wrote in message
...
This topic comes on now and then.

I just got a new boat this season. I am getting warm about storing the
boat with its mast up for the north-eastern Canadian winter. I am not all
convince yet that it a good thing to do. The radar was mounted on the
mast and the boat mast has two spreaders and in mast furling. When they
commissioned the boat, it took them 2-3 days to do so.

At this time, I do not know how long it will take me to get the mast down,
taking care of the spreaders look after the radar and prep the mast for
indoor storage in a very crowded spar shed. Maybe the wear and tear of
removing the mast, pushing it in an already overcrowded spar shed is more
than leaving the mast installed on the boat. In addition, in the spring
at launch I will have to tune the mast again and install the radar and
connections. Conversely, I have heard stories that leaving the mast on
during the winter may cause stress on the rigging and loosen the anchor
plates.

I would appreciate to get comments on this subject.



The guy I crewed with gave up on taking his mast down each year, even though
he belonged to a club with all the equipment needed...such as a mast
crane/lift installed at the main dock and a big spar shed.
I guess he just didn't feel it was worth the trouble on his Mirage 33.
On smaller trailerable sailboats that mast makes a perfect 'ridge pole' to
support your tarps.