I've been doing it wrong??

[LordElsinore]

Hi everyone. I was re-reading my MacGregor 26m manual the other day and I noticed in the section about preparing the mast for trailering that it said to bolt the mast with the hinge plate on it to the bow, attaching the bolt through the hinge plate. I have always left the hinge plate bolted to the deck while trailering - placing the bolt through the mast itself where it normally attaches to the hinge plate when I bolt it to the bow. That's how it was attached when I first bought the boat from the previous owner as well.

So I tried it, and it certainly can attach that way, but I notice two things:

- the hinge allows the mast to pivot forward and back a bit
- the rotating mast is free to rotate in this position

I think I prefer the way I've always done it rather than the way it's (apparently) documented in the manual. It just seems a lot more stable when the mast is fixed and can't move around or rotate while trailering. But is there a reason that it's supposed to be able to be more free to roam?

I'd love to know which way you folks do it, and whether there is an explanation of why Roger may have documented to do it this way.

Mike

[Jimmyt]

Well, that’s another way to do it. You’re the first to ever mention doing it that way, as far as I know. It would be more stable initially (prior to securing all of the other stuff that needs securing to go down the road at 70 mph). I don’t really see a problem with it. Your boat; your rules.

I do it the way the manual suggests. My center support has a v-notch matching the mast shape. Once that’s in, the mast doesn’t flop around quite as easily. When the ratchet strap in the cockpit is tightened up, rotation is out of the question.

To answer your question; no, the mast is not meant to roam or rotate while trailering.

So, do you remove the bolt every time or did you put in a quick pin?

[kingtoros]

I have always left the hinge plate bolted to the deck while trailering - placing the bolt through the mast itself where it normally attaches to the hinge plate when I bolt it to the bow.

Can you post a picture of this? Minus the pvc crutch that Jimmy is showing, that's how my mast is too. You are right that it floats a bit, but the two ties at the roller aft, and the center support keep it mostly unrotating.

[Russ]

Am I to understand you remove the mast base hinge? I've removed it a couple of times, but requires a bit of effort and there is a screw.

Yes, it rotates and moves. But as Jimmy stated, I have a mast crutch that keeps it solid. Then I tie it down with a line to the MRS tabs on the lifelines.

[Jimmyt]

Am I to understand you remove the mast base hinge? I've removed it a couple of times, but requires a bit of effort and there is a screw.

My thoughts exactly. I think it’s quicker to do it per the manual - especially if you have pins instead of bolts.

But, as my Aunt Rooney always said, “I’m celebrating diversity”. . Her way of saying, your boat, your rules…

[LordElsinore]

My mast hinge has a "pin" as well, connecting it to the deck, just like the one that connects my mast to the hinge. This season I think for me I decided its easier to leave the mast hinge on the deck and do it how I've always been doing it. And I feel better about it not being able to flop/rotate around that way. I took some pictures. I'll post them a bit later tonight.

[LordElsinore]

Here is a picture of my mast attached to my mast hinge and the mast hinge attached to the deck:




Here is the the mast attached to the bow pulpit in the way the book describes (mast hinge attached to mast)






Here is the mast attached to the bow pulpit directly, with the mast hinge left attached to the deck

[Jimmyt]

I see. Your mast has been modified to accept a pin in that connection. That is not stock.

So, it makes perfect sense now; after seeing your setup. So, you haven't been doing it wrong at all. Your boat is just different.

[Russ]

Interesting.

Pinning the mast directly without the hinge would keep it from rotating. So there is that advantage. Mine always wants to rotate which is a problem when I strap the furler to the mast.

A small concern would be the 2 holes through the aluminum mast might wear and enlarge with the extra action they are seeing.

I find it hard enough to line up the "hinge" with the deck and/or the pulpit bracket to pin it. When I did remove the "hinge" it was hard for me to line it back up to bolt it through. I can't imagine doing this with the hinge attached to the deck plate.

Lastly, you don't have that screw in the hinge. I'm not sure what that screw does, but there is a hole for it.

[LordElsinore]

Ah thanks. I never realized this setup wasn’t stock. The original owner of this boat bought it with just about every BWY upgrade you can think of: stern seats, quick pins, lines aft, bottom paint, vhf, split dining table, cockpit table, cruising package, the works. I don’t think he did any mods himself on anything, so I’ll assume this was something BWY did. It’s worked without issue so far, and I have noticed that unused screw hole before. I’ll keep an eye on it

[Russ]

I bought my boat from BWY with the cruising and quick rig package.
That is not how they did it. You see the pins in the mast base and the "hinge". That's what they gave me pins and rings for. The quick pins replace the stock bolt. They also gave me an EXTRA pin with rings that I keep in my box.

The "hinge" was bolted to the mast with a screw in that hole (pic above) to hold it in place I assume. It never came off.

Sheryl showed me how to rig/de-rig the mast using the pin through the baseplate with the "hinge" that stayed on the bottom of the mast.

What you have works. It just seems odd compared to how mine works. Also...what keeps birds and such from nesting in the end of the mast with it open on the pulpit?

There is nothing inherently wrong with how you do it. It just seems harder to line up the pin with the holes in the mast.

[LordElsinore]

Thanks Russ. Good info. I never got that opportunity to have someone show how to do it, since the previous owner (second overall owner) of my boat never actually once took it out on the water or rigged it. Come to think of it, it's likely that my mast was originally bolted to the base plate when I first got it, was missing that other secondary screw altogether, and I replaced that bolt with the "extra" quick pin myself at some point. Though the mast was definitely bolted to the bow pulpit directly when I first towed it home I suppose. Cheryl knows her stuff though, that's cool that you got to have the full 'dealer experience'.

Great to have so many owners of this same boat so we can see the different way things can be done. Have to try each of those two options a couple for times to decide which way I want to continue on with. I've never had a bird nest in the mast, but I think I did once have some bees in there . That was at the top end though when the mast end cap came off.

[Russ]

There is nothing really WRONG with your rig. It certainly fixed the rotating mast on the trailer. For the rest of us, it looks "different".

[OverEasy]

Ve lediference!

A bit of variety is da spice of life… eh?