Re. [Alberg30] Haul & block

[Maggie Ross]

Bill Blevins <billblevins at mac.com> wrote:
Haul & block leaving mast up - (one/two way? not sure yet) - for an A30:

$2.50 / ft haul
$2.25 / ft block

Our short answer: Haul. Reasoning below.

Perhaps a moment should be taken to consider the term "metal fatigue" before making your decision on the saving of $0.25, as the financial and physical cost may be much higher in the long run.

For approximately six months of the year the boat sits in the water, which is nature's shock absorber. Even so, the windage of the rigging still causes the boat to vibrate - sometimes violently. When left on a cradle for the other half of the year the rigging still vibrates but the cradle or blocks cannot absorb the stress, therefore the chainplates take their toll on the fiberglass around them. The wire in the rigging is weakened where they are swaged to the fittings. With a deck-stepped mast like the Alberg's, stress is also being exerted on the cabin top and bulkhead beneath.

We feel much more secure knowing that our rigging has a better chance of a much longer life, before it fails from old age, if we take it down every year and inspect it before rigging the boat again in the spring. We'd rather do this than wonder if and when it may come tumbling down around our necks, just because we wanted to save a quarter and an hour or so of work. Because of the salt in the air, this would probably be even more important for a boat which is kept near the ocean.

We also know of a few boats which were blown over because the tripods weren't either the right size, positioned or secured properly. In one case the first question the insurance company asked was "Did the marina recommend leaving the mast up?" The marina was going to have to pay the cost of repairs if it was their recommendation.

Think carefully before leaving the boat rigged year-round.

Maggie Ross
Strathgowan, #400.
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 |                This Old Boat by Don Casey                     |
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