t know the first thing about looking after our mast when we first moved aboard and we made it our mission to find out. When you’re sailing frequently then the last thing you want is to experience a mast coming down mid-passage!

Taking proper care of your sailboat mast is important to ensure its longevity and optimal performance. Here are some tips on how to look after your mast:

• Regular Inspections: Conduct regular visual inspections of your mast to check for any signs of damage, wear, or corrosion. Look for cracks, dents, loose fittings, or any other issues that may compromise the mast’s integrity.
• Cleaning: Keep your mast clean by regularly washing it with fresh water. Remove dirt, salt, and other contaminants that can accelerate corrosion. Use a mild detergent or boat-specific cleaner, and rinse thoroughly.
• Corrosion Prevention: Protect your mast from corrosion by applying a suitable corrosion inhibitor or protective coating. Pay particular attention to areas where fittings, rigging, or other components come into contact with the mast.
• Lubrication: Lubricate moving parts such as sheaves, shackles, and slides with a marine-grade lubricant. This helps prevent friction and ensures smooth operation. Be cautious not to over-lubricate, as excess lubricant can attract dirt and debris.
• Rigging Maintenance: Inspect your rigging regularly for signs of wear, such as broken strands, fraying, or excessive stretching. Replace any worn or damaged rigging promptly to avoid potential mast damage.
• UV Protection: The sun’s UV rays can degrade and weaken the mast over time. Protect your mast from UV damage by applying a UV-resistant coating or using mast covers when the boat is not in use.
• Storage Considerations: If you need to store your boat for an extended period, consider removing the mast and storing it horizontally or in a mast-up position, depending on the boat design. Store the mast in a clean, dry, and well-ventilated area to prevent moisture buildup and potential damage.
• Professional Inspections: Periodically have your mast inspected by a professional rigger or boatyard to assess its condition and identify any potential issues that may require attention. They can provide expert advice on maintenance and repair.

Remember, if you are unsure about any maintenance or repair tasks, it’s always recommended to consult with a professional rigger or boatyard to ensure proper care and safety of your mast.

We learned so much from having our rigging inspected, so we highly recommend you do this if you’re at all unsure.

Conclusion: What Is A Sailboat Mast?

In conclusion, a sailboat mast is a crucial component that plays a vital role in the performance, control, and integrity of a sailboat. It’s a good idea to learn about sailboats before you head out on a sail – unlike us!

The mast serves as a vertical structure that supports the sails, allowing them to capture the power of the wind effectively. The mast enables sailors to control and manipulate the position of the sails, optimizing performance based on wind conditions.

Additionally, the mast contributes to the overall structural integrity of the boat, distributing loads and forces throughout the hull and keel. Various rigging components, such as halyards, shrouds, and spreaders, are attached to the mast, providing support and enabling precise sail control.

By understanding the importance of the mast and properly caring for it through regular inspections, cleaning, corrosion prevention, lubrication, and rigging maintenance, sailors can ensure their mast’s longevity and optimal performance.

A well-maintained sailboat mast contributes to a safe, enjoyable, and successful sailing experience.

• How much do new sails cost?
• How long do new sails last?
• Storm sails

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How Much Do New Sails Cost?

Sooner or later it needs to happen: you need to replace those precious sails. Everybody knows it's expensive, but how expensive exactly? Let's look at the data.

How much do sails cost? Replacing the jib and main sail on a 24' Bermuda sloop will typically cost between $1,000-$2,500. Sails on mid-sized boats (34') will generally cost between $3,000-$5,000. Prices can greatly vary depending on boat length, sail material, quality of fabric, and so on. Cost increases relative to sail area and hull length.

Of course it's a matter of 'how long is this piece of string?' - but it's not impossible to give something of an answer. It frustrated me that nobody just stated a price. So to fix the problem, I've come up with a new formula. Also, better quality doesn't always give you the best bang for your buck. Read on to find out why.

On this page:

Estimated cost for different boat lengths, how to estimate sail cost, cleaning and repairing your sails instead, factors that determine the cost of sails, when to replace sails, what material is most cost-effective, how to calculate sail cost, some sailmakers to start looking, related questions.

So I gave you a wide price range, partially because it depends on so many factors (see next heading). Let's dive more into detail here.

I've compared price quotes for 22 different sailboats and came up with the following list:

The cost of jib and main replacement

The jib and the main on a Bermuda sloop rig.

• on boats from 18' to 24' , it costs roughly $1,000 - $2,500 for the sails
• on boats from 24' to 32' , it costs roughly $2,500 - $4,000 for the sails
• on boats from 32' to 36' , it costs roughly $3,000 - $5,000 for the sails
• on boats from 36' to 42' , it costs roughly $4,000 - $7,000 for the sails
• on boats from 42' to 50' , it costs roughly $5,500 - $9,000 for the sails

The cost of main sail replacement

Only the main on a Bermuda sloop rig.

• on boats from 18' to 24' , replacing the main costs between $650 - $1,200
• on boats from 24' to 32' , replacing the main costs between $1,000 - $1,500
• on boats from 32' to 36' , replacing the main costs between $1,500 - $2,500
• on boats from 36' to 42' , replacing the main costs between $2,000 - $3,000
• on boats from 42' to 50' , replacing the main costs between $2,500 - $4,000

Please note: These are ballpark figures for basic sails. If you want to calculate the cost more precisely, read on. Or get a quote from a professional! Most sailmakers are eager to help you out (and of course to get you as a customer). The quotes by premium companies tend to be on the higher side.

Interested in the total average cost of owning & buying a sailboat? You got it! I've compared thousands of sailboat prices and the recurring costs in my in-depth article the Average Cost of Buying & Owning a Sailboat (With 4 Examples ) (new tab)

First we have to estimate the sail area.

To quickly estimate the sail area for different boat lengths, multiply the hull length (in ft) with the following ratio (I've made up):

For example, a boat of 24' will have total sail area of approximately 360 ft2.

Of course this is a very rough estimation, and you should definitely measure your sails, but for a quick cost estimation it will do.

The surface factor will only work with a standard Bermuda sloop rig, using a 100% jib and regular main.

The price of sail cloth per square foot:

You want to get the current sail cloth price per square foot. To do this, simply get a price quote for two or three different sail areas, and divide the total cost by the surface area.

I've done it with 22 quotes on January 4th, 2019:

• On average, basic Dacron sail cloth costs about $6-$7 per square foot
• This is the price per square foot for the finished sail
• It's a basic inland sail, with 2 reefs, of regular weight
• It doesn't take into account any special orders (numbering, logos, and so on)

Let's say you have a 35' sloop and want to have a quick indication of the cost of replacing the jib and main sail.

Simply multiply the boat length by the surface factor by the price of sail cloth.

35' x 18 x $6.5 = $4,095

If these numbers surprise you, there's always an alternative. It can be a great idea to clean and repair your sails instead of immediately replacing them. Especially if you're an inland cruiser.

It's an idea worth considering. You can hire professionals to do it for you at 1/10 of the cost of new sails. Not bad if they can last you another 5 years or so.

I've included the sail repair company at the end of the post in my list of sailmakers.

Repairing your own sails

For large areas: If you have sewing experience (or are willing to gain it), you could very well repair your own sails. You need special heavy-duty needles and a leather sewing palm.

• If you want to give it a go, I recommend you to get this starter kit (click to check current price on Amazon ).
• You will also need some repair patches . Regular sails are mostly made of Dacron. I was very surprised at the great price of these Dacron repair strips (click to check current price on Amazon ).

This is the way to go for larger areas.

For smaller areas , you have another option. If you're not that great at sewing or don't have the patience, simply get some sail repair tape instead. It works, but it is a temporary solution at best, in my opinion.

• Check out this easy to use, heavy duty sail repair tape (link to Amazon ).

I've also noticed that you can order sails now on Amazon (crazy world). They seem to have jibs and genoas for the most popular sailboat models (Hunters, Catalinas, and so on) at a competitive price. So I definitely recommend shopping around for the best price.

There are many factors that determine the actual cost. The most important two are sail area and sail quality.

Sail area is largely determined by boat length.

Let's say there are three sail qualities available: budget sails (motor skipper), mid-priced cruising sails (about right), and performance racing sails (money is no objection).

Other factors that determine cost:

• sail quality - weight of the fabric ranging from 5.10 - 10.88oz
• rig type - ie. gaff or bermuda; roller furling or hank on
• amount of sails
• sail type - inshore or offshore; cruising or racing

Sail area is literally the amount of fabric needed for your particular boat. In general, longer boats need bigger sails. But if you use a genoa instead of a regular jib, you also require more sail cloth.

Sail quality consist of the materials used, tightness of the weave, and overall quality of the finish.

By saving on the sail quality you make sure you need to replace it sooner. This can really add up over time, if you plan on keeping your boat for half a lifetime (not everybody does, and that's fine too).

Rig type determines what kind of designs you can use. For example, a gaff rig needs a quadrilateral sail, which generally increases sail area.

If you want to see the different rig types in one overview, check out my Guide on Rig Types (new tab ) - with a great infographic !

The cost increases quite a bit if you get a roller furling main and jib.

It's easy to imagine why the amount of sails affects the total cost of replacing the sails. For most standard keelboats, the rigging consists of a main and jib, so that's what I'll use as an example here.

The sail type overlaps with sail quality. The major distinction here is inshore vs. offshore. Offshore sails are of higher quality than inshore sails. For example, inshore sails don't have reinforced clew patches, less stitching, or no double tapes. The reason is that inshore sails will probably have to deal with lighter winds.

Race sails can be more expensive than cruising sails - but the biggest cause is that they aren't made to last. Cruising sails can last you up to 10-15 years, so I'd prefer them over a budget or racing sail any day of the week.

If you want to learn the names of all the different sails, I highly encourage you to check out my Guide on Sails and Rig Types (new tab ) with lots of photos here!

When do you need to replace sails? On average, sails need replacing every 5-10 years, depending on quality of the fabric and the amount of sailing. Most people replace their sails every 7 years. You can recognize worn-out sails be excessive flapping, disintegrating stitching, and wrinkles behind the luff when on a beam reach.

The most important reasons for sail wear are:

• exposure to UV (by far the most damaging)
• flogging of sails in the wind

To make sure your sails wear as little as possible, get a good sail cover , and use it. It extends the lifespan of your sails with years, and is way cheaper than replacing them.

You can get well-priced, simple mainsail covers for most standard sizes. I recommend checking out these generic covers at Amazon .

You should definitely replace your sails if you're leaving for an ocean passage or any kind of long voyage, a race - or when they're flapping almost all the time, at all angles and with all wind speeds.

Why does it matter to replace your sails? Decent sails help you to love your boat. Bad sails will help you to hate your boat and sailing in general. Your boat will be lighter and easier to handle. Some say you gain about 1 knot speed-wise - I'm not sure but you'll definitely be faster. It becomes easier to maneuver. You'll be able to sail in much lighter air.

The list goes on. New sails really pay off.

The difference in performance is just unimaginable. If you've sailed with old sails until now, and are planning to get a new boat, maybe just consider replacing the sails.

In recent years, sail materials have developed a lot. From the 1980s onwards, nearly all sails were made from Dacron (woven polyester). In recent years, more and more sails are being made of laminated fabrics and woven nylon.

In professional racing, carbon sails are becoming increasingly popular. Carbon is the highest performing yarn currently available. Its biggest advantage is that it doesn't react to UV exposure, the number one sail killer.

In comparison, Dacron sail can withstand about 6 months of UV.

Also in comparison, Carbon is about 10-15 times more expensive than Dacron.

Some say investing in carbon sails is the way to go, but they are so expensive that they are not cost-efficient at the moment - not yet.

So let's say you replace your current Dacron sails every 7 years, and you decide to buy Carbon sails today.

It would take you 70-100 years to earn back your initial investment.

Carbon is, in a way, the Lithium-Ion of sails.

In my opinion, the best sail material for cruising is Dacron

The most cost-effective sail material is still Dacron. Although carbon sails have many advantages, they are very expensive. Dacron has a decent life span, holds its shape well, and is lightweight and reasonably priced. But it's mostly because it's so inexpensive compared to carbon yarn.

If you want to know everything there is to know about the cost-effectiveness of different sail cloths, check out this study here .

Fabric weight and cost

Heavier fabric tends to be a bit more expensive, but this is offset by the fact that smaller sails get more expensive because of the overhead cost.

So larger sails use heavier fabric, which is more expensive. Smaller sails are more expensive to stitch, attach all the hardware to, and so on.

If you're unsure about the fabric weight, here is the average fabric weight used per boat length:

• boats under 20' tend to use 5.10oz
• boats from 20' to 22' tend to use 6.18oz
• boats from 23' to 27' tend to use 7.18oz
• boats from 28' to 38' tend to use 8.18oz
• boats from 38' to 44' tend to use 9.18oz
• boats from 45' to 50' tend to use 10.18oz
• boats over 50' tend to use 10.88oz

The price of a sail is calculated by first calculating the sail area. The official way to do this is by getting out your calculator and typing in the following formulas:

Calculating Mainsail Area:

Mainsail area = P x E / 1.8 where: P = Luff length E = Foot length

Calculating Headsail Area:

Headsail area = I x J / 1.8 where: I = Mast length J = Luff to headstay

Let's calculate the sail area of something real quick. Here are the rig dimensions of a 22' Abbott:

For the mainsail , I use P (luff length) and E (foot length).

23.5 x 8 / 1.8 = 104.4 ft2 or 7.16 x 2.44 / 1.8 = 9.71 m2

For the headsail , I use I (mast length) and J (luff to headstay).

28 x 9.75 / 1.8 =151.7 ft2 or 8.53 x 2.97 / 1.8 = 14.1 m2

Now add these two and multiply by the cost of sail cloth.

Generally, this method gives you too little surface area. I've found that for standard sloop rigs, my factor-formula was more accurate (which doesn't make sense at all) . I highly recommend to simply measure your old sails, which is a great Sunday afternoon chore.

• SailCare - so many people are satisfied with this company. They don't replace, they repair. First one I'd check
• Rolly Tasker Sails - are known to deliver good quality and being the cheapest around
• Quantum Sails - making a name for themselves in professional yacht racing
• Neil Pryde Sails - a bit more expensive but highly recommended by others
• UK Sail Makers - well-known sailmakers
• North Sails - well-known name in the industry, but are they notorious or famous? (hint: it's the former)

What's the Difference Between Cruising and Racing Sails? Racing sails are generally more lightweight and made of better materials (such as carbon) than cruising sails. This makes them a lot more expensive. Cruising sails are mostly designed to be cost-effective, durable and easy to handle, sacrificing some performance by the choice of materials. Most cruising sails are still made of Dacron.

How Much Does a Sailboat Mast Cost? A new mast costs anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000, depending on your wishes. Roller furling masts start at $20,000. However, you can get a used mast for as little as $2,000. This is without the standing rigging, which will add an additional $4,000 on average.

Are Sailboat Sails Waterproof? Most sails are watertight thanks to multiple protective layers, but they aren't completely waterproof. Dacron, the most-used sailcloth, is pretty watertight, thanks to its tight weave. But eventually, the water will soak the cloth. However, the more expensive carbon sails are fully waterproof.

List of boats I've used as a source:

(Showing model - total sail surface - weight of sail cloth - total price quote)

• 18' Valiant - 14.5m2 - 5.10oz = 910 €
• 21' Hinckley - 45.5m2 = 6.18oz = 2500 €
• 22' Abbott - 33.4m2 - 6.18oz = 1900 €
• 22' Catalina - 20.8m2 - 6.18oz = 1300 €
• 27' Abbott - 35m2 - 7.18oz = 2000 €
• 32' Valiant - 52.3m2 - 8.18oz = 3000 €
• 32' Beneteau - 47m2 - 8.18oz = 2650 €
• 34' Hinckley - 56m2 - 8.18oz = 3200 €
• 34' Hallberg-Rassy - 51.3m2 - 8.18oz = 2900 €
• 36' Abbott - 56m2 - 8.18oz = 3200 €
• 36' Hallberg-Rassy - 61m2 - 8.18oz = 3400 €
• 36' Catalina - 58m2 - 8.18oz = 3200 €
• 38' Beneteau - 67.4m2 - 8.18oz = 3700 €
• 40' Valiant - 82.4m2 - 9.18oz = 4600 €
• 41' Hallberg-Rassy - 78.3m2 - 9.18oz = 4300 €
• 41' Hinckley - 71.4m2 - 9.18oz = 4000 €
• 435 Beneteau - 87.2m2 - 9.18oz = 4900 €
• 46' Hallberg-Rassy - 100m2 - 10.18oz = 5600 €
• 47' Valiant - 108m2 - 10.18oz = 6100 €
• 48' Hinckley - 104,2m2 - 10.18oz = 5900 €
• 48' Tayana - 108.2m2 - 10.18oz = 6100 €
• 50' Beneteau - 104m2 - 10.88oz = 6200 €

Mike Freauf

Thanks for the article, it was very helpful in regards to getting new sails.

Shawn Buckles

I’m glad to be able to help.

Fantastic ready reckoner. I’ve also watched some of your vids - all good stuff

Thanks for the info! Helps out.

Thanks for the info!!

Looking for ~ costs of good sails for a 64’ ocean SV and your figures only go to 50’. Thank you

What an amazing post. Simple, no anoying add´s on the midle, objective information.Now a days very rare. amazing

I never sailed in my live yet. never get that opurtunitiy, i am simple a traveer. but now I am obcessed with the idea. I am welder , builder, I could very easly make a aluminium boat way cheaper and way better than those manufactures like garcia, owen clark, allures and many others that charge fortunes for something with poor construction quality for the money. I am a follower of this page, channel. I am trying to figure out the total costs of materials needed. thanks

Klaus-Jürgen Lauth

Excellent analysis which certainly is helpful for a first estimate. Am checking the above sailmakers now to come to terms… What could be added maybe is where and under waht circumstances one can find good used sails / riggs. Thanx a lot for your professional help. Klaus J.

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Mast Stepped: A Comprehensive Guide to Properly Installing and Maintaining Your Sailboat’s Mast

by Emma Sullivan | Jul 17, 2023 | Sailboat Gear and Equipment

Short answer mast stepped: Mast stepped refers to the position where a sailing boat’s mast is supported and secured on deck. It commonly involves attaching the base of the mast to a step or partners, ensuring proper rigidity and stability for sailing operations.

What does it mean for a mast to be stepped on a sailboat?

Blog Title: Navigating the Seas: Demystifying Mast Stepping on a Sailboat

Introduction: Sailing is often associated with a sense of freedom and adventure, as you glide through the serene waters powered only by the wind. However, behind every majestic sailboat lies a complex set of components working in synchrony. One such crucial element is the mast, which plays an integral role in allowing your vessel to conquer the seas. In this blog post, we will delve into what it truly means for a mast to be stepped on a sailboat and explore its significance in sailing.

What is Mast Stepping? When we refer to “stepping” the mast on a sailboat, we are essentially describing the process of erecting or installing it onto the boat’s deck. Picture this: just like erecting a tent requires setting up poles, attaching beams, and securing them firmly in place – stepping the mast follows similar principles but with much more complexity.

The Role of Mast: To comprehend why this process holds vital importance for sailors, understanding the role of a mast itself is paramount. The mast serves as an essential vertical spar that supports and secures all standing rigging – encompassing shrouds and stays – which ensures that your sails remain taut amidst ever-changing weather conditions. Additionally, it houses various components necessary for smooth navigation, including halyards (ropes used to raise and lower sails), sheaves (pulleys facilitating rope movement), and even instrumentation like wind sensors or radar systems.

Now that we have established why masts are pivotal in sailing, let’s explore the different types of masts commonly found on sailboats:

1. Keel-Stepped Mast: In modern sailboats, keel-stepped masts are prevalent. These masts rest securely in support at their base within or directly on top of the keel (the large fin-like structure underwater). This design enhances structural integrity and stability while also allowing for easy maintenance.

2. Deck-Stepped Mast: Alternatively, some sailboats feature deck-stepped masts. These masts are secured on the boat’s deck itself, with a lower support or compression post transmitting the mast’s loads to the keel. Deck-stepped masts offer advantages like simplified installation and removal, making them particularly favorable for smaller boats or those frequently transported by trailer.

The Process of Stepping the Mast: Now that you grasp the significance of the mast and understand its types let’s explore how this intricate process is executed:

1. Preparation: Before embarking on mast stepping, it is crucial to ensure that all necessary rigging hardware, lines, hoisting equipment (such as a crane or gin pole), and safety gear are readily available. Thoroughly inspecting all components for wear and tear is equally important to avoid any mishaps during installation.

2. Alignment & Integrity Check: Next comes aligning the mast properly at its designated step point on the boat’s deck or within/upon the keel structure (depending on mast type). Checking for proper alignment prevents undue stress on both the boat and mast while ensuring efficient sailing performance.

3. Hoisting & Securing: With preparation complete and alignment precise, it’s time to gently hoist the mast using an appropriate force measurement technique to prevent overloading any connection points or causing damage. Adequately securing the mast at its step point is paramount – utilizing sturdy stainless steel bolts, shackles, or other suitable fixtures ensures a robust connection.

4. Rigging Installation: Once your mast stands tall and firm, it’s time to attach various standing rigging elements such as shrouds, stays, halyards – each with their specific task in supporting sail control systems aboard your vessel. This requires careful attention to detail – adjusting tensions correctly according to manufacturer guidelines guarantees optimal sail performance across different wind conditions.

Conclusion: Stepping the mast on a sailboat is a critical procedure that sets the foundation for successful and safe sailing adventures. A well-adjusted mast brings stability, facilitates efficient control, and allows your sails to harness the power of the wind, propelling you towards new horizons. So, next time you embark on an aquatic journey, appreciate the skill and craftsmanship behind this process – knowing that every smooth glide owes its gratitude to a perfectly stepped mast.

How is a mast stepped on a sailboat? A step-by-step guide.

Stepping the mast on a sailboat is a fundamental process that marks the beginning of every sailing adventure. It involves raising and securing the mast into its proper position, allowing for the attachment of sails and rigging, ultimately enabling the boat to harness the power of wind and embark on exciting voyages. In this step-by-step guide, we will explore the intricacies of stepping a mast, providing you with all the necessary knowledge to do so successfully.

Step 1: Preparation Before stepping your mast, it is important to ensure that all preceding preparations have been completed. This includes assembling all necessary tools and equipment such as shackles, halyards, or winches. Additionally, inspecting both your boat’s standing rigging and mast itself for any signs of damage or wear is crucial for safety and optimal performance during future sailing endeavors.

Step 2: Clearing obstructions In order to safely step your mast onto your sailboat’s deck, make sure that all potential obstructions are removed. Check for any lines or fittings that may hinder the smooth process of raising the mast. A clutter-free workspace will significantly reduce stress and allow for seamless progress throughout this procedure.

Step 3: Proper positioning You now need to position your sailboat in an ideal location from where you can safely step the mast. Find a spot protected from strong winds or currents that might make this task more challenging. Ideally, choose an area with ample space around you to maneuver freely without risking damage to your vessel or nearby objects.

Step 4: Assemble assistance team Without doubt, stepping a mast is rarely a one-person job. Recruiting assistance from fellow sailors or friends will not only make this process less physically demanding but also contribute to safer execution overall. Ensure everyone involved understands their assigned roles and responsibilities before proceeding further.

Step 5: Attach standing rigging Begin the process of stepping the mast by attaching and adjusting the standing rigging. This includes securing your forestay, backstay, shrouds, and any other supporting cables or wires. Follow manufacturer guidelines and best practices to ensure proper tension and alignment. It is vital to double-check all connections, as loose or improperly attached rigging can compromise the stability and performance of your sailboat.

Step 6: Hoisting the mast Here comes the exciting part – raising the mast! Depending on your boat’s design, this step might require a crane or a simple manual lifting mechanism. Communicate clearly with your team and follow a synchronized approach while hoisting the mast to avoid any accidents or setbacks.

Step 7: Aligning and securing Once your mast is in an upright position, carefully align it with its designated base partner (known as a step) on deck. Any misalignment at this stage can result in unwanted stress on fittings or potentially damage critical components of your sailboat’s rigging system. Use shims if necessary to level out any minor discrepancies.

Step 8: Stabilizing and tightening Now that your mast is properly aligned, securely fasten it using nuts, bolts, or pins provided by its design specifications. Pay close attention to recommended torque values to avoid under- or over-tightening. This step ensures that even under significant wind forces, your mast remains steadfastly anchored.

Step 9: Check for secure fit Before celebrating the successful completion of stepping your sailboat’s mast, conduct a final inspection to ensure everything is secure. Inspect all attachments points thoroughly, checking for signs of movement or looseness. Shake the mast gently from various angles to identify any wobbling that may indicate insufficient tightening.

By following these nine steps meticulously, you will have successfully stepped the mast on your sailboat like a pro! Properly stepping a mast ensures both safety and optimal performance, granting you the freedom to set sail and explore new horizons with confidence. Remember, if you ever feel unsure or uncomfortable during any stage of this process, consult your boat’s manufacturer or seek professional assistance for guidance. Happy sailing!

Mast Stepped: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

At Mast Stepped, we understand that many boat owners have questions about the mast-stepping process. To help alleviate any concerns or confusion, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) below. Read on to discover detailed professional answers to these queries.

1. What is mast stepping, and why is it important? Mast stepping refers to the process of raising a boat’s mast into its designated position. This task is crucial because it enables your boat to properly harness wind power for sailing or cruising. A well-aligned and secured mast ensures better performance and stability on the water.

2. When should I step my mast? Mast stepping is typically done during spring commissioning, when boats are taken out of winter storage and prepared for the upcoming season. However, it can also be necessary if you’re re-rigging your mast or performing maintenance on your rigging system.

3. Can I step my mast by myself? Stepping a mast requires careful planning, preparation, and coordination. While some experienced sailors may be able to do it alone, it’s generally recommended to have at least one other person assisting you. Moreover, enlisting professionals who specialize in mast stepping can provide extra peace of mind and ensure a smooth process.

4. How much does professional mast stepping cost? The cost of professional mast stepping services varies depending on factors such as the size and complexity of your boat’s rigging system, location, and additional services required. It’s best to request quotes from reputable marine service providers who can assess your specific needs accurately.

5. What steps are involved in the mast-stepping process? Mast stepping involves several key steps:

– Preparation: Ensure all rigging lines are securely attached with no tangles or snags. – Support: Use sturdy supports such as a crane or gin pole to temporarily hold your mast in place during the raising process. – Alignment: Carefully align the mast with the boat’s keel, making sure it is perpendicular to the waterline. – Attachment: Securely attach the mast to its base (deck or keel) using appropriate hardware and fasteners. – Rigging: Reconnect all necessary lines, cables, and electrical connections according to your boat’s specific rigging configuration.

6. Are there any safety precautions I should take during mast stepping? Safety is paramount when dealing with a tall structure like a mast. It’s essential to follow best practices such as wearing proper protective gear (e.g., harnesses), using secure lifting equipment, and conducting a thorough inspection of all rigging materials beforehand. Additionally, be cautious of overhead powerlines that may pose a hazard during the mast raising process.

7. How often should I inspect my mast and rigging system? Regular inspections are crucial for detecting any signs of wear, corrosion, or damage that could compromise your boat’s safety while at sea. Ideally, you should visually inspect your rigging system yearly and perform more detailed examinations every three to five years or as recommended by professionals.

8. Can Mast Stepped assist me in selecting the right rigging components? Absolutely! Our team of experts can provide guidance on selecting appropriate rigging components tailored to your boat’s specifications and sailing needs. From wire ropes to turnbuckles and fittings, we’ll help you choose durable and reliable equipment from trusted manufacturers.

9. What are some common indicators that my mast needs attention? Signs that your mast may require attention include loose shrouds or stays, clanging noises while under sail, excessive movement or swaying of the mast when underway, leaks around deck penetrations connected to your mast (e.g., halyard exits), visible cracks or deformation on any part of the structure. If you notice any of these issues, it’s best to have them inspected promptly by professionals.

10. Can Mast Stepped assist with unstepping a mast too? Absolutely! Just as we specialize in mast stepping, our services also encompass unstepping masts. Whether you’re preparing for winter storage or need to address rigging maintenance, we have the expertise and equipment to safely handle the de-rigging process.

In conclusion, at Mast Stepped, we understand that proper mast stepping is essential for optimal sailing performance and safety. By addressing frequently asked questions about this process, we aim to empower boat owners with knowledge and resources to ensure their rigs are ready for every adventure on the water. Whether you decide to tackle mast stepping yourself or seek professional assistance, don’t overlook this crucial aspect of boat maintenance – your sailing experience will thank you!

The importance of proper mast stepping for sailboat performance.

Title: Elevating Sailboat Performance: Unveiling the Crucial Role of Proper Mast Stepping

Introduction: Ah, the allure of sailing! The mere thought of gliding through azure waters on a sailboat evokes a sense of freedom and adventure. Yet, behind every successful seafaring expedition lies an often overlooked factor that can make or break a sailor’s experience – proper mast stepping. In this blog, we delve deeper into the importance of ensuring your sailboat’s mast is securely and skillfully stepped, unlocking the secrets behind achieving optimal performance on the high seas.

1. Stability in Every Gust: Imagine navigating a turbulent sea only to find yourself at the mercy of every gusty squall. The trunk-like stability of proper mast stepping is precisely what separates sublime sailing from unbridled chaos. By meticulously aligning and securing your boat’s mast, you establish a foundation that resists excessive movement when encountering powerful wind currents. This stability not only enhances safety but also allows you to maintain better control over your vessel, optimizing performance even in challenging conditions.

2. Maintaining Alignment: Taming Sail Power: A crucial aspect of proper mast stepping lies in maintaining perfect alignment between your sails and rigging components. Just as an orchestra conductor ensures each musician produces harmonious melodies, correctly aligning your mast orchestrates collaboration between sail power and hull dynamics – key factors influencing boat speed and responsiveness. Through careful adjustment and tuning during mast stepping, optimum alignment can be achieved, maximizing propulsion efficiency while minimizing unnecessary strain on vital components.

3. Mastering Balance for Speed: Speed aficionados know that reducing drag is paramount to capturing those elusive knots on open waters. Correctly stepped masts enable boats to strike an equilibrium where dynamic forces align symmetrically with hydrodynamic profiles beneath the waterline—less drag equals more speed! Aligning the center of effort (where sails produce force) with the centerboard or keel down below ensures enhanced balance and a streamlined course through the waves, transforming your boat into a true speed demon.

4. The Symphonic Rigging Ensemble: Proper mast stepping unifies all elements of your sailboat’s rigging system into a harmonious symphony. Whether sails, sheaves, halyards, or shrouds – each element has its part to play in creating the perfect melody that propels you forward. By ensuring precise mast alignment during stepping, you unleash the full potential of each component to work together seamlessly, unlocking enhanced efficiency and promoting optimal performance on every seafaring escapade.

5. Defying Cataclysm: Durability and Safety: A sailboat is only as strong as its weakest link, and improper mast stepping can undermine not just performance but also safety at sea. The consequences of neglecting this critical aspect can range from sagging masts to compromised connections that give way when challenged by harsh weather or sudden jolts. Skillful mast stepping eliminates vulnerability by guaranteeing robust connections, significantly reducing the risk of structural failure or catastrophic dismasting when navigating choppy waters.

Conclusion: From beginners embarking on their maiden voyage to seasoned sailors seeking to optimize their craft’s performance, proper mast stepping remains an indispensable factor deserving meticulous attention. When done skillfully, it unveils a world where stability meets agility, harmony merges with power, and durability fuses with safety—all seamlessly working together to elevate your sailboat’s performance above all expectations. So next time you set sail, don’t overlook the importance of proper mast stepping – let it be the wind in your sails!

Common challenges and troubleshooting when stepping a mast.

Stepping a mast can often be a daunting task, especially for novice sailors or boat owners who are new to the process. It is important to approach it with caution and follow proper techniques to ensure a successful outcome. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the common challenges that you may encounter when stepping a mast and provide effective troubleshooting tips to overcome them.

1. Aligning the Mast: One of the primary challenges is aligning the mast properly during installation. Improper alignment can lead to structural issues or difficulty in raising and lowering the sails smoothly. To tackle this challenge, utilize a mast-stepping partner if available or seek assistance from crew members. Communicate clearly and establish guidelines to ensure everyone understands their roles in aligning the mast correctly.

2. Clearing Obstacles: Another challenge involves clearing any potential obstacles such as rigging lines, electrical wires, or deformed deck hardware that might hinder the smooth stepping of the mast. Conduct a thorough inspection of your boat’s setup beforehand and anticipate these obstacles in advance. If possible, reroute or temporarily remove any obstructions before beginning the process.

3. Dealing with Underneath Services: Boats often have various services passing through their decks, including plumbing lines, wiring conduits, or even fuel lines. Ensuring that these services are adequately protected during mast stepping is crucial to prevent damage while also ensuring they don’t impede the process. Consider using protective covers such as pipe insulation or duct tape where necessary.

4. Adjusting Tension: Proper tension adjustment for shrouds and stays plays an essential role in maintaining structural integrity and sail performance after stepping the mast. However, achieving optimum tension can be challenging due to factors such as limited visibility or excessive friction on turnbuckles when adjusting rigging lines under pressure. Utilize proper tools like turnbuckle wrenches or lubricants specifically designed for marine applications to ease tension adjustments effectively.

5. Securing the Mast: Once the mast is stepped and correctly aligned, it is crucial to secure it firmly while also avoiding excessive compression or stress points. Common methods include tensioning support lines (also known as “baby stays”) or using strap systems directly connected to the mast base. Ensure that these securing measures are evenly distributed on both sides of the mast and properly tensioned to maintain its stability.

6. Rigging Tuning: After successfully stepping the mast, you may need to fine-tune your boat’s rigging for optimal sailing performance. This can involve adjusting shroud tensions, forestay length, or mast rake depending on wind conditions and desired sail shape. Consult your boat’s manual or seek advice from experienced sailors to ensure proper tuning techniques specific to your vessel.

Stepping a mast requires patience, attention to detail, and a methodical approach. By understanding and addressing potential challenges in advance, you will be well-prepared to troubleshoot any problems that arise during this critical process. Remember, seeking guidance from seasoned sailors or professional riggers can greatly assist you in overcoming these challenges effectively and maintaining a safe sailing experience.

Mastering the art of mast stepping: Tips and techniques for sailboat owners.

Mastering the Art of Mast Stepping: Tips and Techniques for Sailboat Owners

Are you a proud sailboat owner? If so, then you already know that becoming an expert at mast stepping is a critical skill to possess. The process of stepping the mast might seem daunting at first, but with the right knowledge and technique, it can be mastered in no time. In this blog post, we will delve into the intricacies of mastering this art form, offering you valuable tips and techniques that will make raising your sailboat’s mast a breeze.

1. Safety First – Before even attempting to step your boat’s mast, ensure that safety is at the forefront of your mind. Taking precautions such as wearing appropriate safety gear (including a sturdy helmet), having a spotter to assist you, and checking all equipment thoroughly will minimize potential risks.

2. Plan Ahead – Planning plays a pivotal role in any successful endeavor, and stepping your boat’s mast is no exception. Familiarize yourself with the manufacturer’s instructions specific to your sailboat model. Understanding the exact procedure beforehand will prevent unnecessary confusion or errors during the process.

3. Gather Your Tools – To execute this task seamlessly, prepare by gathering all necessary tools and equipment beforehand. Common tools required include a tape measure, wrenches or socket sets (size determined by fasteners), shackles or pins for connecting stays/drill booms/Bob Stay/etc., halyards (mainly used for aligning fixtures), lubricants for easier installation, grease or anti-seize compound for preventing corrosion in stainless steel fittings.

4. Proper Alignment – Aligning your sailboat’s mast correctly is crucial to avoid damage when stepping it. Start by positioning the keel amidships while ensuring that fore/aft alignment rails are straightened in line with deck plates and web frames below decks using various measurements provided within manufacturers’ guidelines.

5. Calling on Friends – Family or friends come in handy during mast stepping. Having an extra pair of hands to assist you significantly reduces stress and increases efficiency. Assigning roles helps delegation, such as someone holding the base of the mast while another person secures the stays or shrouds.

6. Slow and Steady – While eagerness may prompt a desire to rush through this process, taking it slow and steady is key. Moving too quickly can lead to mistakes, mishaps, or even accidents. Patience and attention to detail are your allies throughout mast stepping.

7. The Power of Technology – Modern technology offers various tools that simplify mast-stepping tasks. Using a block-and-tackle system or an electric winch will reduce physical strain when raising your boat’s mast, allowing for smoother operations.

8. Avoiding Snags – Ensure that all lines, halyards, and anything else that could snag on surrounding objects are cleared away before starting the mast-stepping process. This prevents unnecessary snags and potential damage to your sailboat or surrounding structures.

9. The Perfect Alignment – Achieving perfect alignment involves using halyards or temporary stays to adjust for lateral movement once the spar is raised partially but not fully secured yet – don’t be afraid to make minor tweaks until satisfied with the outcome.

10.Preventing Corrosion – Regularly inspecting fittings for corrosion is essential in maintaining your sailboat’s overall integrity. Consider using anti-seize compound or grease on stainless steel fasteners during reassembly to mitigate future corrosion risks.

Mastering the art of mast stepping requires patience, practice, and attention to detail – but with these tips and techniques under your belt, you’ll soon become a pro at this vital skill for every sailboat owner! Remember always to prioritize safety first and enjoy many successful ventures out on the open water!

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LEADERS IN EVERY DETAIL

Every Seldén rig is carefully thought out, down to the last detail. All the way from the materials and functions of the different parts of the rig, to dimensioning the right rig for each individual boat. Each component contributes to the performance of the whole rig. That is the Seldén way – experienced yachtsmen behind every aspect of design, product development and production.

CONVENTIONAL MASTS FOR YACHTS

Spareparts and aftermarket service

Since 1992 we have engraved a unique code into the mast section. We call it the mast ID number and you find it at the lower end of the aluminium section. This number tells us when your mast was built and what parts were used all the way down to nuts and bolts. The mast ID number includes the designation of your mast section which enables you to find part numbers in our catalogues and sparepart lists, all to be found under Technical Support. A corresponding number is to be found in the forward lower end of your boom. Best of all – take a close look at the components on your mast and you will find part numbers on them. Can it be simpler? Complete rigs and spareparts are sold by our World wide network of independent rigging companies.

Our conventional masts for 26-80 feet yachts are divided in two categories. The longitudinal oriented sections and the lateral oriented. Which one we select depends on the chain plate locations of the boat and number of spreaders.

LONGITUDINAL MAST SECTION

These sections are used for rig configurations with in-line spreaders or moderate spreader angles. The relationship between the length / width is 1,9 in order to create longitudinal stiffness allowing higher forestay load tensioning the backstay. Running backstays can often be avoided and the risk of mast pumping is also reduced. These rigs normally come with multiple pairs of spreaders and they are designed for the popular MDS sliders (Multi Directional Support).

LATERAL MAST SECTION

For rigs with large spreader angles, lateral stiffness is of higher importance than longitudinal stiffness. This is the result of a large spreader angle creating longitudinal stability, whereas the lateral stability is achieved by the geometry of the mast section. This makes for a mast section which is wider and rounder than the corresponding longitudinal section and therefore the number of spreaders can be reduced. These sections are popular for upgrading a boat from the 1970-90’s with a traditional style single spreader rig, but still with all the benefits of modern functions such as the Inner Wheel Sliders (IWS).

WHAT IS A KEELBOAT?

Seldén’s definition of a ”keelboat” is a boat sized in between a dinghy and a yacht, with a length of approximately 18-28’. These boats often have a 50% ballast ratio. Consequently, the weight of the keel represents half of the total displacement.

Tradition and development

Seldén’s seven aluminium keelboat sections feature a wealth of sophisticated and functional solutions, originating from the dinghy range and the yacht range. The sections are extruded and anodized and they are all available with a tapered top as an option. Let us design your keelboat rig or ask us for our One-design solutions.

• Keelboat masts

FURLING MASTS

A seldén furling mast lets you operate your mainsal from the cockpit. simple and convenient.

Its unique features for reducing friction and initial sail resistance make furling and reefing child’s play. And it also makes sailing safer and far easier for you and your crew. With a powered furling mast and a powered Furlex jib furler it is even easier to set, reef and handle your sails. You can work your sails single handed, without leaving the helm. Powered systems are available for yachts ranging from 35 to 70 feet.

MORE ENJOYABLE

Due to the easy handling, with a furling mast you will do more sailing and less motoring.

A Seldén furling mast makes it easy to unroll and set your mainsail. Rolling it in is just as quick and easy. As your sail is neatly stowed out of the way the instant it is rolled in, you have a clear view when manoeuvring under power.

You can set your sail to suit the weather conditions, from the safety of the cockpit.

By furling the sail vertically into the mast, you don’t have to furl very much to get a substantial decrease of the sail area.

You hoist the sail just once a season, so a small crew can manage a much larger boat.

WELL BALANCED

There are no fixed reef points, so the number of combinations between furling genoa and main are unlimited.

THE SELDÉN FURLING PRINCIPLE

The wide sail slot allows for vertical battens and a positive roach of the main sail and the sailgroove on the luff extrusion is located asymmetrically to help the sail furl easily around the extrusion.

The furling system is based on Seldén’s proven technology. Geared line driver winch, tensioned luff extrusion and the patented load distributor of the halyard swivel. All to make furling an easy and fast operation. The Seldén furling masts come with twin cable conduits, enabling the cables to run freely and well protected from all running rigging. The cable conduits also facilitate cable replacement.

EASY TO OPERATE

There is an outhaul line for rolling out the sail, and an endless line for rolling it in. It’s simple as it sounds. Or if you wish, you can operate the sail at the mast using a winch handle. The geared reefing winch mechanism runs on ball bearings, so it takes little effort to roll in the sail. Greasing holes in the mast facilitate maintenance.

Two oval holes on the port side of the mast allow for easy access to the tack attachment, sail fees, tensioning screw and halyard swivel. Just remove the composite covers and the rest speaks for itself. You can inspect the halyard swivel and carry out annual maintenance through the upper access hole.

ABSORBS ALL SAIL FORCES

The outhaul cars are fitted with horizontal and vertical wheels, enabling them to absorb forces from every direction.

TURNING BLOCK FOR CONTROL LINES

Turning blocks at the base of the mast are designed to enable the ready-spliced, endless line to be easily threaded into position. Seldén deck blocks have the same feature.

LOW FRICTION

The sail groove on the luff extrusion is located asymmetrically to help the sail furl easily around the extrusion. In addition, the rotating luff extrusion is tensioned and fitted with ball bearings top and bottom. This reduces friction between the sail and the inside of the sail compartment.

UPGRADE YOUR MAST TO ELECTRIC DRIVE

To make sail handling easier for a small crew we have synchronized an electric motor in the mast with a newly developed electric winch for the outhaul, E40i. Push a button and the sail comes out in a controlled fashion as the winch adjusts the outhaul tension in relation to the motor in the mast.  This is what we call Synchronized Main Furling.

IN-MAST FURLING MOTOR

Converting a manually operated furling mast is quite easy. Basically, the vertical shaft in the original line driver is replaced for a longer version which is connected to the motor. A clutch allows the motor to be disconnected for manual operation, if ever needed. The motor is completely integrated in the mast and connected to the Seldén Power Supply and SEL-Bus system. The motor can be retrofitted to Seldén furling masts type RB (~36-43’ yachts).

How to upgrade a furling mast to electric drive

PUSH BUTTONS

Push the ”OUT” button and the sail will start to unfurl. The E40i winch will tension up the outhaul while the mast motor feeds out the sail. The speed is increased when the ”IN” button is pushed in addition to ”OUT”. To reef, just release the outhaul from the winch and push ”IN”.

E40i ELECTRIC WINCH

The E40i winch is built up around an electric motor which is totally integrated in the drum. Only three thin cables are protruding to lead through the coach roof or the deck, no large cutouts and no external motor or gearbox. This makes for uncompromised headroom down below which is normally not the case with electric winches. The three speed operation provides a high speed gear, a moderate gear and a low speed gear for fine tuning. It is a two finger operation to start the winch and to swich gear, so a single-handed sailor can helm while adjusting the trim.

HOW IT’S CONNECTED

• Upgrade your mast to electric drive

Seldén Carbon fibre masts – the perfect mix of Craftsmanship and modern production Technology

FOR EVERYONE THAT CANNOT RESIST SPEED

Carbon composite combines stiffness and strength with low weight. Seldén low-weight carbon spars have accentuated longitudinal stiffness. This means that forestay tension can be substantially increased. All experienced racing sailors know what this means in terms of increased upwind performance. The combination of greater stiffness and reduced weight will bring you beyond the speed limits.

MANDREL FILAMENT MOULDING

Our carbon spars are designed using the latest finite element analysis backed by many years of solid engineering experience.

Our unique production method gives a unique look. We call it Mandrel Filament Moulding (MFM). The process is fully automated and computer controlled for ultimate accuracy, repeatability, efficiency and that stunning ‘Viper’ pattern.

Seldén produce over 400 carbon masts per year as well as booms, poles and bow sprits for boats including high performance skiffs, racing keelboats, IRC race boats and some of the world’s most prestigious cruising yachts. With more sailors choosing Seldén carbon spars, the pattern is obvious.

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SELDÉN DINGHY RIGS – GOING FOR GOLD

SELDÉN PROFILES

Working hand-in-hand with the world’s top dinghy sailors, carefully analysing their input and feedback, enables us to produce the ultimate Seldén dinghy rig for every boat. Ever since Seldén acquired Proctor in 1997, we have improved and developed the already acknowledged excellence of the Proctor products, so that they are now, like all other Seldén products, the best of the best. Our innovative design, attention to detail, advanced testing and manufacturing have won Seldén the trust of dinghy sailors all over the world and has contributed to numerous Championship medals.

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SELDÉN DINGHY CARBON RIGS

– the Mast you buy will perform as well for you as it will for a World Champion Sailor!

IN-HOUSE SPECIALIST DESIGN TEAM

Seldén has the design expertise and software to enable us to create a mast to meet exacting performance require­­ments. During the design process the position and alignment of each fibre is precisely calculated so as to meet the required bend characteristics. This detailed design is then used to program and control our filament winding equipment.

The combination of meticulous care, long experience, and exact specifications enable us to achieve optimum performance for minimum weight.

Computer controlled laminate lay-up Carbon filaments are wound around a mandrel (male mould), under controlled tension, via a designated winding program supplied by the design team.

FILAMENT WINDING, a computer-controlled process (CNC), guarantees consistent and accurate filament fibre orientation from spar to spar. Carbon filaments can be laid from 0° (uni-directional) to leave 89° (hoops) and at all angles between to produce a wide range of bend characteristic requirements. This accurate alignment of composite filaments is vital to the performance character­istics of a carbon spar. Fibres are laid under tension, which means that we can make the most efficient material choice and supply the lightest spars on the market.

This process gives a Seldén spar a level of tube consistency unattainable via any other composite manufacturing technique. Hence, the mast you buy will perform as well for you as it will for a world champion sailor!

USE OF PRE-PREG CARBON

Only the highest grade pre-preg tows of T700 or TZ carbon fibre are used to give sailors the best stiffness-to-weight spar. This, in combination with our filament winding process, enables the highest fibre-to-resin content pre-preg to be used.

The aerospace grade pre-preg has a UV stabiliser in the resin system to give the spars a guaranteed long life, even in the sunniest of climates. More fibres and less resin, mean lighter, stiffer masts.

AUTOCLAVE CURED

The consolidation of the material to form a ready-to-assemble carbon tube is completed in our in-house 20-metre long autoclave. The combination of heat and pressure to cure the resin and consolidate the pre-preg material ensures a strong and consistent final product.

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• Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

New mast cost

• Thread starter Hacker
• Start date 18 Mar 2017
• 18 Mar 2017

Well-known member

I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version.  

I'd suggest far far more than justifiable. Unless you were to sell the in-mast furling or swap it with a Moody 40 owner who has slab and wants in-mast. Perhaps you could fit a slab furling sail to a track riveted over the in-mast furling aperture. Use a loose footed main like the racing boys and you hardly need to modify the boom either. Whatever you do, I'd ensure it was reversible because as time creeps on I'm sure you'd find in-mast furling more and more appealing, plus it would increase the likely resale value.  

Daydream believer

Instead of guess work & irrelevant replies , would it not be more accurate just to ring up a mast supplier & ask for a budget quote? A sail maker will quickly give you a price for a range of sails Guess £ 3-4 K for rigging, or ask a local rigger for a budget Then you add yard costs for haulout etc & you have a fair idea  

Active member

Don't forget to allow for the fair few mast base blocks, deck organisers, and clutches you'll need to handle the additional lines that slab reefing involves as well as the cost of fitting them, which may involve headlining removal to fit backing plates etc. I very much doubt such a conversion makes any economic sense whatsoever versus putting the conversion cost into your purchasing budget and increasing to range of boats you can consider with that substantially increased budget.  

Hacker said: I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version. Click to expand...

pvb said: it's a big job! I'd suggest you prepare yourself for a quote in the region of £15k..... Click to expand...

dom said: ...+++++++++ IMHO Click to expand...

Agree the 315-20k estimate. For roughly a quarter of that you could have the existing system checked over and possibly minor replacements and a new high tech sail! Presumably the rig has been on the boat for the last 20 years plus, so why would it not be satisfactory? Suspect you will find the majority built will have in mast so finding one without an for sale may be a bit of a struggle.  

• 19 Mar 2017

Thanks for all the replies. Helpful at many levels! I'll either need to decide that inmast is ok (been on a boat that had a major jam in heavy weather) or hold out for one that has slab reefing.  

Give these chaps a ring, always very helpful http://www.allspars.co.uk/  

• 20 Mar 2017

A big disadvantage of in mast is the weight up the mast. I have seen a Sadler 29 where the owner was able to remove it & he claimed a big improvement on several aspects. Is this possible with some larger masts?  

Daydream believer said: A big disadvantage of in mast is the weight up the mast. I have seen a Sadler 29 where the owner was able to remove it & he claimed a big improvement on several aspects. Is this possible with some larger masts? Click to expand...

What about getting supersize slugs that work with the existing slot to convert the mast to slab? Bit of fabrication here and there could sort you. Might even be able to attach a new overlay to the existing slot to take standard slugs.  

jac said: I wopuld have thought that proportionately though, it would be worse on a smaller, light displacement boat. The furling spar itself will be pretty much the same dimensions so no real differencxe and most of the weight is lower down where the sail is larger so the taller mast will only have a minimal effect. The overall weight will be more of course but set against a much bigger displacement weight and amount of ballast I would expect the larger boat to swallow it with less noticeable side effects. Click to expand...

Daydream believer said: The furling section would be much larger as it takes a much larger sail. Furthermore the furling section has to be parallel so the extra size at the bottom is carried all the way up the mast. The furling rod is much longer & has to be thicker to accept the torque over a greater length. I would also point out that at all times the sail is fully up the mast so in reefed state the sail stays in the mast. With slab reef part of the sail comes much lower down the sail. I know from experience how many crew it used to take to carry our mainsail ashore on a large boat so the weight is not insignificant I was looking at some masts in Oysters yard & I would ( from memory) suggest that the in mast reefing adds 40% extra to the weight of the mast. Those with in mast might like to confirm/deny if this is accurate or not & I would bow to their greater knowledge. However, There is a weight penalty whatever one says Click to expand...

NormanS said: Yes, I'm sure there is a weight penalty - just as there is with a furling Genoa. There seems to be general acceptance of the latter. Click to expand...

Daydream believer said: ........I was looking at some masts in Oysters yard & I would ( from memory) suggest that the in mast reefing adds 40% extra to the weight of the mast. Those with in mast might like to confirm/deny if this is accurate or not & I would bow to their greater knowledge. However, There is a weight penalty whatever one says Click to expand...

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• Sailing Anarchy

How much should it cost to step a mast?

• Thread starter Alaris
• Start date Nov 14, 2022

More options

Super Anarchist

• Nov 14, 2022

I can hook up all the standing rigging or let them do it, doesn’t matter to me. Also happy to run all the halyards and wires. 65’ aluminum mast, new wire rigging, 44’ boat.  

A slab of beer - make sure it's decent stuff...and ideally, frosty cold! Pay anything more... and you clearly don't have any mates!  

$47.63, inclusive of all applicable taxes. Next question please.  

Hoopy Frood

Curious to see the answers from all of the boatyard pros that hang around SA. Mostly dependant on crane costs I would think, especially if you do your own rigging..........  

• Thread starter

I would appreciate a ballpark. $1500? $5000? I truly have no idea as we’ve never had reason to pull our rigs.  

slug zitski

How far does the mast have to be moved to position it next to the boat for stepping does the shipyard have an in house crane or will it subcontract  

slug zitski said: How far does the mast have to be moved to position it next to the boat for stepping does the shipyard have an in house crane or will it subcontract Click to expand...

Marty Gingras

Advanced intermediate anarchist.

One of our two local yards charges $250/hour with a 1-hour minimum. That's the same minimum rate they charge for any use of their lift.  

Safe Harbor Pilots Pt CT rates it at $8/ft of mast length plus time & materials for prep. If you have everything pretty ready to go, that time is pretty minimal and they're fair about it. It's the same rate for unstepping and they did a nice job of packing mine away for a few hundred bucks on the labor side. I had everything disconnected that could be and the remainder loosened, as well as boom off. Same size boat as yours. Pilots Pt is probably less than the NYC metro options, but certainly not the cheapest. More of a premium option than some of the others farther east. YMMV.  

Impossible to know your situation …ask the shipyard Recently …500 out 500 in for a 40 footer mast with in house fixed crane and no mast transport on the ground  

I just had mine done - pulling it, pressure washing the hull, 2 1/2 months storage for the mast while I rebuilt it and stepping it cost $1900  

SuddenlyBrown

$80 an hour at the boatyard I work at. Small, small operation in upper Michigan.  

It would cost you $88 at our club, but that’s assuming you launch the boat as well. I don’t know if we even charge for just stepping the mast. It helps that we own our own yard and crane. Edit: and all our boats take the masts down every winter.  

IIRC, when I had my boat trucked up here from CA, the pull/step costs were based on an hour of crane time at each end -- $250 at the boat yard in Marina del Rey -- $175 at the port of Everett up here. In both cases the price was based on "me" providing everything but the crane driver. It was on me to make sure the pins were ready to pull when the boat went under the crane, and that I'd separately arranged for space in the mast yard. On the receiving end, it was up to me to provide people (if needed) to get the rigging hooked up and the boat out from under the crane within an hour.  

I'm probably the closest to you of those who have responded so far. So, for a 30 footer out of HHN, rigger was around $500 to step, tune, block the mast at the partner, install mast boot, and tune the rig. Yard charged another $200 for use of their crane and operator. If it takes longer than an hour, the yard charges another $100 for each additional half hour. That was 3 years ago, so costs may have gone up some. Probably a bit more than that in Annapolis.  

FlyingCircus2

My yard has what I assume is a flat fee of $800.  

Our local yards are either by the hour or by the foot. My 50’ mast was stored aboard and crane stepped for $265. Another Marina charges $11/ foot to store on your boat and $17/ ft to store on their racks.  

Slick470 said: I'm probably the closest to you of those who have responded so far. So, for a 30 footer out of HHN, rigger was around $500 to step, tune, block the mast at the partner, install mast boot, and tune the rig. Yard charged another $200 for use of their crane and operator. If it takes longer than an hour, the yard charges another $100 for each additional half hour. That was 3 years ago, so costs may have gone up some. Probably a bit more than that in Annapolis. Click to expand...

Alaris said: Thanks, I’m waiting on a quote from them. That’s helpful. Click to expand...

$ 15-20 per boat foot for a simple stepping (no tuning) around these parts. That's at a full-service boatyard, not marina or YC.  

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The Pros and Cons of Leaving Your Mast Up for Winter

Unstepping your mast adds cost but it makes it easier to carry out a thorough inspection..

You may have noticed that each winter that there seem to be fewer masts in the rack and more still standing upright in boats in the yard. Obviously, there are savings in not unstepping a mast, plus there is the potential for damage when it is unstepped and stepped in spring. (Not to mention the hassle of misplaced clevis pins, etc.)

But what about the forces placed on the boat during the winter when a boat is rigid in a cradle? If a boat is in the water you can see it heel at a mooring on a windy day. But when it is on the hard, and the rig is taking the full force of winter storm—how does that impact the rig?

And what about the impact of drastic temperature change on the rig and hull if your mast is left up? How are the masts and hull impacted by the changes in hull shape caused by the cold in winter? How should the rig be tuned to adjust for these changes?

We often wonder it is only us dinosaurs who still have the yard take the mast down for winter.

If you are like us, you may feel strangely guilty about leaving a mast up in winter. In our case, it is probably those old wooden spar days calling. Ideally, wooden spars need to come down and be sheltered and coddled at regular intervals. Aluminum masts really don’t, and the sky is actually a decent place to store them. In other words, you can leave the mast up on a securely blocked boat but try to reduce windage aloft as much as possible. For example, leaving a furling jib up is a terrible idea (which is why most yards prohibit this.)

Keeping the mast up will usually keep it cleaner than it would be lying across barrels or in racks, where masts tend to collect all sorts of dirt and dreck, even if they’re under cover. Of course, there is the potential for damage when they’re being stepped or unstepped, but this should not be a huge concern when the work is being carried out by experienced professionals.

The biggest trouble with leaving the mast up is that it’s easy to get lazy about close inspection of all parts. Also, ice and salt residue can collect in the tops of the shroud terminals, accelerating corrosion. And chainplates can take an extra beating with the boat held steady and the spar shaking in a heavy wind. This can cause leaks.

Although aluminum masts and stainless wire or rod rigging don’t change much when the temperature goes way up or down, the structure under them can. Depending on the hull dimensions and expected temperature change, it might be advisable to slack off a few turns on the standing rigging for the winter. You don’t want so much slack that it will promote on-off cycle loading.

It would take a mighty big wind or a poor blocking job at the yard for a normal displacement boat to be blown off its poppets. The windage of a bare spar isn’t that much greater than that of a hull rigid on blocks, although the wind blowing on that higher surface has a proportionately greater effect. If you are laying your boat up in hurricane alley, then taking the mast down can increase your chances of surviving unharmed. Sure, there is always a slim chance that a furious winter storm could blow through and upend a well-chocked boat, but if dozens of boats in temperate regions blew off their fortified stands each winter because their masts were up, boatyards would be the first to insist on unstepping.

We suspect that upright-mast trend was started by two things: the ability of the TraveLift to operate without one upper crossbeam in order accommodate a boat with spars up, and the enormous pain in the neck it is to detach the wiring for instruments and lights in today’s boats.

Should you leave your mast up? For a small trailer sailor with a deck stepped mast that doesn’t require a crane, bringing the mast down for winter is a no-brainer. The mast can even serve as a center pole for a winter cover.

For bigger boats, the answer varies from boat to boat. To provide a cut-and-dried, one-size fits all answer for every boat is impossible. The decision is YOURS to make, and hinges primarily on two factors — how much cost and trouble is it to bring it down, and how important it is for you to get a close look at it, perhaps even give your mast a new coat of paint . In general, leaving your mast up through winter does no harm, but if you have concerns about the condition of your rig and want to go over it with a fine-tooth comb (see What’s Hiding in Your Rig? ) then the hassle and expense of unstepping the mast can save you big headaches in the future. If your storage yard is in an exposed area subject to repeated gale force winds, ice storms, etc. the yard manager would be your best guide to risk avoidance.

When in doubt, pay for a rig inspection while the mast is in the water. A qualified professional rigger should be able to spot most rigging problems while the rig is up, and many, if not all, can be addressed while the mast is still up. The expense of a rig inspection is usually about half the cost of a crane and operator required to pull the mast and store it, although this rate varies from yard to yard.

If the rigger suggests its time to pull the mast to address some more serious issues , then you’ve gotten your money’s worth. If they say leave it up, you’ve paid for peace of mind. Another consideration is whether you want to upgrade your electronics to an N2K network , which on many boats (like mine, which has an inverted J-shaped tube for the existing wiring to pass) is much easier with the mast down.

Finally, one of the most problematic areas on many older boats is the mast step and compression post, which is practically impossible to repair without taking the mast down. This area deserves a very close inspection, as failure here can bring the entire rig down. Unfortunately, this area is often impossible to inspect on some boats, without disassembling floorboards or bulkheads.

I’d love be interested in hearing about your experiences with mast storage—up or down at [email protected] .

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On watch: this 60-year-old hinckley pilot 35 is also a working girl, 10 comments.

So what do you recommend?

Yeah a bit unsatisfying as an analysis. I’m wondering about just all the wiggling for months, esp since the boat cant wiggle with it like it can in the water.

I am not sure I totally agree with the theory of not much more windage up than down. Having experienced IRMA first hand once the wind strength reaches a certain amount another danger presents itself from an upright mast. When they snap and fall, they skew the vessel or most likely the vessel next door. Those that were lucky enough to remain on their stands which were few had other issues due to this. Secondly, as with all domino effects, once one goes and lands on the next a chain reaction occurs. With no mast up and hull strapped down, one wonders how well the yards may have done.

Yeah, what are the recommendations? I have a deck-stepped mast and wonder if as the mast moves, does it tweak the deck, weakening the structure?

Doesn’t leaving the mast up potentially lead to microscopic cracks in the hull and deck where the shrouds and stays are attached? In a boat yard exposed to moderate or high wind doesn’t the rig vibrate? Where does the energy in the vibrating rig go when the boat is on the hard?

When the trip to winter storage involves waiting for drawbridges there’s an added reason to unstep using the crane in the harbor. With your mast on sawhorses you can inspect carefully, checking the ringing and wiring. You want to go up in a bosun chair in the Spring to check for damage? There is one variable in the decision — it’s easy to unstep a deck stepped mast, keel stepped, not so much.

I winter at a Safe Harbor marina (of which there are 100 or so, including the former Brewer’s Marinas.) My Marina charges more for winter storage stepped – do not understand why, but they do: SAIL UNSTEP $ 5.50 Sq. Ft. SAIL STEPPED $ 7.10 Sq. Ft. I am also required to maintain liability insurance with the marina as an additional insured, so any damage my boat causes to other boats will be covered by my policy. So, would appreciate Practical Sailor pushing them to explain the rationale behind the difference other than extra income from unstepping and restepping the mast. ps my winter cover ($3000) assumes the mast to be in place though I guess I can pay the marine for a wooden frame for the cover.

Is it possible that there is less available room for stepped mast boat storage due to overhangs or other barriers? Or is the yard’s ability to crane a boat impacted by having a tall pointy stick to deal with? Perhaps the added cost is to encourage unstepping so they can accommodate as much business as feasible? Just my guesses.

Thanks Darrell; Our group at the harbour all remove our masts with each others’ assistance and with our gin pole, prior to our club lift out day. Where my boat was previously – they lifted out with the masts in. I’m grateful for the opportunity to check things over during the off season and improve a few items as needed. Plus I sleep better knowing the winter winds howling over lake Huron, are less likely to damage my 40 year old boat and rig.

Winter? I have no experience.

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Normal cost to step a deck stepped mast?

• Add to quote

Our marina charges $7 per foot of the mast to unstep, then they do charge it again to step it. I'm estimating that to be more than they quoted you. In addition, you pay by the hour to deal with any electronic wiring, but that may be minor and they are happy if you do it yourself. However, when you restep the mast, you will need the rigging tuned and that is also extra, unless you can do it yourself. Your mast must be 40ish feet. I don't think you are going to carry it anywhere and it is probably too long to just haul down the road without a permit.  

$150-200 out and $150-200 back in, plus some storage and tax sounds about right. I just had my mast out and back in and the bill came to a little over $800. If you can line up a couple of people who need a crane you can divide the cost amongst yourselves rather than footing the whole bill alone.  

Here is another option. sail the boat to my marina we have a gin pole you can use for $25 to take the mast down yourself & storage of the mast is $10 for six months and you can dock your boat here for the summer for about $1100 . I don't understand why so many east coast marinas charge so much for something so simple (or $800 to let a mast sit on a rack) Another option to cut cost is to build some racks to store the mast on the deck of your boat  

cruisingdream said: .....I don't understand why so many east coast marinas charge so much for something so simple..... Click to expand...

Shop around. See if you can find a DIY place. Raising the mast is not rocket science. That is WAY too much. These kinds of places will charge whatever people are stupid enough to pay. As the old saying goes, "There is an ass for every seat." Sounds like wherever you are needs some competition. The DIY place where I raise/lower charges $50.00 each way. If I had to pay $200, would definitely set up a hinged step and self-raiser which, by the way, can be set up on your A30 for probably less than one raising/lowering at $200 each way. Just PM me for info. on doing it yourself. Your A30 is very similar to my A35.  

That definitely sounds like a lot to me for a 30 ft boat, but I guess it all depends on certain logistics- where and for how long you plan to work on the boat, and what other options you have for unstepping the mast. We regularly unstep masts on J24's using gin poles, but I wouldn't do that on an Alberg 30 (rough guess is 150-200 lbs?). Using a hoist is a much safer option, and you can do it with 2 or 3 people, as long as you know what you're doing and rig the setup properly. Do you belong to a club with a hoist or have a friend who does? If you don't need to haul the boat out of the water for doing some of your chores, then I'd be looking for a hoist somewhere, drop the mast, motor back to your slip and start working...  

Smurphy's Quote; Shop around. See if you can find a DIY place. Raising the mast is not rocket science. That is WAY too much. These kinds of places will charge whatever people are stupid enough to pay. As the old saying goes, "There is an ass for every seat." Sounds like wherever you are needs some competition. The DIY place where I raise/lower charges $50.00 each way. If I had to pay $200, would definitely set up a hinged step and self-raiser which, by the way, can be set up on your A30 for probably less than one raising/lowering at $200 each way. Just PM me for info. on doing it yourself. Your A30 is very similar to my A35. Stupid ass or not, that's the price. My keel stepped mast probably weighs 250-300 lbs. so there is no other option, you need a crane to pull my mast. Go hire a crane by yourself and see what that costs. It will be $500 out and $500 back in, minimun, plus storage, plus tax. Sure, if there was a mast tower somewhere nearby and some way to get the mast from the tower to dry land for storage then great, but there is not, so you pay. Oh, by the way ocean front property on southern Vancouver Island is about a million dollars for a city lot. The price of realestate directly effects everything in our marinas as well as the moorage rates. We have marinas in our area that charge as much for moorage in Sidney B.C. as they do in downtown Seattle Wa. and downtown Vancouver B.C.. Boats are expensive, get used to it.  

Boating is much more expensive in some places than in others. In some places, the cost of boating has become more than people with average means can afford. It was not always so. The ridiculous increase in waterfront real estate values and the accompanying taxes has made it almost impossible for marinas to survive in some places unless supported by government. Many go out of business but that shouldn't cause them to charge exorbitant fees. If you take LI as an example, where I originally started boating, back 40 years ago almost anyone could afford to own a boat. This is no longer true down there. The prices for dockage, service, etc. have absolutely gone through the roof. Yes, a 50' keel stepped mast can easily be raised and lowered where I go for $50. The heavy duty gin pole has a nice hand control you can stick in your pocket and the sheave is 45' off the water. It's actually one of the best rigs I've seen anywhere. I have raised my mast many times there without assistance. Many people do it and the place probably raises more masts than 10 of the closest marinas. It's an example of capitalism at work. If the price is right, you get the business. I surely do not mean to offend but I believe it is a duty as a consumer of anything to shop around to find the best price. Price gouging is unconscionable. Running my own businesses over the years I have found that you can pay a lot or a little for exactly the same thing.  

The $200 each way seems fair, the storage charge does not. Make a cradle to keep it on the boat.  

Not even sure that is permitted at most marinas, but I am sure it would increase the LOA on the hard or at the slip and may be worse.  

Funny, I thought $200 to step a mast was quite reasonable! The yards in my area have a flat rate for the crane rental, and presumably that price is also including the labor to do the job. If you are going to do it yourself, you'd better know what you are doing, if a lift goes wrong it can go VERY wrong!  

SchockT said: Funny, I thought $200 to step a mast was quite reasonable! The yards in my area have a flat rate for the crane rental, and presumably that price is also including the labor to do the job. If you are going to do it yourself, you'd better know what you are doing, if a lift goes wrong it can go VERY wrong! Click to expand...

I would consider a $200 lift and the same the other was as quite reasonable. For most operators it is not the size of the job that matters, but the size of the equipment that they use. Assuming they are using a cherry picker, or crane to take out the mast, they have to charge you for the time on the machine, regardless of what you are lifting. A fixed crane for costs just as much to operate if they are lifting a boat, or a mast, or a hatch cover.  

I was quoted $200-350 each way, and just couldnt come to pay that much for something so simple, so I went to a marina that had a indoor boat storage for powerboats and talked with the forklift operator. We agree it wasnt that hard. I did all the work, all he did was operate the fork lift. It took 15 min to unstep and about 30min to restep. cost me $50 each way. So $100 total, and I bought the guy a 6pack. Stored the mast on the side of the storage building for a month or so while I redid chainplates and standing rigging My wife and I could lift the mast assembly, it was heavy. my guess the mast fully assembled with spreaders and rigging was about 300-325lbs. Probably 175lbs for the mast only, just a guestimate!  

i took this into account when purchasing my boat... the siren 17 mast can be stepped by one person (sometimes a challenge though) in about 5 minutes with no equipment or tools at all. two people working together can step the mast in less than 1 minute. boats are super expensive here and so is everything associated with them including work and storage... but if you shop around you may find people who do this for a living and are out of work, and they will jump on the opportunity to do something they are good at and make some cash. for your situation, i would make a custom mast cradle out of schecule 40 pvc pipes... lightweight and removable. store the mast on top of the boat. save 800 bucks. the stepping fees though, hard to get around... you want it done right, a falling mast can kill you or others  

This thread reminds of a quote by Sir Winston Churchill........of course he was talking about alcohol and beauty but it does carry over here.......Most folks never lose stupidity but they do lose money. Find buddies, work up a plan and do it yourself. Fark those marinas! A marina accepting liability when they screw up? ROTFLMFAO!  

Government docks are much cheaper. We have stepped masts at them for free in some areas. You can move a mast on a tiny boat trailer. Done that many times. Farmers will charge you mimimal for storage One of my 31 ft twin keelers parked on a beach , below a hill. He then took a rope up the hill ,raised the mast by hand , tied it off to a tree, went down and did up the rigging ,then took the rope off and motored away. Cost? Zero. What you have been quoted is a ripoff.  

Brent: Any recommendations on Government docks to go to around Vancouver? If I could afford it, I'd certainly have one of your twin keel boats, but that's sadly not going to be the case at least for quite a few years! I've got a decent engine, I could get to Heather Civic or somewhere like that, part of my concern though is that it will take me more than a day or two to make the needed repairs(jack up deck, replace mast beam, cut out top of deck, new core, new fiberglass, reattach step, sort out any mast issues and maintenance while it's down.) They won't let me store it on the boat in the marina, so that's out. Which is a pity, they also won't let me chuck it under a friend's boat if it's up on the hard, even if it's bigger than the mast. At 30$ a day, two weeks of storage for the mast costs me 450$! That eats into the money for actually fixing anything rather quickly.  

Jgbrown said: Brent: Any recommendations on Government docks to go to around Vancouver? If I could afford it, I'd certainly have one of your twin keel boats, but that's sadly not going to be the case at least for quite a few years! I've got a decent engine, I could get to Heather Civic or somewhere like that, part of my concern though is that it will take me more than a day or two to make the needed repairs(jack up deck, replace mast beam, cut out top of deck, new core, new fiberglass, reattach step, sort out any mast issues and maintenance while it's down.) They won't let me store it on the boat in the marina, so that's out. Which is a pity, they also won't let me chuck it under a friend's boat if it's up on the hard, even if it's bigger than the mast. At 30$ a day, two weeks of storage for the mast costs me 450$! That eats into the money for actually fixing anything rather quickly. Click to expand...

Civilians pay a lot to rent a mobile crane, but I was surprised at what a wonderful deal the HVAC contractor who installed heat pump units on the roof of a house we own got from a crane operator. We're also lucky that some sailing clubs have mast-raising cranes, which were installed with the help of a sailor who used to be a transmission line supervisor for the local electric company.  

One other idea ... one of our sailboat trailers has an extending tongue/bar. With the tongue extended, it could likely haul a pretty long mast.  

Sometimes, if you pay your yard to do a repair, you can get hauling and/or storage included for free or discounted. That may not save you money over the cost of storing everything on the hard while you do the repair, but you get your weekend back and they get work. That's, in part, why they charge what they do to DIYers.  

Also try looking at Alberg30.org website, they have an A frame setup on their site designed for you and some buddies to remove it yourself. It is not that bad. if you grab the mast at the spreaders with a sling it will stay in the vrtical position and be very very easy to handle. Look on youtube as well, ther is someone on there that built an A frame and 2 or 3 guys removed mast themselves. this was the route I was going to take until I got the boatel forklift to help for 50 bucks and few friend froms work restepping took 30 minutes.  

Attachments

You can build a 2 pole (2x4's) A frame and use the block and tackle from your main sheet and lower that thing yourself easy. ( read the last frew chapters of London's Sea Wolf) I used one we had at the rigging company I worked for all the time to step smaller mast's ( 30' and less.) Take the time and replace your step with a tabernackle and you'll never have this problem again. My mast is currently down and sitting ship shape on deck in home made craddle.  

No way that our marina would allow you to bring in your own lift of any kind, nor build a frame to drop your mast at your slip. While they may want the money, they are also looking out for those around you. Having watched plenty of DIY mistakes over the years (including sunken boats at their slip), I do appreciate that to some degree.  

Do it on the hook. I've even pulled 2 boats on either side of the boat to be stepped and used the hallyards of the outer boats to step. But seriously look at putting it back up on a tabernackle regardless of how it comes down..  

Dropping a 40ft mast, while at anchor, can't be a totally serious suggestion. Particularly, for someone who doesn't seem to have done it much. A mast tabernacle isn't a bad idea, but may not be as practical as it first sounds. When hinged down, that mast is going to hang 20 feet off the boat, requiring a much bigger slip or adding LOA for winter storage. More LOA could add more cost than the OP is attempting to save. All the rigging still needs to be disassemble and reassembled and tuned.  

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 18-12-2014, 13:43   Boat: We have a problem... A serious addiction issue. size and size. Neither of these is true, or even roughly true. For a particular extrusion goes up as a function of length, but even here there are certain plateaus. For instance anything under 40' can be shipped LTL in a singe container and won't need sleaving. Anything between 40' and around 45' can go in a container without sleaving. There is a major difference in LTL freight and full container freight costs. Above 40' you get into other issues. Between 40-80' a only needs to be sleaved once, so they all have the same and handeling costs regardless of leingth, but over 80' would need to be sleaved twice (though in reality a mast this big is likely carbon and everything changes again). Mast design also can radically effect prices. So a 40' heavily tapered mast will be much more expensive than a 40' continuious extrusion. And a multi spreader rig allows a smaller tube, but obviously has more bits that need to go together and thus more labor. As for size... Again it really depends. Like with boat leingth there are plateaus in mast height. A lot of that ideally may be designed with a 54' mast for instance may come with 52' because of bridge height issues, or because of concerns, or because a wants to intentionally under the boat. Cruising for instance almost always have shorter masts than the same boat intended for , just to expand the range the boat is safe in. Frankly you have a lot of moving targets, and a simple formula that doesn't take them into account won't give you a very reliable guess at cost. 18-12-2014, 14:07   Boat: Nautitech Open 46 . Shipped as 1 piece 22.8 m shipping $12k on top of that Regards Paul 18-12-2014, 15:25   Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now replacement prices. No one is going to hold anyone responsible to the prices. If you think that the formula could use some adjustment then let us know. BTW You want a mast in the and you will pay more. We agree on that! 18-12-2014, 20:41   Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST! 40' tube go for $300, & a Hall Spars (Carbon) Tripp 41' spar go for $2.5k The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life) Making Promises to Yourself, And 19-12-2014, 02:27   Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now 19-12-2014, 03:36   Boat: Lagoon 380 by the foot is only good for a specific mast section. More spreaders allow thinner masts but I suspect the price difference would be a wash. So if a new L380 rig is about $18,000 and a generic 48' cat's mast is about twice as much then we could use $18,000 as a baseline and for each foot increase in length multiplied by a tenth more. In other words a 39' would be $18K multiplied by 1.1 and a 40' would be $18K x 1.2 and so on. Does that seem about right? More or less? 19-12-2014, 10:49   Boat: LAGOON 400 19-12-2014, 11:41   20-12-2014, 09:39   Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now in the world" and their own specially equipped semi truck. I'll bet they make one piece masts longer than 53' and truck them out within the oversized load regs all the time. If you need a really big mast then you must be able to afford it. Back to the formulas which I really appreciate from django and arsenal. Wow, that's a bunch of digits for us mortals with regular calculators. Anything simpler? 06-11-2018, 07:06   with most Spar makers. Just to have a idea... 06-11-2018, 07:33   Boat: CSY 44 Tall rig Sold! 2017? Or more broadly a 70 foot mast? Thank you kind sir! 06-11-2018, 08:00   runs about 30kUSD though? Cheers! 06-11-2018, 08:06   Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now 06-11-2018, 08:10   Boat: CSY 44 Tall rig Sold! 06-11-2018, 08:27   , Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post BillAU Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 20 24-01-2010 13:14 - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. An Oregon man was trapped 95 miles from shore in violent seas, his boat sinking; the rescue effort tested Coast Guard’s limits T he Coast Guard rescue swimmer gripped the starboard side of the sinking sailboat in the dark as the waves beat against him. He called out to the man standing on the boat as a helicopter hovered overhead. “You’re going to jump,” Miles LeComer shouted over the sound of the wind and rotor wash and waves. “And I’m going to grab you.” David Haight had a briefcase and a knapsack ready with some of the few valuable possessions he took with him on what was supposed to be a journey from Newport to Santa Barbara. LeComer, barely able to hold onto the sailboat as it rolled up and down on the waves more than 90 miles offshore, told Haight he could only take what was in his pockets. He gave him one minute to prepare. Haight, his sailboat disappearing beneath him, didn’t need the minute. He jumped, crashing into the frigid Pacific Ocean, engulfed, immediately knocked about by 15-foot-tall waves. He went under. A hand grabbed him and held on. ‘There wasn’t anything to feel’ Sitting in an Elmer’s Restaurant in Clackamas about a month after his rescue, Haight, 69, flashed a sly grin that hinted at the other wild stories in his past — and possibly in his future, too. There was the arrest, when he was 24, when he and four others were caught by federal officials trying to smuggle 40,000 pounds of marijuana from Colombia to Florida by ship. And the time he and his girlfriend at the time found a dinghy abandoned in a Florida swamp, restored it and sailed it on both the East and West coasts. But the misadventure in July that cost him his beloved sailboat, the Windswept II, hit him hard. After all, it wasn’t until Haight’s 60s that he was able to fully live the dream that he had cooked up as a child. One of three sons, Haight grew up in Depoe Bay in a family of strict Jehovah’s Witnesses. Before he was even a teenager, he realized he believed none of what he was being told and yearned to escape his parents’ restrictive household. Sailing was one outlet. A local resident owned a small boat that he let the kids in town sail on, and Haight took every opportunity he had, between school and working in his parents’ restaurant. Owning his own sailboat and exploring the world became his “secret wish,” the one he’d whisper to himself when blowing out his birthday candles, he said. “You never run out of fuel,” Haight said. “You can go as far as you want.” Haight came close to that dream in his early 20s, when he and a girlfriend briefly owned a sailboat in California and lived on it. But the dream collapsed when, working as a commercial fisherman, Haight was asked if he wanted to smuggle marijuana from Colombia into Florida. He needed the money, so he said OK. It was his first attempt to smuggle drugs, Haight said. When the boat reached Tampa Bay, U.S. Customs Service agents boarded it, their guns drawn, and found about $14 million worth of marijuana, according to news articles at the time. Four of the five arrested men “appeared weathered from several weeks at sea,” The Tampa Times wrote on May 23, 1978. Haight and his girlfriend sold the sailboat, and he served two years in federal prison, getting out in 1982. In the decades since, he worked mostly in construction and waited tables. He scuba-dived most of his life, and picked up hang-gliding in the early 1990s. “I was just a regular guy,” he said. After his mother died in 2013, Haight and his brothers sold her house, which dropped $66,000 into Haight’s lap. With that cash infusion, he bought the Windswept II, a 38-foot, 1999 fiberglass sailboat, in 2018. After outfitting it for a long trip, he sailed to Mexico in 2022. In July 2023, he sailed to Hawaii, then to Newport, in preparation for his next trip south. He set sail from Newport on June 29, planning to stop in Santa Barbara to finish preparing the boat for a longer trip to Mexico. He headed out to sea around 1:30 p.m. under a clear, cloudless sky. The forecast called for storms south of his location, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Haight sailed into a storm that was worse than expected, however. Winds nearly 60 miles per hour pushed his sailboat around for two days straight. Unable to sail in those conditions, Haight decided to “hove to,” essentially putting his boat in park, while it drifted southeast. He was in his bunk on July 2 when he heard a strange sound — the rattle of the sailboat’s automatic bilge pump. Designed to turn on if water seeped into the boat and reached a certain level, it had never activated before in the six years he’d sailed on the boat. Haight pulled up the floorboard and saw water in the bilge. Oh, I’m sinking, Haight thought. But he wasn’t afraid. “There wasn’t anything to feel,” he added. “There was just to do.” When he realized the pump wasn’t keeping up with the rising water, he concluded he urgently needed help. “Mayday, mayday. This is sailing vessel Windswept II,” Haight said into the radio, to anyone who might hear him, then gave his location and said his boat was taking on water. The Coast Guard took the call, and offered to bring him a larger pump. A ship nearby listened in to the conversation and diverted course to stand by in case Haight needed extra help. Haight thought this response would solve the problem. But then his bilge pump broke — and a back-up pump shorted out. Haight now knew he was really in trouble. “That was when I got concerned,” Haight said. By around 11 p.m. on July 2, he was 95 miles off shore, standing in the cabin of the boat in ankle-deep ocean water. Then the boat’s engine broke down, too, leaving him helpless in the wind and waves as the water sloshed over Haight’s feet. ‘Are you good?’ Commander Jay Kircher was asleep in his North Bend home on July 2 when his cell phone rang. It was 10:25 p.m. There was a man in a sailboat off the coast taking on water, he was told. Kircher got out of bed, sat down in the living room and started making calls, quickly preparing an operation to help, and potentially rescue, the man. Kircher was worried about how far the helicopter would have to fly — the man was probably too far away for a boat to reach him in time — as well as the sea conditions and the darkness. Kircher requested that a Coast Guard airplane be deployed to circle the scene and monitor the operation from above, in case there was an emergency. It was obvious this would be a difficult operation. The distance from shore — about 83 nautical miles west of Brookings, or about 95 land-measured miles — meant they would be alone if they had a problem and needed help themselves. Because of the masts and rigging on any sailboat, it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to lift the man in distress off of the deck. And the gale-force winds and the high waves meant both the pilot and a rescue swimmer would have extreme conditions to contend with. “It was right on our limits, basically, for range,” Kircher said. A crew departed North Bend in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 11:17 p.m., July 2, for Brookings. They were carrying with them a 105-pound pump they planned to deliver to the sailboat — with both Haight’s pump and the Coast Guard pump working at the same time, there was a chance to save the boat. By the time they landed around midnight, Haight had told the Coast Guard via radio that his own pump had failed, meaning he needed to be rescued. The Coast Guard crew unloaded the pump, fueled up to the top, and the pilot plugged the sinking boat’s GPS coordinates into his flight computer. There were four of them in the helicopter: the pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, a rescue swimmer and a flight mechanic; the latter would be in charge of dropping the swimmer down into the ocean and then lifting him and the survivor up into the helicopter. Pilot-in-Command Brandon Books, 30, brought the helicopter to about 500 feet above the water, under the clouds, where it was so dark the crew flew the whole way wearing night-vision goggles. “Are any of you guys a little bit nervous?” the flight mechanic asked. “Yeah, man,” Books said. “I’m a little bit nervous.” Books, originally from Whitefish, Montana, got hooked on the idea of becoming a U.S. Coast Guard pilot as a kid while watching an episode of the reality TV show “Deadliest Catch” where the Coast Guard rescued fishermen, he said. On this day, Books was in the final weeks of his first assignment as a Coast Guard pilot. The four of them flew for about 50 minutes before Books spotted the sole light shining from the top of the Windswept II’s main mast around 1:20 a.m. When the helicopter appeared out of the darkness, Haight became more optimistic about his chances of survival. In most missions of this sort, rescuers want to drop the rescuer onto the surface of the boat using a cable. That’s hard, if not impossible, with a sailboat, because of all the masts and sails and ropes and cords, especially in rough weather. LeComer, the rescue swimmer, would have to go into the ocean and swim to the boat. That wasn’t going to be easy either. As the helicopter hovered, Books looked down at the waves. They were large, even larger than they’d expected. “That’s kind of big,” Books said to LeComer over the helicopter communications system. “Are you good?” “Oh,” LeComer said, “I’m ready to go.” LeComer, 28, scooted to the door and the mechanic hoisted him out over the ocean and lowered him into the water. LeComer, with a snorkel in his mouth and fins on his feet, quickly detached the hook from his harness and fixed the sailboat in his line of sight. The seas were so rough that his chief concern was that he might run out of strength while trying to swim to the sailboat. It didn’t help that when he fell into a trough between waves the Windswept II would sometimes disappear from his view. When he reached the boat he realized it was too far gone for him to be able to climb onto it safely. The boat was leaning on its side, partially submerged. LeComer grabbed a line Haight had thrown into the water and pulled himself to the right side of the boat. Haight had a briefcase and a bag ready with his belongings — including his high-school diploma, the ship’s log, and a cigar box with family keepsakes. He asked LeComer if he could take his bag with him. “Only what’s in your pockets,” LeComer shouted. “I’ll give you one minute.” Haight, wearing a life jacket, a long-sleeve shirt, jacket, jeans and tennis shoes, put his passport, the keys to his storage locker in Depoe Bay and some cash in his pockets and jumped into the water. LeComer grabbed him and, swimming sideways, kicked his fins while holding onto Haight with his right arm, propping him up on his hip. Books, who had flown the helicopter about 50 yards away so the helicopter wouldn’t drown out their voices when LeComer and Haight tried to communicate, flew back once he saw LeComer detach from the sailboat. “It’s going to be loud and windy,” LeComer said. That’s when he noticed that Haight seemed almost calm, “a pretty seasoned mariner.” After he hooked Haight onto his harness, LeComer gave a thumbs up to the helicopter hovering 100 feet above them, and the mechanic dropped the cable with the hook. The heavy waves and wind bounced LeComer and Haight around, moving them off-course from the descending cable. They needed to put the cable right on the two dots in the ocean that were LeComer and Haight, a tough feat for even the most skilled pilot and mechanic in such conditions. “Forward and right 10,” the flight mechanic said to Books, who then maneuvered the 9,000-pound helicopter about 10 yards as directed, then overshot by another 10 yards. “Back 10.” Finally — after about eight minutes — LeComer was able to grab the cable. He attached it to his harness, gave the flight mechanic another thumbs up and the two soon were in the air. Once they were in the helicopter, LeComer checked over Haight and concluded he didn’t need to go to a hospital. He gave him a warming blanket, and Books turned on the autopilot, lifting the helicopter up to 500 feet and directed it back toward Brookings. It was 1:42 a.m., just 22 minutes since the Coast Guard helicopter had arrived. They flew under the clouds in almost complete darkness until Books spied clouds that were a little thinner. “Do you want to climb up above these clouds?” Books asked the co-pilot. “Yeah, it looks like it’ll be nicer up there,” the co-pilot said. They climbed to about 1,500 feet above sea level, where they could see the stars. The relief was palpable once they spotted the shore lights, Books said. While the Coast Guard crew regularly goes out on challenging rescue missions, this one on July 3 was particularly difficult, given how far the sinking boat was from shore, the weather and the condition of the sea. The operation, Kircher said, “was kind of in a different league.” ‘Not over yet’ When LeComer got home early on the morning of the rescue, he scarfed down a breakfast burrito and called his mom to tell her an abbreviated version of the operation. “Thanks for putting me in swimming lessons, mom,” LeComer said to her. Books worked another week, wrapping up his three-and-a-half year assignment in North Bend. Three weeks later, he was in New Jersey for his new assignment. Haight never figured out why his sailboat sprung a leak. It’s possible that part of the boat had been weakened while stuck on a sandbar the previous year, then was stressed too much by the strong winds on his way to California. But it had survived plenty of strong storms before the one that sank the boat, so he’s still unsure. He bought a car in Portland and is planning to drive to Mexico to visit friends. While he hasn’t come to terms with losing his boat, he’s grateful for the opportunity the Windswept II gave him — and for the Coast Guard crew that saved him from it. “How often does somebody get to live their dream?” Haight said. “And I’m still living my dream. It is not over yet.” — Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Do you have a story? Reach him at 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com . ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. latest in US News Wait 'till you see what furries apparently did to a bunch of... Driver sent damning text to pal before ramming strip club,... Trump claims there's 'never been a more dangerous time' for Jews... 13,600-year-old Mastodon skull excavated from US creek in... Man fatally struck by train outside Citi Field: cops School employee locked teen with Down syndrome in closet, storage... Trump fires back at 'Comrade Kamala' after veep announces plan... Free abortions and vasectomies, 18-foot-tall inflatable IUD... Inside jeff bezos and lauren sanchez’s hot yacht summer with kim kardashian, leo & more. If Jeff Bezos’ and Lauren Sánchez’ hot yacht summer were a movie, it would be a mashup of “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Eat Pray Love” and “The Perfect Storm” — and the season’s not over yet. The 60-year-old billionaire and his fiancée, 54, are sailing the Mediterranean again this summer on Bezos’ $485 million yacht Koru , which features a sultry figurehead on the prow that looks an awful lot like Sánchez. They’ve cruised to Greece, Italy and Spain, with a pit stop Wednesday on the secluded island of Menorca in the Balearics, where they took refuge — along with some other expensive yachts — from a low-pressure storm called Dana. Bezos and Sánchez have been accompanied on the 417-ft Koru by their support yacht, Abeona , which holds their water toys and a fleet of A-list guests who have included Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio and his 25-year-old Italian supermodel girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, and others. “They’re the flavor of the month in the Med,” said a longtime entertainment exec just back from a month in the South of France. “For a while it was the Russians, and way back in the day it was Ari [Onassis] and Maria [Callas] on the [yacht] Christina. But the Russians like Roman Abramovich are pretty much gone now. There’s always a new wave,” the exec said. “[Sánchez] seems tacky but I’ve heard she’s very nice and Bezos adores her. Is she ever going to look like Babe Paley? Not in this lifetime.” The exec also pointed out that the Koru is more than 100 feet longer than Barry Diller’s yacht, which measures just over 300 feet — but not as big as David Geffen’s 453-foot vessel — saying billionaires often have “aquatic penis envy.” The world’s second-richest couple channeled their inner Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Rome on Tuesday when they shared a passionate kiss in front of the famed Trevi Fountain, seemingly oblivious to the hordes of tourists. Bezos, in a fitted golf shirt, navy pants and boating shoes, and Sánchez, in a red halter minidress and peep-toe heels, also joined the crowd in the time-honored tradition of tossing money into the fountain with their right hands. Oh, to know what they wished for. Later they held hands and walked down cobblestone streets to their dinner destination, Pierluigi, where photographers snapped them dining on white wine, salad and bread at a table containing a singular red rose. The couple took a bit of a solemn detour on land on Thursday when they swung by the Vatican for a visit with 87-year-old Pope Francis. “He reminded us not to take life too seriously, a simple yet powerful reminder to keep lightness in our hearts,” Sanchez wrote on social media. Bezos and Sánchez began their summer in June island-hopping in Greece with a rare appearance by Bezos’ 19-year-old son Preston, who Bezos shares with his ex-wife Mackenzie Scott. Kim Kardashian then joined them, zipping around the Med on jetskis . At one point Kardashian and an unidentified blonde rode her jetski as they took selfies. The “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” alum has been tight with Sánchez and Bezos for a couple of years,  going on a double date  in 2022 and  attending a Beyoncé concert  in 2023. In September 2023, the trio  had dinner together in New York City , joined by Nicky Hilton. The “Kardashians” star made it clear that Sánchez is  part of her inner circle  when she celebrated her birthday in a Season 5 episode. Meanwhile, Bezos and Sánchez were also spotted on their own in Greece on the island of Hydra, walking hand-in-hand on the seafront. They popped up next on Mykonos and from there it was on to Pserimos, famed for its beaches. July saw them jet to Sun Valley, Idaho, for the town’s namesake financial conference attended by billionaires. Last weekend, the pair pulled up on the island of Sardinia with Perry, Bloom, DiCaprio and Ceretti. The celebs came to shore on one of Bezos’ smaller boats for lunch at a high-end beach resort before heading back to Koru. Bloom and Perry — who started  their own month-long vacation in France  — also vacationed with Bezos and Sánchez  around this time last year. In August 2023, the foursome was spotted walking around Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Usher. DiCaprio and Bezos have  been “really close friends” for years,  with a source previously telling Page Six they often vacation together and find “common ground in the  fight against climate change  and their work in environmental activism.” Koru ranks as the planet’s thirty-second largest yacht and costs about $25 million to operate annually. The vessel can accommodate 18 guests and requires a crew of 40 sailors to manage its amenities. Its three huge, 229-foot masts power it to 20 knots. It’s also the biggest billionaire’s yacht which can move under sail power alone. Bezos and Sánchez recently relocated from Seattle to Indian Creek Island in Miami, where Bezos bought three mansions for about $237 million — surely a nice home if you’ve got to be on land. Advertisement Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email What's new New posts New Posts (legacy) Latest activity New media Media New media New comments Boat Info Downloads Weekly Quiz Topic FAQ 10000boatnames.com Classifieds Sell Your Boat Used Gear for Sale Parts General Marine Parts Hunter Beneteau Catalina MacGregor Oday Help Terms of Use Monday Mail Subscribe Monday Mail Unsubscribe Mast hauling fees Thread starter Jimongee Start date Jan 14, 2021 Hunter Owner Forums Ask A Hunter Owner Hello, I’m Jim and I owns 2002 356. We recently finally finally a great indoor winter storage facility in Michigan. It seems like a fair priced situation. However of course our mast must come off at haul out and reinstall at launch. As we learned quite quickly the off and on fees are separate charges from the storage. And of course I know this is not unusual. However we are being asked to pay over $500.00 for each time the mast is removed and again when it’s installed. They do use a travel lift with a boom and I do all the electrical and final rigging and boom R & R. So pretty much the charges seem to be for a very short and defined turnkey operation. Incidentally the mast is stored outdoors. So my current plan is to discuss this situation with the business owners, but I thought if any sailors out there had experience with this to help me find out where my expectations should be that would be helpful. Thank you   SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John Hi Jim. I here your pain. I believe when i had the boom truck remove and the return my mast to the boat the cost round trip was about $330. Sitting in the yard cost about $100 per month. Here is the link to their yard costs. This may help you. https://cms9.revize.com/revize/ever...ates & Fees/Travelift/1TraveliftRates2021.pdf   For comparison these are the rates for two Canadian marinas, add 13% and then convert the total to USA$ https://loyalistcovemarina.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/2020-loyalist-cove-marina-price-list.pdf Seasonal Dockage | Collins Bay Marina   justsomeguy Jimongee said: However we are being asked to pay over $500.00 for each time the mast is removed and again when it’s installed. Click to expand Those kinds of costs would have prevented me from ever being able to enjoy a large cruiser. We are blessed with weather and facilities to leave our masts up. When someone needs to unstep a mast, there are several experienced members that will lend a hand. It's a dangerous process that should never be taken for granted. So much could go seriously wrong bodily and mechanically if not done properly.   Jimongee said: ... However we are being asked to pay over $500.00 for each time the mast is removed and again when it’s installed. Click to expand $125.00 x 3 x ?hrs plus hoist. your flat rate charge is cheap. inside storage on the northern great lakes, while pricey, will save you a lot of money in the long run. allowing your boat to freeze and thaw many times each winter can and will increase your upkeep bills exponentially. cold inside storage is good. heated inside storage is better. it is worth every penny to store inside. i'm straight across the lake in sturgeon bay. i have 2 masts on aeolus. add another hour to the the formula. you can work on your boat all winter so that you can sail your boat all season long. nothing worse than doing maintenance in june, july, aug, sept. in the real world, your flat rate charge is cheap.   Rich Stidger Years ago when I stored my boat the mast was required to be un-stepped and stored. In Connecticut that cost was an extra $1500 including re-tuning the mast in the Spring. I voted with my feet and found another marina a short distance away that permitted mast-up storage. Since 1998 my mast has only been removed twice. Once for the storage requirement and once to have a roller boom installed.   oh yeah, in the spring, when they step the rig again, learn to tune the rig yourself. it will save you a lot of money.   i have seen here on this forum a few fellows that store outside with considerable care to their cover and oversite of their vessel. like dave and tom. sure it can be done. most fail at doing it well. then the fix it again bills start to add up.   Where in Michigan? I'm in Muskegon and the yards that will do a mast here charge an hourly rate per man plus the use of their lift. One uses a mobile crane and the other a high reach forklift. I've never used either one but I'm told it usually works out to at least $350 each way, so your charges aren't that far off. A third yard, the one I store at uses a gin pole (a tall, fixed hand crank crane). They charge a similar hourly rate but will let you use the pole yourself for free if you store there. Kind of surprising these days, the other yards used to have them but took them down for liability reasons. My wife and I have lowered and raised the mast ourselves almost every year, sometimes with a third helper. It's not that hard once you know how. And my mast is 42 feet long and at least 300 lbs. If you can find a deal like that maybe pay them to do it the first time then take over from there. I learned it decades ago in a yard where most masts came down and it was a community effort with the old hands helping the newbs.   Project_Mayhem Chicago Harbors charge around $5-6 per foot. The price list doesn't list if thats the price of the mast or boat. Knowing them it's whichever is greater Michigan City Port Authority charged around 150-200 to step the mast on my little boat. I thought it was a bit steep. They had a crew of about four guys and a lift. Process took 2-2.5 hours. By the end of the process I felt like it was a bargain   quadrille38 From what I’ve seen some marinas charge for the labor to take it down and then for the space the mast takes up when it’s stored.   Thank you to all who commented on my mast hauling question. I guess I’m down to discussing with my marina why it seems to require double fees and hours and manpower to step the mast as opposed to unstepping it. Especially since I literally do all the rigging and electrical on both ends.....   This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more… - K-town Now Asia-Pacific - Storm Tracker Middle East Map of Memorials Entertainment - Video Games Europe Travel - Quick Trips - After Hours Pacific Travel The Meat and Potatoes of Life U.S. Travel Storm Tracker Rewards for readers Get Stripes Stripes Lite Archives/Library Special Publications Mobile Apps Email Newsletters Digital Access Home Delivery Marine Corps Coast Guard Space Force Archive photo of the day - Schedules Europe - Scoreboards Europe - Schedules Pacific - Scoreboards Pacific - Pacific Sports Blog - WW II Podcast - Military Matters - Force for Hire Out of Uniform - WW II Videos Communities Stripes Europe Stripes Guam Stripes Japan Stripes Korea Stripes Okinawa Our Other Websites In Memoriam Month of the Military Child Best of Germany Best of the Pacific Letters to Santa Rescue 95 miles from shore in violent seas with boat sinking tested Coast Guard’s limits An MH-65 Dolphin flies on a night mission off the coast of Haiti on Nov. 23, 2021. A similar Dolphin helicopter flew off the coast of Oregon in July 2024 on a rescue mission that “was kind of in a different league,” according to a Coast Guard official. (John Hightower/U.S. Coast Guard) (Tribune News Service) — The Coast Guard rescue swimmer gripped the starboard side of the sinking sailboat in the dark as the waves beat against him. He called out to the man standing on the boat as a helicopter hovered overhead. “You’re going to jump,” Miles LeComer shouted over the sound of the wind and rotor wash and waves. “And I’m going to grab you.” David Haight had a briefcase and a knapsack ready with some of the few valuable possessions he took with him on what was supposed to be a journey from Newport to Santa Barbara. LeComer, barely able to hold onto the sailboat as it rolled up and down on the waves more than 90 miles offshore, told Haight he could only take what was in his pockets. He gave him one minute to prepare. Haight, his sailboat disappearing beneath him, didn’t need the minute. He jumped, crashing into the frigid Pacific Ocean, engulfed, immediately knocked about by 15-foot-tall waves. He went under. A hand grabbed him and held on. ‘There wasn’t anything to feel’ Sitting in an Elmer’s Restaurant in Clackamas about a month after his rescue, Haight, 69, flashed a sly grin that hinted at the other wild stories in his past — and possibly in his future, too. There was the arrest, when he was 24, when he and four others were caught by federal officials trying to smuggle 40,000 tons of marijuana from Colombia to Florida by ship. And the time he and his girlfriend at the time found a dinghy abandoned in a Florida swamp, restored it and sailed it on both the East and West coasts. But the misadventure in July that cost him his beloved sailboat, the Windswept II, hit him hard. After all, it wasn’t until Haight’s 60s that he was able to fully live the dream that he had cooked up as a child. One of three sons, Haight grew up in Depoe Bay in a family of strict Jehovah’s Witnesses. Before he was even a teenager, he realized he believed none of what he was being told and yearned to escape his parents’ restrictive household. Sailing was one outlet. A local resident owned a small boat that he let the kids in town sail on, and Haight took every opportunity he had, between school and working in his parents’ restaurant. Owning his own sailboat and exploring the world became his “secret wish,” the one he’d whisper to himself when blowing out his birthday candles, he said. “You never run out of fuel,” Haight said. “You can go as far as you want.” Haight came close to that dream in his early 20s, when he and a girlfriend briefly owned a sailboat in California and lived on it. But the dream collapsed when, working as a commercial fisherman, Haight was asked if he wanted to smuggle marijuana from Colombia into Florida. He needed the money, so he said OK. It was his first attempt to smuggle drugs, Haight said. When the boat reached Tampa Bay, U.S. Customs Service agents boarded it, their guns drawn, and found about $14 million worth of marijuana, according to news articles at the time. Four of the five arrested men “appeared weathered from several weeks at sea,” The Tampa Times wrote on May 23, 1978. Haight and his girlfriend sold the sailboat, and he served two years in federal prison, getting out in 1982. In the decades since, he worked mostly in construction and waited tables. He scuba-dived most of his life, and picked up hang-gliding in the early 1990s. “I was just a regular guy,” he said. After his mother died in 2013, Haight and his brothers sold her house, which dropped $66,000 into Haight’s lap. With that cash infusion, he bought the Windswept II, a 38-foot, 1999 wooden sailboat, in 2018. After outfitting it for a long trip, he sailed to Mexico in 2022. In July 2023, he sailed to Hawaii, then to Newport, in preparation for his next trip south. He set sail from Newport on June 29, planning to stop in Santa Barbara to finish preparing the boat for a longer trip to Mexico. He headed out to sea around 1:30 p.m. under a clear, cloudless sky. The forecast called for storms south of his location, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Haight sailed into a storm that was worse than expected, however. Winds nearly 60 miles per hour pushed his sailboat around for two days straight. Unable to sail in those conditions, Haight decided to “hove to,” essentially putting his boat in park, while it drifted southeast. He was in his bunk on July 2 when he heard a strange sound — the rattle of the sailboat’s automatic bilge pump. Designed to turn on if water seeped into the boat and reached a certain level, it had never activated before in the six years he’d sailed on the boat. Haight pulled up the floorboard and saw water in the bilge. Oh, I’m sinking, Haight thought. But he wasn’t afraid. “There wasn’t anything to feel,” he added. “There was just to do.” When he realized the pump wasn’t keeping up with the rising water, he concluded he urgently needed help. “Mayday, mayday. This is sailing vessel Windswept II,” Haight said into the radio, to anyone who might hear him, then gave his location and said his boat was taking on water. The Coast Guard took the call, and offered to bring him a larger pump. A ship nearby listened in to the conversation and diverted course to stand by in case Haight needed extra help. Haight thought this response would solve the problem. But then his bilge pump broke — and a back-up pump shorted out. Haight now knew he was really in trouble. “That was when I got concerned,” Haight said. By around 11 p.m. on July 2, he was 95 miles off shore, standing in the cabin of the boat in ankle-deep ocean water. Then the boat’s engine broke down, too, leaving him helpless in the wind and waves as the water sloshed over Haight’s feet. ‘Are you good?’ Commander Jay Kircher was asleep in his North Bend home on July 2 when his cell phone rang. It was 10:25 p.m. There was a man in a sailboat off the coast taking on water, he was told. Kircher got out of bed, sat down in the living room and started making calls, quickly preparing an operation to help, and potentially rescue, the man. Kircher was worried about how far the helicopter would have to fly — the man was probably too far away for a boat to reach him in time — as well as the sea conditions and the darkness. Kircher requested that a Coast Guard airplane be deployed to circle the scene and monitor the operation from above, in case there was an emergency. It was obvious this would be a difficult operation. The distance from shore — about 83 nautical miles west of Brookings, or about 95 land-measured miles — meant they would be alone if they had a problem and needed help themselves. Because of the masts and rigging on any sailboat, it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to lift the man in distress off of the deck. And the gale-force winds and the high waves meant both the pilot and a rescue swimmer would have extreme conditions to contend with. “It was right on our limits, basically, for range,” Kircher said. A crew departed North Bend in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 11:17 p.m., July 2, for Brookings. They were carrying with them a 105-pound pump they planned to deliver to the sailboat — with both Haight’s pump and the Coast Guard pump working at the same time, there was a chance to save the boat. By the time they landed around midnight, Haight had told the Coast Guard via radio that his own pump had failed, meaning he needed to be rescued. The Coast Guard crew unloaded the pump, fueled up to the top, and the pilot plugged the sinking boat’s GPS coordinates into his flight computer. There were four of them in the helicopter: the pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, a rescue swimmer and a flight mechanic; the latter would be in charge of dropping the swimmer down into the ocean and then lifting him and the survivor up into the helicopter. Pilot-in-Command Brandon Books, 30, brought the helicopter to about 500 feet above the water, under the clouds, where it was so dark the crew flew the whole way wearing night-vision goggles. “Are any of you guys a little bit nervous?” the flight mechanic asked. “Yeah, man,” Books said. “I’m a little bit nervous.” Books, originally from Whitefish, Montana, got hooked on the idea of becoming a U.S. Coast Guard pilot as a kid while watching an episode of the reality TV show “Deadliest Catch” where the Coast Guard rescued fishermen, he said. On this day, Books was in the final weeks of his first assignment as a Coast Guard pilot. The four of them flew for about 50 minutes before Books spotted the sole light shining from the top of the Windswept II’s main mast around 1:20 a.m. When the helicopter appeared out of the darkness, Haight became more optimistic about his chances of survival. In most missions of this sort, rescuers want to drop the rescuer onto the surface of the boat using a cable. That’s hard, if not impossible, with a sailboat, because of all the masts and sails and ropes and cords, especially in rough weather. LeComer, the rescue swimmer, would have to go into the ocean and swim to the boat. That wasn’t going to be easy either. As the helicopter hovered, Books looked down at the waves. They were large, even larger than they’d expected. “That’s kind of big,” Books said to LeComer over the helicopter communications system. “Are you good?” “Oh,” LeComer said, “I’m ready to go.” LeComer, 28, scooted to the door and the mechanic hoisted him out over the ocean and lowered him into the water. LeComer, with a snorkel in his mouth and fins on his feet, quickly detached the hook from his harness and fixed the sailboat in his line of sight. The seas were so rough that his chief concern was that he might run out of strength while trying to swim to the sailboat. It didn’t help that when he fell into a trough between waves the Windswept II would sometimes disappear from his view. When he reached the boat he realized it was too far gone for him to be able to climb onto it safely. The boat was leaning on its side, partially submerged. LeComer grabbed a line Haight had thrown into the water and pulled himself to the right side of the boat. Haight had a briefcase and a bag ready with his belongings — including his high-school diploma, the ship’s log, and a cigar box with family keepsakes. He asked LeComer if he could take his bag with him. “Only what’s in your pockets,” LeComer shouted. “I’ll give you one minute.” Haight, wearing a life jacket, a long-sleeve shirt, jacket, jeans and tennis shoes, put his passport, the keys to his storage locker in Depoe Bay and some cash in his pockets and jumped into the water. LeComer grabbed him and, swimming sideways, kicked his fins while holding onto Haight with his right arm, propping him up on his hip. Books, who had flown the helicopter about 50 yards away so the helicopter wouldn’t drown out their voices when LeComer and Haight tried to communicate, flew back once he saw LeComer detach from the sailboat. “It’s going to be loud and windy,” LeComer said. That’s when he noticed that Haight seemed almost calm, “a pretty seasoned mariner.” After he hooked Haight onto his harness, LeComer gave a thumbs up to the helicopter hovering 100 feet above them, and the mechanic dropped the cable with the hook. The heavy waves and wind bounced LeComer and Haight around, moving them off-course from the descending cable. They needed to put the cable right on the two dots in the ocean that were LeComer and Haight, a tough feat for even the most skilled pilot and mechanic in such conditions. “Forward and right 10,” the flight mechanic said to Books, who then maneuvered the 9,000-pound helicopter about 10 yards as directed, then overshot by another 10 yards. “Back 10.” Finally — after about eight minutes — LeComer was able to grab the cable. He attached it to his harness, gave the flight mechanic another thumbs up and the two soon were in the air. Once they were in the helicopter, LeComer checked over Haight and concluded he didn’t need to go to a hospital. He gave him a warming blanket, and Books turned on the autopilot, lifting the helicopter up to 500 feet and directed it back toward Brookings. It was 1:42 a.m., just 22 minutes since the Coast Guard helicopter had arrived. They flew under the clouds in almost complete darkness until Books spied clouds that were a little thinner. “Do you want to climb up above these clouds?” Books asked the co-pilot. “Yeah, it looks like it’ll be nicer up there,” the co-pilot said. They climbed to about 1,500 feet above sea level, where they could see the stars. The relief was palpable once they spotted the shore lights, Books said. While the Coast Guard crew regularly goes out on challenging rescue missions, this one on July 3 was particularly difficult, given how far the sinking boat was from shore, the weather and the condition of the sea. The operation, Kircher said, “was kind of in a different league.” ‘Not over yet’ When LeComer got home early on the morning of the rescue, he scarfed down a breakfast burrito and called his mom to tell her an abbreviated version of the operation. “Thanks for putting me in swimming lessons, mom,” LeComer said to her. Books worked another week, wrapping up his three-and-a-half year assignment in North Bend. Three weeks later, he was in New Jersey for his new assignment. Haight never figured out why his sailboat sprung a leak. It’s possible that part of the boat had been weakened while stuck on a sandbar the previous year, then was stressed too much by the strong winds on his way to California. But it had survived plenty of strong storms before the one that sank the boat, so he’s still unsure. He bought a car in Portland and is planning to drive to Mexico to visit friends. While he hasn’t come to terms with losing his boat, he’s grateful for the opportunity the Windswept II gave him — and for the Coast Guard crew that saved him from it. “How often does somebody get to live their dream?” Haight said. “And I’m still living my dream. It is not over yet.” ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC . Sign Up for Daily Headlines Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world. Sign Up Now Journey of once-sunken sailboat reaches end, volunteer salvor feels left high and dry Mark griffin shares ordeal since he helped raise and haul not a starship from st. john river last month. Social Sharing No good deed goes unpunished. That's how Mark Griffin is feeling after he volunteered for public safety reasons to help raise and haul away a sailboat that sat at the bottom of the St. John River near Browns Flat for months with only the tops of its two masts visible. Griffin, a Canadian Coast Guard contractor, took on the venture last month with hobby diver David Grandy  and says it's been an ordeal ever since. He estimates he spent between $5,000 and $10,000 in time, fuel and equipment between July 5 and 7 — closer to $30,000 if it had been a paid job he bid on. That doesn't include the roughly 12 days he spent "babysitting" the moored Not a Starship at his Belleisle Bay marina to ensure the 13-metre boat didn't sink again. He had to wait for word from the coast guard about how the agency wanted to deal with the disposal, he said. The boat did actually start to sink again at one point, when a 3,000-gallon-an-hour pump, which Griffin used for keeping pace with the water the vessel was taking on, malfunctioned. "It wasn't down that far, but it was going down," he said. "If I would have went away somewhere for a day or two, that boat would have been sitting at the bottom at my place." Sunken sailboat near Browns Flat towed closer to shore, says coast guard Grandy estimated the operation cost him close to $2,000 in time, materials and drysuit repair. Meanwhile, according to Griffin, they both sought legal advice when Grandy allegedly received a letter from the coast guard warning that he, having taken possession of the boat as the salvor when they hauled it — and therefore assumed ownership —could face up to $6 million in fines or three months in jail if he didn't see to its disposal. "That really, like, floored us," said Griffin. Salvor assumed ownership, liability, says coast guard Grandy declined to comment on this, and coast guard spokesperson Megan Gallant did not confirm or deny when asked by CBC News. She did say, however, that "a salvage company claimed salvor's rights and, therefore, assumed ownership of the vessel." "At the same time, the company became liable and responsible for all the costs of the removal under the [Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act]." Gallant declined to clarify to whom she was referring as the "salvage company," citing privacy, but before the salvor "took on full ownership and liability, [the coast guard] informed the salvor of their obligations and responsibilities under [the act]," she said in an emailed statement. Under the act, a vessel's owner is responsible for using the boat safely, keeping it in good working order and properly disposing of it when it reaches the end of its life. "This also includes being responsible for any response efforts that may need to be taken to eliminate threats of pollution or hazards posed by the vessel," said Gallant. "[The coast guard] can direct vessel owners to take measures to prevent, reduce, or eliminate hazards. We can also take actions to address hazardous vessels and hold vessel owners liable for the costs of addressing cleanups and remediation action we take." Non-profit stepped up to cover disposal costs To add insult to injury, Griffin said, the coast guard was prepared to pay a local salvage company to haul the boat out of the water and dispose of it, and he wasn't given an opportunity to bid on it. The coast guard did not issue a tender, according to the spokesperson, but did receive a quote for the work from a local salvage company. Gallant declined to divulge the name of the company or the value of the quote. That company didn't end up doing the work anyway. "The owner of the vessel (the local salvage company that claimed salvor rights) indicated it had already been partially removed from the marine environment and they would complete it," Gallant said. Griffin said he had already arranged for a local excavation company to do the job — partly because he was tired of being stuck with the boat tied up at his property in Erb's Cove, the former Belleisle Bay Marina, which he used to operate, while awaiting further direction from the coast guard.  "I have to go to work, I have to make a living too," he said. He was also worried Grandy might get stuck with the coast guard contractor's bill, he said. The longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy. - Dino Kubik, St. John River Society The boat was ultimately hauled out, dragged up the beach, crushed, and disposed of in four dump truck loads at a "proper" undisclosed location on July 19, said Griffin. The St. John River Society, a local non-profit organization, stepped up to cover the costs. "The society has a couple of main mandates and one of them is the wise, sustainable use of the river," said executive director Dino Kubik, before turning to what he called the environmental threat. "And the longer that vessel was sitting at a dock … every day that was there, that was a moment of jeopardy. "So anything we could have done to make sure that it came out in a timely manner and was disposed of correctly, that was within our mandate, and our directors in the Hatfield Point area … wanted to play that role," and ensure safe access to the river. The total was in the "sub-$10,000 range," said Kubik. 'Didn't make a dime' "I never got a dime of it," stressed Griffin. "Everybody's wondering how much money I made. I didn't make a dime doing this. Neither did Dave." Griffin did salvage and keep one of the boat's two aluminum masts, which he previously told CBC could each be worth about $50,000 if the right buyer was found, but that could take years. He said he'll probably "either cut it up for scrap, or if somebody wants a flagpole, come get it, cause it'll cost me that much to haul it to the dump." That's what he did with the other mast, he said. He gave it to the owner of the exacavation company handling the disposal to make a flagpole. An old wooden steering wheel went to the river society. Griffin said the boat was stripped of contaminants, including the motor, fuel tanks and anything containing oil, before it was scrapped. No word on consequences for original owner As for Jordan Tatton, the original  owner and person who let the boat sink in the first place, the coast guard did not respond to repeated questions from CBC News about what penalties or costs he has faced — if any. Gallant said only that the original owner agreed to give salvor's rights and ownership under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act to the local salvage company. Tatton did not respond to a request for comment. The boat, which slowly started to sink into the ice in February , wound up at the bottom of the river by April  with an early breakup of the ice.  It sat more than 400 metres offshore from Browns Flat until Griffin and Grandy raised and hauled it. 'Nobody got hurt' "No good deed goes unpunished," Griffin said. " That's exactly what everybody's saying. That's the funny part about it. 'Why would you do it?' I heard that so many times." Still, the boat's gone now and "nobody got hurt," he said. "If somebody would have got hurt, [the coast guard] would have been in a lot of kaka." "Would I do it again? Within a second. I wouldn't even think about it," said Griffin. "Would I do it differently? I would not get in touch with anybody to tell them I'm doing it." Grandy said he has no regrets either. "I'm glad it's out. The hazard is gone," he said in a statement. Asked what, if any environmental clean up was required, Gallant, at the coast guard, replied: "CCG was not involved in the removal, salvage or cleanup process of this vessel." She did not say which body would be responsible for ensuring a safe cleanup. Gallant did say the coast guard conducted a pollution and hazards assessment Dec. 11, which concluded there was no risk "at that time." The New Brunswick Department of Environment spokesperson Clarissa Andersen directed inquiries to the coast guard, as the lead agency. Related Stories Saga of sunken sailboat in St. John River nears end thanks to 2 volunteers 129 IMAGES How Much Does a Sailboat Mast Replacement Cost? Sailboat mast Sailboat mast Sailboat mast Balpha Mast Sailboat mast COMMENTS How Much Does a Sailboat Mast Replacement Cost? Replacing a mast costs between $15,000 - $30,000 for an average sailboat. Out of that, $4,000 - $6,000 is the cost of labor. The mast itself costs between $10,000 - $25,000. The total cost of a sailboat mast replacement raises exponentially as you go up in boat size. But since there are many variables in this, let's have a look at it in more ... Sailboat Mast Guide: Types, Maintenance, and Upgrades The cost of mast replacement can vary significantly depending on the type of mast, materials, and additional rigging needed. It's advisable to obtain multiple quotes from reputable marine professionals. ... If you're new to sailboat ownership, these mast maintenance tips will help you get started on the right foot. Essential Care for First-Time ... Replacing Your Rigging Good question. Yes, doing it yourself will theoretically save money. For an average 40-foot boat, Cockerill estimates about $100 per foot to re-rig with wire rigging ($4,000), as well as the round-trip cost to haul and launch the boat and unstep and step the rig (an additional $2,500 or so). Cost of New Mast and Rigging? So if a new L380 rig is about $18,000 and a generic 48' cat's mast is about twice as much then we could use $18,000 as a baseline and for each foot increase in length multiplied by a tenth more. In other words a 39' would be $18K multiplied by 1.1 and a 40' would be $18K x 1.2 and so on. Average Cost to Replace Standing Rigging (with Examples) Remember, these are just estimates, and actual costs may vary based on your specific situation. Sailboat Size. Replacement Cost of Standing Rigging. Small sailboat (up to 30 feet) $2,000 to $5,000. Medium sailboat (30 to 50 feet) $5,000 to $10,000. Large sailboat (50 feet and above) $10,000 to $20,000. Sailboat Masts Explained: From Basics to Repairs Yacht Masts: Designed for grandeur, these masts are equipped to handle multiple heavy sails, sophisticated rigging systems, and the weight and balance demands of a large vessel. Sailboat Masts: Engineered for agility, they prioritize speed, wind optimization, and quick adjustments. Maintenance, Repairs, and the Importance of Both. What Is A Sailboat Mast? A sailboat mast is a vertical, upright structure that supports the sails of a sailboat. It is a crucial component of the boat's rigging system and plays a key role in harnessing the power of the wind to propel the vessel. Typically located in the center of the boat, the mast extends upward from the deck or hull. How Much Do New Sails Cost? How Much Does a Sailboat Mast Cost? A new mast costs anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000, depending on your wishes. Roller furling masts start at $20,000. However, you can get a used mast for as little as $2,000. This is without the standing rigging, which will add an additional $4,000 on average. Revive Your Mast Like a Pro During his 10-year stint as the Vanderstar Chair at the U.S. Naval Academy, he augmented safety and seamanship training and played a key role in the development of the Navy's 40-foot new sail training sloops. His sailing background includes a five-year family voyage around the world and the management of a full service boatyard. Sailing Mast: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Choosing the - Now that you've successfully installed a new sailing mast on your sailboat, give yourself a pat on the back - bravo! ... While predominantly used in competitive sailing due to their complexity and costs, they bring a new dimension of excitement to the sport. 5. The Junk Rig Mast: New Sails & Rigging Cost for a 40-50' Sailboat Seems like a lot for a 40' boat. I have got quotes for sails for my 40' boat and they range from $8k for a jib and a main and I replaced the standing rigging on my boat. That cost me $10k. This was rod rigging and increased the price quite a bit. if it were wire you could get away for about half that price. Mast replacement cost 2. islander 32 Morro bay. Mar 25, 2021. #1. Hello all, I am currently in the process of searching for my first sailboat and have come across my first potential boat. She is a 1965 islander 32 however she is in need of a lot of repair. All of it seems repairable however the one major issue that stood out is the current owner said about a year or ... Mast Stepped: A Comprehensive Guide to Properly Installing and The cost of professional mast stepping services varies depending on factors such as the size and complexity of your boat's rigging system, location, and additional services required. It's best to request quotes from reputable marine service providers who can assess your specific needs accurately. Mast replacement Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI. Sep 29, 2017. #7. Just replaced a broken mast this past spring due to storm damage on the hard to my 323. I had to replace the mast, all standing and running rigging, and the roller furler. Including freight, my parts cost was over $10,000. In addition, I had the cost of crane rental to step the mast. cost of installing in-mast furling main sail Cost to replace the rigging on your boat including stepping the mast. The mast type won't make that much of a difference on this. Cost for a new furling mainsail (probably $3-4k) but heavily dependent on the sail materials and design. Cost for modifying the running rigging to work with a furling main.. Masts Seldén produce over 400 carbon masts per year as well as booms, poles and bow sprits for boats including high performance skiffs, racing keelboats, IRC race boats and some of the world's most prestigious cruising yachts. With more sailors choosing Seldén carbon spars, the pattern is obvious. New mast cost New mast cost. Thread starter Hacker; Start date 18 Mar 2017; 1; 2; 3; Next. 1 of 3 Go to page. Go. Next Last. 18 Mar 2017 #1 H. Hacker Well-known member. Joined 4 Nov 2015 Messages ... I would also point out that at all times the sail is fully up the mast so in reefed state the sail stays in the mast. How much should it cost to step a mast? So, for a 30 footer out of HHN, rigger was around $500 to step, tune, block the mast at the partner, install mast boot, and tune the rig. Yard charged another $200 for use of their crane and operator. If it takes longer than an hour, the yard charges another $100 for each additional half hour. The Pros and Cons of Leaving Your Mast Up for Winter All Multihulls New Sailboats Sailboats 21-30ft Sailboats 31-35ft Sailboats 36-40ft Sailboats Over 40ft Sailboats Under 21feet used_sailboats. ... Unstepping your mast adds cost but it makes it easier to carry out a thorough inspection. By. Darrell Nicholson - Published: September 22, 2021 Updated: December 27, 2021. 10. Facebook. Twitter. Normal cost to step a deck stepped mast? 377 posts · Joined 2012. #1 · Jun 1, 2012. I asked at the office of the marina I've got my slip at, and was told it would be 200$ to step the mast, and the per day rate equals 900$/month to leave the mast up on shore. Both prices are plus tax of course. I'm not even sure if that was 200$ off and 200$ on, or 200$ all in come to think of it. Cost of New Mast and Rigging? So if a new L380 rig is about $18,000 and a generic 48' cat's mast is about twice as much then we could use $18,000 as a baseline and for each foot increase in length multiplied by a tenth more. In other words a 39' would be $18K multiplied by 1.1 and a 40' would be $18K x 1.2 and so on. An Oregon man was trapped 95 miles from shore in violent seas, his boat Haight, his sailboat disappearing beneath him, didn't need the minute. He jumped, crashing into the frigid Pacific Ocean, engulfed, immediately knocked about by 15-foot-tall waves. Inside Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's hot yacht summer Koru ranks as the planet's thirty-second largest yacht and costs about $25 million to operate annually. The vessel can accommodate 18 guests and requires a crew of 40 sailors to manage its ... Mast hauling fees Years ago when I stored my boat the mast was required to be un-stepped and stored. In Connecticut that cost was an extra $1500 including re-tuning the mast in the Spring. I voted with my feet and found another marina a short distance away that permitted mast-up storage. Since 1998 my mast has only been removed twice. Rescue 95 miles from shore in violent seas with boat sinking tested He set sail from Newport on June 29, planning to stop in Santa Barbara to finish preparing the boat for a longer trip to Mexico. He headed out to sea around 1:30 p.m. under a clear, cloudless sky. Journey of once-sunken sailboat reaches end, volunteer salvor feels Grandy estimated the operation cost him close to $2,000 in time, materials and drysuit repair. ... Griffin did salvage and keep one of the boat's two aluminum masts, which he previously told CBC ... catamaran gulet motorboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht