Canvas bag to protect spars in storage and transport

[Michael Galvin]

Has anyone made bags to protect the mast, boom, yard and sails for their SCAMP? I have supports inserted into the mast "tube" and the transom on which I can lay my spars horizontally during transport and during storage. I am talking to our local canvas company to have bags made to protect the spars and sail.
My first notion is to have two bags made, one for the mast, and another for the yard, boom and sail. My local canvas dealer suggested having a long tube made with a drawstring closure at the end. I thought it might be easier to insert the spars into the bags if each had a long zipper to open up a wide space into which the spars could be inserted.
Has anyone thought about this and come up with a good solution?
Michael Galvin
Muskegon, MI

[WoodnMetalGuy]

Michael -

As I near the end of my build I have been thinking about this also. I have not yet discussed this in detail with the local canvas shop, but what I am initially thinking is:
- sunbrella fabric
- one bag, for mast, boom, yard and sail
- something that opens down the side for the majority of the length. I want to lay the bundle in the bag, not try to shove it in a skinny tube from the end. Probably a closed tube at the front 2 or three feet
- an overlapping flap and probably attached velcro straps to hold it shut. I don't think I want a long zipper on there both from the perspective of longevity and ability to cinch things down snugly

I would also be very interested in what others have come up with for this...

[simeoniii]

GH Boatworks makes a very nice bag that everything stows it. It is sized around 9 - 10 ft long as their 2-piece mast breaks down. I know Dick Herman and his Gig Harbor Klompen have one so maybe he will chime it as to pros & cons

I trailer with my yard/boom & sail enclosed in a sail-cover bag and the mast exposed along side. They are both carried overhead the cabin with the rigging rigged...

[willpower]

Simeon, could you post a close-up picture of your mast supports? Did you make the rear support yourself or have it made? And how is the tail light on the trailer doing after being dipped in salt water many times? Mine (same trailer) is not a sealed unit and I'm a bit concerned. You've done a beautiful job with that combination. Now I'm going to have to paint my fenders too!! --Will

[Monies]

That really is nice red and white rig setup, trailer. I like that. It isn't hard to make your own supports, Mike did it a long time ago on the Red Scamp but he uses a take apart two part mast also.

Having been the boom and sail stuffer on big boats, expected to get them tied up neatly and bagged/covered before reaching the channel where "someone might see" I can state that either zippers or snaps will make life a lot easier! Do not try to stuff it neatly into a long python like bag.

Love, Jackie Monies- The Red Scamp

[mrogers]

I have had great success with a simple envelope. Just fold whatever material (I have even used poly tarp) over the spar and sew the ends shut. The spars need to be lashed anyway so I just pass several turns around the envelope. Place some grommets near the ends to lace it tightly so the wind doesn't blow it off.
An advantage is that the open bottom allows it to breathe, and I can make it myself. Let me emphasize that the lashing turns need to be tight, if wind can get in it can loosen things up. I have had some notable failures, but they are all traceable to sloppy lashing. Velcro or turn buttons like Simeons rig will make it very secure.

[miguelito]

Hi Tentmakers,
I needed to protect my sail while at a dock for 3 months this summer, and did the "envelope" thing too, but with four grooves in the sides for the lazyjacks so that the cover fits while rigged to the mast. I used heavy marine canvas from the fabric outlet that is waterproofed, and made the envelope about 18" deep so that it can be wrapped up fully when it is mounted for trailering. I'll figure out some snaps this winter, but now I just detach the lazyjacks and wrap them around the bundle and it works just fine. Sunbrella will be used for my tent, but that's another thread. Canvas is easy to sew and does well with V69 polyester thread in a home machine. I've never seen a need for the mast to be bagged. It can get wet, and it can take the sun, so it just rides naked without complaint.
I think my total investment in the fabric and thread was less than $50.
Having something made is a very expensive project in my opinion, and inventing and sewing these things is really quite fun, so fire up the sewing machines!
Watch your fingers,
Mike #170 TOR

[Dick Herman]

I have the sail bag made by Gig Harbor. It is made out of black truckers tarp and heavier than canvas. It has a full length zipper on top that holds the boom, spar, and sail. The zipper has a double slide so it can be opened from the middle or from an end. Originally, it had a long sleeve on the bottom that held the twelve foot section of the mast (the top four feet of the mast is detachable) in a separate compartment. It was a real pain inserting the mast into the underside pocket, so I had my canvas maker cut the sleeve off and reseam it into a long sleeve. The two bags are very manageable. At first, I stowed the four foot section of the mast in the bag along with the sail package, but later made a separate sleeve out of Sunbrella. Now I have three bags. I shove the sail bag and long mast sleeve into the left storage hatch in the forward bulkhead for trailering. The aft ends rest perfectly on the corner transom with no over hang.

It is very easy attach the four foot mast extension, pull the mast out of the sleeve and lift it into place. Then I pull the sail bag out of the hatch and set it kati-corner across the cockpit, unzip the bag, rig the lazy jacks, and lift the sail package out of the bag.

Works pretty good. Oh, during the season, I do not use the mast sleeve and just rest the mast on top of the sail bag.

[simeoniii]

Will -

Regarding my mast boom/yard supports. I covered that in an earlier thread that also addressed the centerboard slot gasket. Check it out here:
http://smallcraftadvisor.com/message-bo ... 6682#p6682

Keith, with his #161 Zephyr, did not modify his transom cap and came up with yet another solution by slotting the stock cap. Photos here from his blog
http://keith.nasman.us/wp-content/uploa ... Marina.jpg
http://keith.nasman.us/wp-content/uploa ... Helens.jpg
Maybe he will post some more details.

Noddy's forward support was a 1x4 I found laying around the shop. I ran it along a round-over router bit to class it up and trimmed it to 3'-11" in length, and screwed, glued and lashed a scrap off-cut of spruce to form the cross support. The mast-partner type piece is just glued and screwed in place. I then coated all with epoxy and stitched on some leather. On the aft transom support, I added some closed cell foam under the leather.

The aft support breaks down into 3 pieces and get stowed under the cockpit sole while sailing. On the mast box support, my initial plan was to put a piece of stainless hinge on the forward side just below the mast block piece. Then I could fold it upon itself for storage purposes when sailing. I've not done that as I've found no need to take it with me when sailing so it gets left behind with the tow vehicle.

As to the stock trailer lights, they ended up suffering in the salt water after six months or so. I have replaced them with a set of LED lights that seem to be holding up so far. That reminds me that I need to open them up and see if they require any PMS

Simeon

[knasman]

Michael,

I sewed up my spar cover. It is the full length of the mast so all spars and sail go inside. I bought the Sunbrella from Sailrite along with a 10ft zipper. The zipper is the aft 10ft so I slip the forward end over until it is aft of the mastbox then zipper the rest of the way. It is so nice to just stuff the mainsheet up in there and ziiippp, the rig is all stowed. My zipper opens and I've left a gap ahead of it, since I leave the halyard strung through the cabintop block. The heavy weight of the Sunbrella doesn't flap around much at all at freeway speed. It was a great first sewing project although I sweated the zipper a bit.