Winter Storage

I would like some suggestions from the Getaway community, especially the northerners, on various methods used to store the mast in a garage during the winter months. This is my first year as a Getaway owner, so any storage tricks would be helpful.

I have taken my boat home from the lake for the winter and am getting ready to clean it and tarp it. I plan to take the rudders, wing seats, etc. off and store those in the basement, or garage loft.

The big problem seems to be the the 25 foot mast. I had thought of hanging it width wise on the wall of the garage (only a 22' deep garage)on some type of hooks, or possibly finding some sort of pully mechanism used for hanging things on the ceiling. What have others of you done over the years?

What is the weight of the mast?

Thanks

I bought some jumbo hooks from Home Depot (the biggest ones they sell that are intended to store lumber, etc), and screwed them into the ceiling. The mast isn't too heavy to lift, but it's definitely a two person/two stepladder job.

I have a triple garage so the mast fit sideways, but you may be able to angle it to fit a double. Just make sure your brackets are screwed securely into the roof trusses.

Onemoretoy,

I hang my Getaway from a simple hoist I built in my garage.



I used a 110V electric winch from Harbor Freight connected through four hoisting lines, which are in turn run through pullies attached to transversely mounted 1" square steel tube lag-screwed to the ceiling trusses.



Before I back the boat into the garage, I pull the mast aft and run the base under the starboard wing seat. The bob rests on a shelf near the ceiling of the back wall on the port side. This puts it an an angle which fits into my garage, which is about the same depth as yours.

When I hoist the boat up, the mast goes up with it.

With the boat up, I can store my ATVs underneath or park a car.

The whole setup cost about $175. It is nice to keep it out of the weather entirely. The best part is that I leave it rigged so I don't have to mess with rigging the shrouds each time I take it out.

Gordon

Gordon,

From one Gordon to another - that is some serious rigging! Maybe a little more involved than I need to get, although the cost is very affordable.

I have a 3-car garage, however, my 16' speedboat occupies the 3rd space along with my JD 318 tractor, Trac-Vac and snowblower. The Getaway is relagated to the cold outdoors wrapped snuggly in a humongo tarp unless I can find some suitable inside winter storage.

I may opt for the storage of the mast on the back wall of the garage and call that good enough.

Thanks for the pictures and the suggestion. Always good to keep for the future.

Gordon

This will be my first Getaway winter, we have modest snow here in Wichita. I have always tarped my keelboats so I am tarping the Getaway too. I have a cover on the tramps and have raised the South end of the mast to create a slope to keep snow from piling up; black side out for solar gain to help with snow melt. (Just watch, we will get no snow this year! )





Edit: I altered my setup and put the new photos here. I bolted Gudgeons on the trailer mast support and pintles on the removable mast support which will allow the support to be removed easily.

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Frank, sailing '02 Getaway in Wichita KS. Lake Cheney
(Hobie 17 RIP, storm of '05)

Has anyone had any issues with storing your masts as far as warping or bending the mast? Ive never had a problem with other masts. My concern is that the mast might bend out of shape because its not stored completely straight.

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Sail.fast

470, 08 Getaway

Last year I just kept the boat, mast and all, on the trailer in my driveway. I removed the front net and loosed up the tramp enough for snow to fall through but did not take it off entirely. We had 99 inches of snow last winter and though I had to occasionally brush off the snow with a broom, the boat is none the worse for wear. Nor can I detect any mast warping.

Matt, will the mast warp at all in the cold? I can't imagine that it would.