[Rhodes22-list] Winterization (Mast & Main Sail)

[Steven Alm]

Ah, yes, my least favorite topic of all--winterization--because it marks the
end of the season.  Sheldon, there's no reason not to leave the boat rigged
if you have the place to do that but a tarp over the boom raises the age old
question--to tarp or not to tarp.  First of all, the boom does not extend
all the way to the transom so a tarp over the boom alone would not prevent
snow from accumulating in the cockpit.  Now, is that a bad thing?  Bill
Effros always said he never tarped his boat, never fogged his motor, never
removed his battery, never blocked the trailer up off its wheels, nothing.
I, on the other hand, here in Minnesota did all those things.  Bill's
testimonial notwithstanding, I can't help but think that the
freezing/thawing/freezing/thawing could indeed cause some damage, especially
if it were in the bilge.  What I've always done is to remove the mast crutch
and lower the mast down to the stern  pulpit and use the mast as a roof
ridge for the tarp.  I put a couple PFDs under the mast on the cabin roof to
support it in the middle so it doesn't bend under the weight of the snow.  I
remove the spreaders so they don't poke through the tarp.  The tarp is big
enough to cover the entire rig and I stitch the ends closed so it's just as
protected as a shrink wrap but not so air tight as to invite mold and
mildew.

Other northern Rhodies, please speak up.  What do you do?

Slim

On 10/10/07, Green, Sheldon <sheldon_green at merck.com> wrote:
>
> We are thinking about leaving the Main Sail in the (IMF) mast with the
> mast fully rigged over the winter, rather then unstepping the mast.  We
> are planning to remove the Jib and store at home.  "Another 1st" would
> be up on blocks (on land).  We would then throw a tarp over the boom to
> cover the cockpit.
>
> Has anyone done this?
> What are the associated issues?
> What is the best practice?
>
> Sheldon
>
>
> Sheldon & Robin Green
> "Another 1st"
>
>
> Sheldon & Robin Green
> "Another 1st"
>
>
>
>
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