[Rhodes22-list] Retrieval of Boat

[Claude Cox]

Rex;

Thanks for  your post.  I'm glad to have someone else's "packing plan" as a 
reference to be used when I do this the next time.  I have printed it out, 
and have it in the Rhodes manual.

I didn't hear much movement on my short 40-mile trip, and on arrival, 
everything seemed to be in the right place.  It will probably be next spring 
before I go through this process again, and if I find some ways to do things 
differently that work, will let  you know.

Fair Winds.
Claude
s/v celtic Lass
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charles Henthorn" <rexh at sbcglobal.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 10:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Retrieval of Boat


> Claude:
>    Good post.  I don't remember the 'Rhodies' discussing the pros and cons 
> of handling the loose shrouds and preparing for road trips.  With the mast 
> raising equipment, stepping the mast is the least of my worries traveling. 
> The big issue is how to efficiently and quickly secure the loose shrouds 
> and genoa draped over the lowered mast in preparation for a road trip.  My 
> most recent "packing plan" has been to:
>     1.  Remove the back inners from the mast raising rig, inserted a mat 
> between the hoist and deck cranking the hoist down securely against the 
> bow cleat so it is still installed but not bouncing on the deck, then 
> taping these shrouds together and securing them to the lowered mast above 
> the foredeck;
>     2.  Removing the traveller bar (rides in the cabin) and pulling the 
> middle of the back shrouds back toward the front, taped them together 
> (using plastic electrical tape that can be cut quickly upon arrival) and 
> secure the shrouds to the lowered mast about mid-point with a line;
>     3.  Pull the middle of the side shrouds (between the spreaders and the 
> chainplates) together, taped them, to the rear and secure them (without 
> too much tension) to the lowered mast about mid-cockpit;
>     4.  Pull the middle of the front inners back, taped them together, and 
> secure to the lowered mast over the cockpit;
>     5.  Install 3 genoa supports to the mast -- one above the bulkhead ---  
> one about 3 ft back of the bow pulput and one about midway between the 
> other two ( I have built 3 sets of two boards that bolt together with 4 
> bolts about 7" long ---2 bolts are positioned below the bottom of the 
> lowered mast and 2 above it---the boards are snugged against each side of 
> the lowered mast and extend up to permit the genny to lay between the 
> extended portions to prevent the genny from remaining centered above the 
> lowered main to avoid it falling off the sides of the lowered mast;
>     6.  Move the lowered mast to one side or the other of the back mast 
> support so it can be secured to one side of the support to keep it from 
> turning during the trip;
>     7.  Lift the lowered mast and jib furler up to be lowered on a wooden 
> bow support that fastens to the bow pulpit and --- with straps aroung both 
> the mast and genoa --- keeps the mast from turning during the trip along 
> with keeping the genny directly above the mast;
>    8.   Using bungy straps to put some tension on the maize of shrouds to 
> minimize the flopping during travel;
>     9.  Attaching lines from beam cleats to the end of the spreaders as 
> added precaution to keep mast from turning during trip;
>     10.  Encircling the mast and genny with 3 or more lines as added 
> precaution in keeping the mast and genny and collapsed boom secure and as 
> one unit; and,
>    11.  Listening and watching all the way home or to the destination 
> about all that flapping and movement of shrounds and worrying that 
> something is going to come loose during the trip.
>     As you can see from #11, I'm not satisfied with the way I do 
> it---believing there must be a faster, better way.  Any suggestions?
>  Rex
>
>
> Claude Cox <ccc974 at comcast.net> wrote:
>  Hello Everyone;
>
> I'm mostly a lurker on this list, but occassionally I have something to 
> say---like now.
>
> I pulled my celtic Lass today, for the first time; it started out well, 
> and went up from there. Following the Commodore's instruction manual made 
> the experience an awesome one! I drove the boat onto the trailer, and it 
> centered just like the instruction's say it will. Because of the shallow 
> water at the ramp, I used the 10' tongue extension, and backed into the 
> water until there was about 2 1/2 feet of bunk above water.
>
> The trailer is a 1988 Trailmaster, single axle, which I purchased from 
> Peter Thorn this past spring. I replaced the bunks, recovered the bow stop 
> bunks, and, at PT's suggestion, installed what WM calls "Trailer Sliks (P. 
> 757 in the catalog). They worked beautifully, as they provide a slick 
> surface, for an extended time, on which the boat can move. I installed a 
> 5,000 # winch strap, which worked like a charm; as I pulled the boat out 
> of the water, it held the bow eye close, even as the angle of the strap 
> changed when the stern settled onto the trailer. The bow eye came up 
> "eye-to-eye" with the winch, but the boat didn't move as I pulled up the 
> ramp, which was a challenging ramp because of its somewhat severe grade 
> (at least for this boat retrieval virgin, it seemed to be severe). The tow 
> vehicle is a 2000 Ford Explorer, 2WD, 4.0L V6 engine. My son-in-law helped 
> with this adventure, and with the two of us in the vehicle, along with 
> "stuff" one accumulates on a boat, we wer
> e at the limit of this vehicle, however.
>
> The bow stop is on an adjustable arm. It was extended all the way toward 
> the stern of the trailer as I retrieved. Leaving it there, once we hit the 
> road the trailer began fish-tailing at about 45 MPH. Moving the winch 
> toward the tongue, I winched my 3000 # Rhodes forward (a real tribute to 
> the trailer sliks) until the edge of the rear port was over the axle of 
> the trailer (another PT-suggestion). That gave me another 10 mph, which 
> was plenty for the roads over which I was towing.
>
> Several of you on the list are in the decision-making process about how to 
> equip your Rhodes. If you get nothing else, GET THE MAST HOIST SYSTEM!!! 
> At least for me, it is worth its weight in gold. Lest I seem too fulsome 
> about this experience, there was a slightly down side--preparing for the 
> road. We were going just 40 miles, so how we prepared didn't seem as 
> critical as preparing for 400 miles. Still, getting all the shrouds and 
> loose lines secured presented a challenge. I'm sure finding a satisfactory 
> way to prepare for the road will come in time, however. What we wound up 
> with was a pretty messy bundle, but when we got to the end of the trip, it 
> was still all just where we had put it.
>
> When I returned home at the end of the day, I celebrated my success with 
> one of those drinks Rummy talks about all the time--what's it called 
> Rumster? I had one....then another....then another. And as I have come to 
> the end of my post, I'm going to have another.
>
> Peace ya'll.
> Claude
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list