Mast/Boom Crutch ideas?

[Beaker326]

Hey folks,

While finishing up my winter projects on Wild Oats, I decided to see about a new mast crutch since the pvc one I made just isn't quite hacking it.  I was just wondering if anyone had any good plans or whatnot for making one.  I could find some prefabricated ones online, that was about it though.

http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d75000/e74369.asp

http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d75000/e74365.asp

Unforunately, nothing beyond that and my imaginative skills aren't quite up to the task as the shambles from my last mast crutch show.  Any ideas?  ....besides an actual crutch.  

[sawyer]

Send me your e-mail address, I just took 5 photos of our's, it was already on the boat when we got it, works well, I just have a hard time posting photo's from the Kodak site..........            Doug

[Mercrewser]

It holds both the mast and boom, as well as keeping down the rear hatch.  Couple of clove hitches to tie it down, and it is solid as a rock.  It also supports the mast as you fasten it to the step for stepping.  I trailer sail, and use this evry weekend, works great!









And, this is who I found when pulling it out of storage on Wenesday.  She wanted to go home with someone, and she picked me.  She must like sailboats.  Her name is Clementine, and she is the sweetest cat.

[larrymelka]

Hi, my CP 16 "Seahawk" came with a metal mast crutch. It's  a square metal bar about 1" on a side which has two pintles near the bottom end and a y shaped metal plate on the top. the plate is coated in rubber. To use the crutch the rudder is removed and the pintles inserted into the gudgions (sp) on the boat. This crutch is long enough that the mast clears the hatch when tied to the bow pulpit and the crutch.
I hope this helps. My crutch is probably a commercial job but has served well. my longest haul was last june from Cheyenne WY to yellowstone park, over 400 miles each way. We had Yellowstone lake all to ourselves, except for 2 park service boats, for two days of great high wind sailing.
I am looking for a cruth which can function with the rudder installed and the mast stepped but laid back. This was necessary in yellowstone as their marina has a low bridge between the docks and the lake. We used a paddle tied to the mast to hold it up last year but it was a real amateur job.
Larry

[TroyVB]

Hi Larry,

I just recently finished my own mast crutch which I built according to a design that I saw on William Swart's Grace Period.  You can find the pictures at this address:

http://faculty.augie.edu/%7Eswart/CP-16/Mast%20Crutch.html

I did make mine long enough so that I can leave the mast in the tabernacle and still clear the hatch when lowered.  It works great.  I will try to post some picture at some point but my free time lately has been spent on the water.

[larrymelka]

thanks for the pictures
larry

[larrymelka]

thanks for the pictures
larry

[larrymelka]

thanks for the pictures
larry

[dusty]

mercrewser, adopting the homeless is about the best karma you can get.

great idea, by the way, for the mast crutch - i really like how that doesn't put added weight during a jostling transport on the rudder hardware, but instead spreads it out across the cockpit seats. great idea for the pulpit holder too.

i believe i'm going to copy-cat you.....

[dusty]

here's another nice crutch idea (not to mention a spiffy sixteen!)

see 2nd pic from top, and 2nd pic from bottom

[alexkniffin]

My 16 has a crutch very similar to Mercrewser's.  The difference is that rather than lying across the locker hatch, mine sits accross the two aft cleats, and is locked in place with U-bolts through the cleats and the wood.  Bolts are fastened with wingnuts.  Also, a wooden block is placed in the mast bracket.  This does two things:  it keeps the bolt for the mast right where it belongs, and it supports the weight of the mast in the middle.  I don't know if the mast can bend over time, but supporting it in the middle seems like a safe and cheap idea.