Carry mainsail in mast down the canals?

A mast is quite heavy on its own, and to have reasonable movement around the decks, its better to carry it on supports at a height just below the min air draft for the canals you are traveling on. Therefore the more things you can remove from the mast, ie, sail, rigging and spreaders, the better and safer. I found it helpful to have most of the mast overhang behind the boat.
 
If you are on a budget then carrying the mast is a good scheme but it does restrict movement.We found that it was easiest to have lines cleated on all 4 corners.The reason being that the eclusier can appear on either side of the lock you are entering at the last minute.I assume your mast would have overhangs at each end so the more stuff you can remove the less risk of damage.We got knocked in Rouen on the mast head by an unknown yacht whilst we were moored up.Fortunately the damage was minor and cured with a hammer in a French yard! You might care to explore having your mast transported.I think I would look at this seriously next time we transit the canals.
 
I agree with both of the above. I carried mine down a decade ago and we are carrying ours now.

We plan to carry it for the foreseeable slow journey north.

The cost of shipping it is not excessive but storage is. Also Pantaenus do not insure the mast once it is off the boat but do if you carry it.
 
I left mine in the mast ,seemed the obvious way to carry it :-don't realy want a great big sailbag adding to stowage problem.We just put a simple X frame on the back and a crate under the middle,for support, with the front on the pulpit.
Lift the mast of and straight into position with the crane.
take all the shrouds off coil all the sheets and hold on the mast with a strip of cloth or canvas.
you may be glad to have the mast over you if it gets too hot or rains ;-just put a small canvas or plasic cover over it .
 
I cant add a comment other than on the weight issue,there are times when wash can threten to unship the mast,though well lashed down not a problem.

I just wonderd if your takeing the classic route via Rouen Paris?
 
We did carry our sail in our mast first time through in 2003-2004. The weight is not so much of a problem - provided that you recognise it and plan/construct accordingly. We didn't /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif and our first forward mast support collapsed when a ship passed by on the Seine. It was exceeding panic-making. If you make the supports sturdy (3"x3" x-frames) and well constructed/jointed and the whole thing well lashed down (side to side and fore and aft) then although mast and supports will wobble a bit when something passing by causes a decent wake - which is disconcerting - all should be well.
It is quite convenient to carry the mast and you soon get used taking that bit of extra care in locks. It might be even better to be without it completely, but there is a cost implication.
Photos and some other relevant information can be found on our website www.tagweb.co.uk/grehan/_guidance.html and/or PM me.
 
Leave your mast up. Here's a handy tip for getting under bridges ...

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/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I spent quite a lot of time in Honfleur constructing a set of 'X' gallows at the stern,a 'T' piece midships and a really secure lashing at the pulpit.Set off with some trepidation up the Seine to Rouen and encountered some very large ships (with attendant wash) with no probs with the mast.Even managed to get the mast hooked onto some metal pilings at one point but did not move mast.So do a good job and the mast coming loose is not one of your worries.
 
My mast is on an X at bow and slung under the reinforced gallows at the stern. It can move a little, 100 mm, to avoid stress on the supports if I nudge something. It is also mounted centrally at the bow but offset at the stern to allow standing headroom at the tiller - about a metre at the bow and two metres overhang at the stern.
 
We carried our mast plus boom and spinnaker pole on a three-stage support like this through the Canal du Midi:

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By building the two end supports and attaching them first, it was easy to add the third later, tailoring the length to requirements. With this arrangement it would be no problem at all to leave the sail inside the mast. Note solar panel on top.

We had very little in the way of problems. I found it easier to set the mast a little forward, rather than centreing it on the boat. This enabled me to see all of it forward of me, rather than trying to see both ends at once. Despite the obvious temptation to leave masthead fittings on, I suggest you take them off. I tapped the tricolour on an oval lock wall, fortunately not fatally, before removing it altogether.

Leaving the spreaders as shown proved to be an excellent aid to the crew. Draping the forward warp over them enabled her to reach it from the lock wall with the boat hook, previously a problem in 2 metre rise locks.
 
I found my mast needed tightening up on the X supports once out in the main channel to go up the Seine. there was a bit of a sea running and all began to hunt alarmingly. I rememembered an old trick used by barges running Guinness down to Limerick and crossing the 25mile ling lake of Lough Derg, on the Shannon system. I circled slowly twice and the motion was dampened. then it was time to tighten all the lashings quickly. All was well thereafter and the load never shifted despite the wrapped ends of the mast occassionally contacting the lock sides as we progressed!
 
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