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Winter storage with the mast up or down: which is better for the rig and the insurance?
Short answer
Whether the mast stays up over winter or comes down depends mainly on where the boat is stored,
the risk of gales and when the rig was last checked.
For the insurance, what matters is that the boat is properly supported and the rig properly stored.
Every autumn the same question comes up in boatyards: winter storage with the mast up or down? Leaving it up saves crane time, and the rig does not have to be taken apart and tuned again in spring. Taking it down means the rig can be checked at ground level without a climb, and the boat offers less windage. If the boat goes into a shed, the answer is usually made for you, because few sheds take a boat with the mast stepped. Out in the open the owner decides, often with the yard, and there is more to it than convenience.
A stepped mast acts as a lever in a gale. The boat is no longer floating but standing on a cradle or props, and a strong gust can blow it over, cradle and all; if it falls onto the next boat there are two claims instead of one. A sound cradle, well set props and firm ground matter more than anything. A mast that is down carries other risks: it can be damaged while being lifted, end up under other masts in the rack or lose fittings. Whether hull cover pays for storm damage in winter storage depends on the policy, and a laid up or season only policy may give no cover at all over winter. With our season policy there is no cover from 1 November to 31 March, in winter storage included.
Care is better than any rule of thumb, for the rig and the insurance alike. If the mast stays up, take off sails, stack pack and covers, tie the halyards away from the mast and have cradle and props checked after every gale. If it comes down, store it on enough supports, pad the spreaders and fittings and label your parts. Use the winter for a rig inspection with a written report, which helps far more after a later claim than anyone's memory. And read the storage agreement with the yard, which says who is responsible for the crane, the cradle and the mast rack.
Worth remembering
Mast up
less crane work, more leverage in a gale
Mast down
rig easy to check, but risk in lifting and in the rack
More important than the choice is how carefully cradle, props and rig are looked after.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Is storm damage covered if the mast was left up?
That depends on the policy. Hull cover that includes winter storage normally pays for storm damage if the boat was properly stored; with us, Basis counts a storm from force 8, Basis Plus and Premium set no threshold. With our season policy there is no cover from 1 November to 31 March.
Who is liable if the boat falls off its cradle?
If the yard set the boat up, its liability may come in, depending on the storage agreement. Otherwise damage to your own boat is a matter for hull cover, and damage to the next boat for liability cover.
Should I unstep the mast for a rig check?
A mast on trestles is the easiest way to check shrouds, stays and fittings thoroughly. Get a written report, as it helps as evidence if there is a claim later.
Related
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