[Rhodes22-list] Retrieval of Boat

[Claude Cox]

Thanks, Slim.  Maybe some Rhodies will respond who know what that 
Stan-method is.

Claude
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Alm" <stevenalm at gmail.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 3:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Retrieval of Boat


> IIRC Stan has a way of taping the shrouds together using masking tape 
> which
> breaks away as you raise the mast.  Nice trick--wish I knew the 
> particulars
> of that.
>
> Slim
>
> On 10/8/07, Charles Henthorn <rexh at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>> 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
>>
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