# Shorten mast and rigging



## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Hello, I just wanted to bounce an idea of someone to see if this makes sense;

First off, I am looking to move up to a slightly bigger boat. I have my eye on a few different 27 footers that I think will do. I currently have a 35' slip at a wonderful marina 5 minutes from the open ocean. Unfortunately, there is a bridge that has a chart indicated 35' vertical clearance at Mean High tide between my slip and the ocean. I have tied up right next to the clearance marker for most of the day and recorded clearances ranging from 37' to 43'. 

Of all the boats I am considering, the lowest bridge clearance on any of them is 38' 6". So, i m trying to figure out how to make this work. I am not interested in the complication of a tabernacle. Nor am I interested in hanging off the boom to heel the boat. What I am considering is cutting 1 1/2-2' off the bottom of the mast, shorten the rigging and have new sails made for the new dimensions. Is this feasible? I have google searched for hours and came up empty. From what I can think of, the effects would be the same as reefing the sail. The center of effort would move forward, the boat would heel less and require reefing at a higher wind speed. The downsides would be less light air performance. Am I missing anything?

The way I see it, on a Catalina 27 standard rig, taking 2' from the mast height would give me roughly 36' of clearance. Basically allowing me to pass under the bridge 95% of the time without any hassle. Plus being on the Ocean, there is rarely a shortage of wind, so the downsides are actually pluses for me. I do not race and am not concerned with long distance passage making so the small loss of speed are insignificant.

Does this make any sense? Can it be done? What are the dangers or other downsides i am not seeing? Thanks, AR.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Can it be done? Sure, anything can be done if you can spend enough to make it happen.

The biggest issue with this sort of thing, esp with an oh-so-standard boat like the C27, is you'll create an odd ball off-beat that will be not quite really be a Catalina 27 when you eventually come to sell her.


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## hardin45lover (May 6, 2010)

*Slow down*

What you are going to do will of course change the dynamics of the boat 
But i have as a surveyor seen it done to a more drastic level. Nice thing is you do not have to have new sails made ,,just have the old ones cut down by any competent sail-maker...and have the rigging shortened by a good rigger...But most of all seems rather then here it would be better to contact Catalina direct They are nice and accommodating and the engineers there seem to love figuring out new ideas (think they get a little restless sometimes).
It may take two or three calls but someone will figure out the new dynamics and safety factor.
Hope this helps
Capt.Joseph


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

alanr77 said:


> Hello, I just wanted to bounce an idea of someone to see if this makes sense;
> 
> First off, I am looking to move up to a slightly bigger boat. I have my eye on a few different 27 footers that I think will do. I currently have a 35' slip at a wonderful marina 5 minutes from the open ocean. Unfortunately, there is a bridge that has a chart indicated 35' vertical clearance at Mean High tide between my slip and the ocean. I have tied up right next to the clearance marker for most of the day and recorded clearances ranging from 37' to 43'.


I wouldn't do it. * It would make far more sense to either get a boat with a mast that can be easily lowered and raised or to change where your slip is located-so that there are no low-clearance bridges between your slip and your sailing area. *



> Of all the boats I am considering, the lowest bridge clearance on any of them is 38' 6". So, i m trying to figure out how to make this work. I am not interested in the complication of a tabernacle. Nor am I interested in hanging off the boom to heel the boat. What I am considering is cutting 1 1/2-2' off the bottom of the mast, shorten the rigging and have new sails made for the new dimensions. Is this feasible? I have google searched for hours and came up empty. From what I can think of, the effects would be the same as reefing the sail. The center of effort would move forward, the boat would heel less and require reefing at a higher wind speed. The downsides would be less light air performance. Am I missing anything?


The center of effort probably wouldn't move forward, but down. That makes the boat less tender, since you wouldn't be shortening the foot but reducing the luff/leech lengths on both the jib and mainsail. Losing the weight aloft and shifting the center of gravity downwards also increases the boat's stability.

This would make the boat a lot slower in light air, since you're taking the material from the top of the sail where the winds are usually the strongest.

Also, how would you shorten the mast. Would you take the top 2' off, the bottom 2' off, or a bit on each end. Doing the first is the simplest, since it would only affect the masthead truck and the tangs, but the mast's geometry would be off and the spreaders and tangs might need to be replaced or repositioned to fit the new spar height properly. Doing the latter would require the most changes, and again might require you to adjust or relocate the spreaders and tangs. The intermediate choice might require moving exit slots, re-doing the mast step as well as adjusting the spreaders and tangs, depending on whether the boat is keel or deck stepped.



> The way I see it, on a Catalina 27 standard rig, taking 2' from the mast height would give me roughly 36' of clearance. Basically allowing me to pass under the bridge 95% of the time without any hassle. Plus being on the Ocean, there is rarely a shortage of wind, so the downsides are actually pluses for me. I do not race and am not concerned with long distance passage making so the small loss of speed are insignificant.


Yes, but it can be really tricky to figure out if you're going to make it when the height is close to your new mast's 36'... and if you make a mistake, you're going to really damage the boat's mast and rigging.

You really don't want to be playing chicken with a bridge like that. For instance, say you've got the clearance of 37', with an air draft of 36'... and just as you're going under the bridge a power boat goes zipping by and wake rocks your boat... lifting it two feet with the wake... what do you think is going to happen to your boat's mast??? If the mast falls, there's a pretty decent chance of you getting seriously injured.



> Does this make any sense? Can it be done? What are the dangers or other downsides i am not seeing? Thanks, AR.


Also, a bastardized rig like this would have serious impact on the price and marketability of the boat should you ever need to sell it. It would greatly reduce the price, since many buyers would want to restore the boat to factory specs, and have the price adjusted accordingly or look elsewhere.

Some boats, like the Telstar 28, which has an airdraft of 43' or so, have masts that can be lowered relatively easily, though most are not as easily lowered as the mast on a Telstar 28. This makes going through low-clearance bridges much simpler. *However, this kind of defeats the fact that your slip is FIVE MINUTES from the ocean, since you'll lose quite a bit of time lowering and raising the mast to clear the bridge.*

In fact, I'd bet if you found a slip that was 20-40 minutes from ocean, and it didn't require you to drop and raise the mast, you'd probably end up getting out sailing quicker than you could being at your current slip.

Finally, the changes to the mast are really going to cost you a fair bit of money...


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Heh. There's an easy way to do this without messing up a standard yacht's rig and getting a sensational yacht to boot: Buy an old gaffer. 

Something like this: Spindrift of Medway, gaff cutter for sale

Forget about plastic tea-cups - a 36' mast should be heaps on a REAL 27' boat!!


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. I am just brainstorming some ideas. A few of us have been sitting around the table discussing this and I just figured I would add more thoughts to the table. I hear of lots of people creating longer masts to increase performance but never shortening it. Looking at the mast on my current Catalina, there is really nothing that needs to be moved on the bottom of the mast if I were to cut a foot or two off the bottom. By making everything shorter, it would simply make everything smaller. The Geometry would be the same as long as everything was shortened the exact same distance. i don't see how this would negatively effect the boat as far as mast strength, or general sailing ability in 10-15 knots. 

regarding the monetary value of the boat, I build lots of custom stuff, from bikes to cars. I am not really concerned with affecting the resale value of a "oh so common" Catalina...I wouldn't do this to anything valuable or one off. 

What I am additionally asking is; would the boat still sail normally-except in light air?


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

From what I can see, cutting off the bottom would be easier and better because the original masthead plus hardware would stay intact. I may have to raise the position of the goose neck and halyard cleats by the same distance that I removed. The vang would have to be repositioned, but as long as everything was moved the exact same distance, everything should stay the same, only smaller....
To me, this would be like putting a C-25 mast on a C27. I do not see how it would be dangerous. What am I missing?

In the responses, remove the resale or monetary considerations from the equation as they are unimportant to me. I am looking at the technical aspects of it only. Thanks for you help, AR.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

This is probably not the case, even if you think it is. The boom gooseneck at a minimum would need to be moved unless you can stand the boom being two feet lower than it is currently. The mast winches might need to be moved to keep them usable. The in-mast wiring might need to be adjusted to allow for the shorter mast, etc...



alanr77 said:


> Thanks for the replies. I am just brainstorming some ideas. A few of us have been sitting around the table discussing this and I just figured I would add more thoughts to the table. I hear of lots of people creating longer masts to increase performance but never shortening it. *Looking at the mast on my current Catalina, there is really nothing that needs to be moved on the bottom of the mast if I were to cut a foot or two off the bottom. *By making everything shorter, it would simply make everything smaller. The Geometry would be the same as long as everything was shortened the exact same distance. i don't see how this would negatively effect the boat as far as mast strength, or general sailing ability in 10-15 knots.
> 
> regarding the monetary value of the boat, I build lots of custom stuff, from bikes to cars. I am not really concerned with affecting the resale value of a "oh so common" Catalina...I wouldn't do this to anything valuable or one off.
> 
> What I am additionally asking is; would the boat still sail normally-except in light air?


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## DropTop (May 7, 2009)

isn't there another marina that can accomidate larger boats nearby? that would make the most sense to me.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Sailingdog, I agree with the gooseneck being moved. Though on my C-22, the mast and Bimini are much lower than on the 27. I like it thay way as it keeps the sun off is better. Regarding the change, the way i see it, if I spend time and money changing the boat and I enjoy it for a few years, it is completely worth while to me. I just can't see how it would seriously detract from the boat in any way. Oviously I would have to shorten the halyards and wiring, all of which is easy to me. Thanks for the relies so far.AR


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Sailingdog, I agree with the gooseneck being moved. Though on my C-22, the boom and bimini are much lower than on the 27. I like it thay way as it keeps the sun off us better. Regarding the change, the way I see it, if I spend time and money changing the boat and I enjoy it for a few years, it is completely worth while to me. I just can't see how it would seriously detract from the boat in any way. Oviously I would have to shorten the halyards and wiring, all of which is easy to me. Thanks for the replies so far.AR


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## rayncyn51 (Aug 8, 2008)

AFAIK, the C-27 mast isn't tapered in any way, so whack off the top, bottom, or both - all the fittings will still fit. Given that, I think it'd be easier to whack off the top, then you're not re-doing gooseneck, winches, exit slots, et al at the bottom. The hardest part about moving the spreaders on that rig should be getting the bolt out of the compression sleeve in the mast. Catalina Direct made all new rigging for my 30 for about $800. Have fun! - r


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Why would I need to move the spreaders?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> Why would I need to move the spreaders?


I guess technically you wouldn't have to.. they would just be closer to the deck. But it would look a bit odd as the original geometry will be lost.

Shortening from the bottom would mean your shroud angles to the masthead would not change if you leave the spreaders where they are... shortening from the top would give you a wider shroud angle at the masthead. This would still "look" different but would actually be stronger.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Droptop, yes there are other marina's. But.... I happen to like this one. It is a very small, close knit marina. Te boats are lined up on a floating dock on a tidal creek. Easy to dock and such. Like I said, just foating the idea around. So the mast would be stronger cutting it on the top? Why?


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## mpickering (Jun 11, 2010)

While I am no naval engineer and hate to see a C-27 mast cut down to size, if you're looking to experiment anyway, why not look into a gunter rig setup for the top section? 

Cut say 10 feet off the top and move the masthead down. It's a constant section mast so sawing it down won't be an issue. Plus, it isn't hard to find C-27 masts. I turned down a free one on Long Island not too long ago. You'll need to reroute the halyards and redo the standing rigging. Then attach a new hinge and a 10 foot section of tubing at the top on a separate halyard (?) to raise and lower it. Have the mainsail recut to allow it to attach to the new upper spar and raise away. Then you'd have a 28 foot mast in air with a 10 foot range to play with. 

Lower the upper to clear bridges and then raise to full vertical, tension up and sail normally. I don't know if the C-27 mast would be strong enough to support the new top weight and resist the sailing forces but it might be worth a go. It would at least let you preserve the existing sail area for the most part and hopefully not have a dramatic impact on the boat's sailing ability. Plus it would keep the boom, gooseneck and existing sail dimensions/position as-is.

It would require some hardware. I'd seriously look for a used C-27 mast and modify that. That way if it does or doesn't work, you'll have the ability to revert the boat back to standard rig and keep her value. The chainplates at deck level wouldn't be affected. At most some new deck blocks. The mast is deck-stepped so switching out isn't difficult.

I like exercises like this. 

Matt


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

Why not figure out a tabernacle rig for the boat? Tip it down, go under the bridge in question, tip it back up, and go. Haven't read everything posted on this thread terribly carefully, but if you cut the rig, you've got to re-cut all the sails. Unless you can do it yourself and not mangle the sail shape, it won't be inexpensive.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> ....So the mast would be stronger cutting it on the top? Why?


If you shorten the rig at the top, then the angle of the shrouds from the spreader tips to the (new) masthead is wider, offering more support. Not a big deal, and not something that's going to make or break this whole project.

I still think it's in general ill-advised and if properly done quite expensive to do once you've gone through all the things/alterations required.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

You don't need to shorten the mast.
What you do is get two or three (pending on their size) designated boom riders to sit on the outboard end of the boom. This will cause the boat to list when you swing it all the way out and the foreshorten arc of the mast should enough for you to slide under that bridge.
If it is winter have them in immersion suits and in the summer, bathing suits should do it... Oh! with PFDs also. have to be a bit safety minded here....
Now would that be a good place for the In-laws???


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## djodenda (Mar 4, 2006)

I think tabernacle masts on Catalina 27s are pretty common. My old C27 had one. Huntington harbor (I think) in Southern California had a low bridge, and people had to lower the mast to get under.

As I recall, there were quick release pins on the lower aft shrouds and backstay. You tightened the vang and topping lift and you had a pretty stable system. You used the mainsheet for leverage to drop the mast forward

Why don't you call the Catalina factory and see what they think? 

They are very responsive.

David


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Hello all, sorry for the botched words on some of my posts, I was responding on my blackberry during some boring meetings.....Anyway;

I have researched the tabernacle idea quite extensively and though completely doable, I was trying to find a simpler method of achieving the same result. As you all know, if it is even a small hassle to do something, you probably won't do it as often... I like to take my current boat out after work on a whim. It takes less than 6 minutes before I am pulling away from the dock. Then five minutes later I am raising sails...no sweat, no fuss. 

Given that the only reason I want a bigger boat is to make weekend trips more comfortable, allow guests a little more room, stand up while taking a leak and cooking....and motor to anchorages directly to windward (inboard), I don't want to add much more sweat, fuss and complication. 

It is because of this that I started thinking about simply shortening the mast. The kind of boats I buy are the $6000 craigslist specials. they always need new rigging, new sails ect. So the cost of getting sails made and creating new, shorter rigging is already factored into my price. A jigsaw and some sandpaper along with a good measuring tape makes cutting the mast down to size easy.

What I still do not understand, and from the posts, neither does anyone else is why would this not be as simple as my mind is making it?

Step 1) Make a mark 1' 6" down from the top of the mast.

2) Cut the mast section off perfectly square.

3) Have new rigging made for the boat exactly 1' 6" shorter than the rigging that came off it.

4) Shorten the electrical wiring, or just loop it up inside the mast a bit, shorten the halyards by 1' 6"

5) Step the mast normally, have the sails cut exactly 1' 6" shorter, jib, genny and main.

6) Bend the sails and go sailing.

From what I understand, the center of effort will move down, the boat will heel less given the same amount of wind, need to be reefed later. Lose a small amount of light wind ability. 

I mean, were talking 1' 6" here. Many older boats, like Tartan 27's, had long booms with shorter sails. BTW, a Tartan 27 is on my short list. I don't see how this is such a drastic change as to warrant most people advising against it. What is the reasoning behind your posts? 

Yes, I like to experiment, I like to tinker with everything. And being that at least for the moment, all of this is theoretical, it's still free....

Thanks for the posts, AR.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

_Just curious, what is the point of chopping 18" off of the halyards._ It really doesn't affect how they will work or save a whole lot in any way that matters-in terms of weight, space taken up, etc.

Ideally,you'd have new sails cut specifically for the new rig to get the best performance out of them. You could just have a sailmaker cut off the bottom 18" of the existing sails, but that would not necessarily leave you with a sail that is cut optimally for the new rig. Also, you'd probably want to have a sailmaker move the reefing points up the sail by 18", or you're going to have a really shallow first reef.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

After thinking for a minute about the halyards, your right....

I agree with new sails being made, I think with properly cut sails, the boat would perform fine. Earlier I stated "its only 1' 6", how much of a difference could it make? then I realized the only difference between a C27 standard and tall rig is 1' 5"......so maybe a lot.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

There must be some larger boats out there with less mast height.. How about a ketch? What your talking about doing seems awful expensive for a cheap boat. new sails and rigging $$$$ You could go for more roach on the main to make up for the loss of height. Still it all seems too much for too little.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Denise, I've looked around comparing design sheets for months, I considered C25's, Tartan 26's and all the other 25ish sized boats that had a bridge clearance of under 35'. Then I went out and sailed on most of the boats on my list. Unfortunately, it seems that to get what I want out of my boat the entry point is 27'. Standing head room, dedicated anchor lockers, full galleys and inboards are difficult to find in anything smaller. A long time ago, someone on this board told me to get out on the water and then you will be able to decide what you really want and need. So I bought a C22, restored her and spent the last year and some sailing her all over the south east coast. They were right, I now know what I want. A boat that is easy to sail alone, simple to rig and setup, able to handle coastal ocean use and one that does not feel like camping when I stay out over the weekend on it. An inboard is also a requirement as my outboard is useless once I leave the sound. The Catalina 27 fits this requirement perfectly and I have really enjoyed sailing one. Now I just have to figure out a way to make it work..... 

Plus, not only do I have a really good slip at an excellent marina, but slips at other marinas have a waiting list. Now, worse case I can motor from my slip around the back way, avoiding the bridge, and be in the ocean in around two hours. This would defeat the purpose of having a sailboat though. I want to sail her, not motor every time I want to go out. This is why I am looking for ideas. Thanks for the posts, AR.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Well, I sailed my boat last season with a full batten main that was almost 3 ft shorter then the original and it sailed ok except in light air. 
Can you shorten your rigging yourself with the use of sta-loc type connections?


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

IMHO, you're on track to making some compromises that just shouldn't be made. A tabernacle isn't that big a deal.

you wrote:

_Step 1) Make a mark 1' 6" down from the top of the mast.

*OK*

2) Cut the mast section off perfectly square.

*Sure...*

3) Have new rigging made for the boat exactly 1' 6" shorter than the rigging that came off it.

*Doesn't work that way... basic trig, pythagorean stuff , etc... you're shortening triangles of different lengths.*

4) Shorten the electrical wiring, or just loop it up inside the mast a bit, shorten the halyards by 1' 6"

*Halyards are fine... so is the electrical*

5) Step the mast normally, have the sails cut exactly 1' 6" shorter, jib, genny and main.

*Again, sails are triangular 3D foils. Cutting exactly 1'6" from where? This is more complex than you're thinking depending on the type of sail you have, and won't be cheap.*

6) Bend the sails and go sailing._

*Sure... in a now much more underpowered rig and sail plan... Maybe for SF Bay, but for most other places, design sail area/displacement ratios shouldn't be ignored or messed with... again, all in MHO. I'm sure there are other boats that might meet your needs. I'd do the tabernacle or just find a slip on the other side of the bridge in question. *


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Denise, yes I can.

Puddin, this is the kind of stuff I am asking about. Wouldn't a rigger be able to figure this out? I agree with SD in that a sail maker would cut the sails differently. Like I said, this is theoretical at this point. 

I am trying to understand the math here. Being that all the shrouds and stays start out at different lengths, wouldn't they remain at the correct angles if they were all cut the same? Think of a correctly designed airplane wing, or bridge support; all I am trying to do is recreate the wing or bridge support in miniature. Are you saying that the boom would have to be cut down in proportion to the mast in order to maintain the symmetry of the rig? Thanks, AR.


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

alanr77 said:


> Are you saying that the boom would have to be cut down in proportion to the mast in order to maintain the symmetry of the rig? Thanks, AR.


not necessarily, but that's part of the problem. You'll just have what appears to be a small mainsail. To make up some of that, you might have a main with more roach, but that's going to be difficult (impossible?) for a sailmaker to add, and of course, the sail's center of effort will change. So far you've got a rigger ($60+ an hour, materials), a sailmaker ($60-$90 an hour materials), and possibly a machinist ($60-110 an hour) involved in the issue, not to mention any work you might need from the yard (pulling the rig... around $300 round trip) and 'storage' for the mast while you're out of the water. The geometry, placement of your reef lines and outhaul length will be changed, so you can see how shortening your rig has a lot of consequences and more changes than you might have anticipated. As other's have said, sure you can change your rig, but given the type and size of boat you're talking about, it seems to be a bit of a fool's errand. Do people ever shorten or install taller rigs to existing boats? Sure, but usually this is in the realm of high end racing boats or experimental class high performance dingies and has as much to do with optimizing for a particular rule as anything else. It isn't something 99.9% of all sailors are likely ever to do with a boat. Honestly, unless you're planning to do all of the work yourself, and say your boat has an initial value of 10k, you're going to spend a fair amount of the value of the boat for your mast 'upgrade/shortening', and greatly diminish it's market value in the process. Again, IMHO their are better choices to be made. A tabernacle is the first one if you're not going to entertain the possibility of a different boat choice.


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## rayncyn51 (Aug 8, 2008)

Alan, 

Do what you want to do. It's doable, and it's your money. Make sure you do the math on the rigging lengths - easy enough - and understand that sails are not flat. Especially on the main, there is a lot of curve in the bottom. You can't really just cut that off, so altering sials gets expensive. 

I recall many years ago having extensively modified an old automobile because I had convinced myself that I had some very specialized needs, I had the skill to do the work, and the money was not an object for me. The project was a success, on my terms. The neighbors thought I was nuts. I wound up with 10 grand in a $3,000 car, and the satisfaction having exactly what I wanted. Given the same situation today, I'd have kept shopping for the car that I needed at a reasonable price.

What you have here is the perfect reason to sail a lovely, classic, gaff rigger, a ship that will draw admiring attention anywhere you go. What you are proposing is more like one of those "What the hell was he thinking" kind of things. But it appears to me that you are primarily interested in the project, not the boat. Just make sure that you want what it is that you think you need.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Good Old Boat Magazine had an excellent article on building a tabernacle, about a year or two ago... That issue is at my office and I'm stuck at home with a broken ankle. But you should be able to acquire that article and see how simple it is to use. 
But then putting some young teenagers out at the end of the boom to list your boat is a fun idea for them...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Hey Boasun— What happened??? You healing up okay???


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Ok, I now understand a little better the gravity of the project and can see that it would not really be be feasible when looking at it from all aspects. This was the point of my questions. It was definitely a good exercise of the mind though, which was also the point of sitting around and discussing it. Friends and I have debated this subject for quite some time now and this thread has sparked some new points of view. A Tartan 27 has 38' of bridge clearance stock. that means I could pass under the bridge 50% of the time. May just have to watch the tide charts very closely until I finally move to a different marina. Thank you all for your thoughts. Alan


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We previously moored our boat behind a large bridge (clearance was not an issue) but the tide-driven currents were just about as big an obstacle to passage as low clearance.. We had to time our arrivals/departures around Mother Nature's immovable schedule and it wasn't really too bad.

Now that we're elsewhere it's much better, of course, but it was a rare day that we couldn't get out at some point...

I do think, though, that trying to find a boat that meets your requirements in stock form will be a better approach.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Alan, what you want to do certainly can work. And since you are not concerned with losing the entire resale value of the boat (and an "oddball" boat may go unsold for a very long time even at a low price) we can dismiss that issue.

But are you at all concerned with the performance and balance of the boat? It is very easy to ruin the balance of a boat, and a lot of math goes into putting the various centers of effort and rotation and all into "good" positions versus mediocre ones. When you say:
"Step 1) Make a mark 1' 6" down from the top of the mast....
3) Have new rigging made for the boat exactly 1' 6" shorter than the rigging that came off it."
I have to think that you do not have any grasp on how complex the 3-dimensional geometry of a sailboat hull or rig actually is. Remember, the "rigging" includes forestay and backstay and since they run at angles to the mast--they will NOT simply be the same distance shorter that the mast is. 
Similarly, depending on the cut of your sails, taking 18" off the bottom may not be the best way to recut them. You'd want to run some numbers--or have a loft run them--to see if recutting the sails or making new ones would be more effective than just pretending there was an 18 reef in the sails.
Many boats are built with optional tall/short rigs/keels and when they make those changes, the builders usually don't just lop off a couple of feet.
If you don't mind taking a good boat and, basically, gambling on turning it into a "Dodge Dart", a vessel that sails but who knows how well or poorly...by all means.
But I'd really urge talking to some riggers, some sailmakers, and the factory and getting some insight into just what troubles you may get into by just lopping 18" off the mast.
Yes, it can be done. But the more you look into the details, the more it MAY seem that it would be cheaper, faster, simpler, to just buy a short mast version of a production boat.

"Measure once, cut twice." Or maybe, not?


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## waddie51 (Oct 18, 2010)

*circumsized mast*

I converted my O'Day Mariner (19'6" LOA) from a deck stepped mast to a keel stepped mast which in effect shortened my 24' mast by about 2'6". I didn't relocate anything, just shortened everything up. I can't tell anything really different handling except that -maybe- it heels a little less, but not much.

The Mariner is a daysailer so it may not be a good indicator of your boats performance, but if money isn't the issue I say go for it and see how it does. Worst case you have to add the length back. I don't see this as a serious safety issue. I do think it's good advice to talk to the manufacturer.

You said you like to customize-me, too. I can't leave anything stock. Around here we call it kit bashing. Just finished putting lower gears and lockers in my 4X4 Toyota. I don't think my Yamaha VMax has any stock parts left on it !!!

good luck,
Waddie


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## David-Paul (Sep 2, 2014)

Keep your lovely marina two options 
A Do what you plan yes it will affect the light airs sailing and it will improve stability but it will be a lot of bother and drop the value of your boat. I am thinking of doing this so I can take my small Galion 22 across oceans but I will be cutting my mast down a lot more and adding a yawl mizzen.

or 

B Get a 5 gallon plastic jerry can drill a hole in the bottom fit a rubber cork with a peice of string, fit a thin plastic hose to the top attach the whole thing to a halyard and haul it to the top of the mast. Attach the hose to a 12 volt water pump and pump sea water up into the jerry can that weight being so far up the mast will cause the boat to list now motor or sail under the bridge using the jib or motor. Pull the string to remove the cork or you could just detach the hose from the pump and back siphon the water away. Now lower the empty jerry can stow and sail on. This solves your problem witout any of the disadvantages or hassle of plan A


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