Some Winter Storage Questions

[Fred Koehlmann]

We're storing Dolphina with her mast up this winter and I've got a couple of questions I would like some input on.

I've noticed that most people leave the wind direction and speed sensors on the masthead when the mast is up. Are these remote sensors able to stand the ice and freezing? Should they come down? On our previous boats we did not have electronic sensors. I image that most leave them up just because its a pain to to topside to do so, but if the units fail, that even more of a pain.

We've also comissioned a winter cover from Topline Canvass, here in Midland, and for this it will allow us to leave the boom connected. I'm curious about the vang. To keep the boom level, I need to pull on the vang a fair bit. These would leave the internal spring loaded for the entire winter, which I figure could cause it to fatique some. What do most people do? Leave the vang compressed, or disconnect it and support the boom with a crotch or post?

Much thanks, Fred.

[tonywright]

Hi Fred

Here in Ottawa there are 5 Catalina 34's. All remove the mast for winter storage. We all take the wind instruments off, but that is a precaution against damage more than the cold.

Tony

[Fred Koehlmann]

Thanks Tony,

Yes, if and when I take the mast down I do remove the equipment, and yes it is definitly to protect it from damage since all the masts typically sit together on mast racks. But I'm particularly interested in knowing what people do when they leave the mast up.

Cheers, Fred.

[Roc]

Fred,
My mast stays up all winter and I've left the instruments on.  Actually, over the winter at my marina it looks like everyone by far keeps their instruments up.  We store our boat, summer and winter, on the Chesapeake Bay, Rock Hall Maryland.  I also have a custom winter cover.  The boom is adjusted with the vang to get the level correct.  I've had no trouble doing that for over 10 years (with the vang or instruments on top of the mast)

[RV61]

We store mast up and leave instruments up and boom vang in place with no issues

[Tom Soko]

Fred,
Call me anal, but I take off the wind instruments, and I take off the vang.  It's not that big of a deal to take a trip up the mast in the spring and fall.  Good time to inspect everything, too.  The instruments rest over the winter in the cabin, and the spring in the vang takes the season off, too.  Boom is supported by a topping lift.  I'm pretty sure most over-the-boom winter covers are made with a hole at the end of the boom. Mine is.  The hole has a collar that wraps around the topping lift, and ties in place.  No snow gets thru. 

[tonywright]

A quick check of the specs for Raymarine ST60 instruments gives a "non-operating" environment lower limit of -10C.  If your temperatures in Midland drop like they do here in Ottawa significantly below this, then you might want to take this into account.  Not clear if this also applies to the wind vane/wind speed sensor.  South of us the temperatures don't drop below this much.

I remove all the instruments and the compass and store them in the basement every winter. A pain to disconnect and reconnect everything, but worth it to protect the investment!

Tony

[Jim Hardesty]

I'm in Erie, PA.  The only problem that I've had with instruments at the mast head over winter is for some reason (ice maybe) the radio antena (just the rod) has come out of the socket.  This has happened twice, when I bought Shamrock, and last season.  Not a big problem, but a real pain to fix in a bosuns chair because I can't get high enough to get a good look.
We get a lot of winter wind here, things I watch for are.   The frame should support the cover clear of the life line stantions, or the wind pressure on the cover will bend the stantions.  Watch out for mast pumping, this was discussed here and on the C36 forum.  Try to get your boat set with the bow into the prevailing winds. 
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Fred : Great question!! 
I've always left mine on the top of the mast for the previous 23 seasons, but after paying over $500 to get the mast head unit repaired last year - it's well worth the trip up there to remove it !! 
Also why have it turning 24/7 for 5 or 6 months??   A thought

[Ralph Masters]

Hi all,
Here in San Diego when our witnter tempretures dip to the low 60's we leave our boats in the water and instruments in place and go sailing on the week ends.  Kind of like the rest of the year.  not complaining, just bragging.

Ralph
Ciao Bella

[Ted Pounds]

I always removed my instruments.  I felt it was a good excuse to go up the mast and check things out.  I also replaced all the halyards with messenger lines and removed all other lines.  I used a couple of old dock lines to hold the boom up and lock it into position.

[andre]

I live at Montreal and nobody remove their mast for winter because no place. My question is, is it better to slack the shrouds just a turn or two because the temperature go down at -30 celcius sometimes. Thank you

[andre]

Do you change your motor oil before the winter or only at spring.

[Fred Koehlmann]

I've heard that you should slacken the shrouds and stays a bit to relieve the stress on the hull

As for the oil change, it should be changed in the fall because I also heard that the used oil contains corrosive elements that are detrimantal to the engine metal.

Maybe some others can confirm this for me.

Cheers, Fred.

[Paulus]

I mark the turnbuckles and slacken the shrouds 2 turns on all shrouds except the forestay.  Change the oil and filter at haul out, top up the fuel tank and change the fuel filter.  Every 4 yrs. the mast comes down for the winter for inspection.  This has worked well for me for the past 30yrs.
Paul