outdoor winter storage

[GlenG]

Maybe you northern climate guys can advise me.  I use the mast as a top ridge pole to support the tarps, like a tent, for winter storage here in Minnesota. Boat is a Santana 21.  Supports at bow and stern about 23 ft apart.  I normally add a temporary support at the mast step to add support midship.  This year I forgot this mid-support.  The boat is buttoned up tight with 2 layers of tarps laced full length along the trailer rails.  I really don't want to undo all that to get back inside to add the support.   Would a possible 1 - 2 ft snow fall be too much weight over the 23 ft span?  It's a decent slope angle from ridge to gunwhale rails, but we can get some heavy wet snowfalls sometimes.  Thoughts or suggestions???

[Brian N.]

I hate to say it, but a foot of snow, wet or dry, is a lot of weight on your winter cover. Can you free up enough of the tarp to crawl in?

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

I also wouldn't leave that. 

[Krusen]

I will add my vote to go back and add the support.

The cost of unfastening is much less than the cost of FINDING, then buying and shipping a replacement mast.

I do understand the meaning to "laced down to the trailer, all around".  This means that Noemi's suggestion of just loosen a small place will not work.  You will not be able to put the support under the mast, as the lacing pulled it down too low.

It took months to find a replacement mast for my Mac 22, and the only one was a Catalina 22, with completely different stays.

[GlenG]

Thanks for the quick replies.   You confirmed my suspicion.   I guess I was hoping for a miracle response like..."No worries. I do it with no mid-support all the time!! "

[Spot]

Similar sized boat, same MN state, would not skip the ridge pole support.
I need to cover mine soon, lulled by the warm fall so far...
Do you have access to someone smaller in stature to climb up under the tarp to set the support?

[GlenG]

UPDATE: Done!  I inserted the mid-ship support

Thanks again for the replies. You encouraged me to do it right.

Opened the transom end covering and crawled in, with a small 4"x4" post and an assortment of shim boards.  I feel a lot better now.  I've had this boat since 1976.  Always stored outside.  Always added this mid-span support.  So I don't know how I finished the job on Friday while forgetting it. This is the end of pleasant fall weather here, and it's now expecting to get into serious winter mode later this week.  Now I need to just keep the memories alive while awaiting Springtime.  I envy all you southern sailors.

[Spot]

You are welcome!
My daughter helped me set the midship mast support and tarp on mine this afternoon about 10 minutes in front of the rain. For those not in MN, we are looking at a chance for snow later this week. So much nicer to do that chore with two people...

[Timm R Oday25]

I'm not sure how relevant this is . We always remove the spreader brackets as well . Foam pool noodles over the lifelines keeps the covers from poking through

[GlenG]

Good point... The topic is winter outdoor storage.
  I remove the spreaders too.  There are several other points along the mast... forestay, shrouds, and spinnaker ring.  They all will shred a tarp in short order.  I pad them with carpet scraps, but I have to strap them on with extra twine or they slide off as I pull the tarp across.
I also place mouse poison inside the cabin and in the cockpit area as my home is adjacent to a marsh.  The sailboat seems to remain rodent free, but noticing the untouched poison baits makes me feel better as I unwrap the boat in the spring.  I have had mouse and squirrel trouble on my other boats... ughh.

[noelH]

Similar sized boat, same MN state, would not skip the ridge pole support.
I need to cover mine soon, lulled by the warm fall so far...
Do you have access to someone smaller in stature to climb up under the tarp to set the support?

Is it November?  Another +50F day along the Southshore of L. Superior. Gale force wind of November, but more like end of October temperatures.  Off shore water temp has finally dropped into the low 40F's.  Good thing it was warm last night. 1.85" of rainfall. Good for the soil to get these late soaking before the ground freezes.

Need to get around to placing the tarp on. Vela is parked in the car port and protected from sun, rain, snow.... But come Spring the mast becomes a bird perch with the resulting droppings if I don't tarp.

The planned hour or so at the Marina the day I dropped the mast and packed Vela home for the season ended up 1/2 day. Lot of lip flapping with owners putting their much larger boats to rest for the season.  All of them required too tall ladders to fall off of and too many times up and down.  One owner had a nice diy system for his "tarp".  Almost like framing a roofing system. Rafter beams with stout ridge pole. Robust system for attaching the rafters to more or less the rails. Hours of work just assembling the frames and hauling everything up to deck level. Then needing a calm day to drape the "tarp", adjust the ventilation system....

Way too much work. Vela, ~1.5 hrs to drop the mast and secure it. 0.5 hr to tow home. 1 hr to power wash and wax. 0.5hr to unload and stow all the sailing stuff that should not be exposed to freezing temperatures. I'm too lazy to own anything but a true trailer sailboat.