Ye Olde #37 Gone

[GreenLake]

Sounds like you are having more fun than the law allows...

I wouldn't mess with landing pads; just build the d***n hinge already. I know you want to.

I routinely step on the cuddy top. Seems to handle it fine. You could always add a stringer.

Aiming: it'll improve w/ practice. I haven’t been off by 8" in a long while and often nail it on first try. I rarely correct from below. It's usually sufficient to take a peek and then adjust from above. However, the incline on the boat ramp factors in my muscle memory so I 'm not quite as smooth when sailing from some other spot. you'll get there.

Using a hinge, I get to stand in the cockpit. You're tall enough for that.

The preferred way for me to step off the trailer is to sit on the cuddy edge, put my legs over and slide down. All safely forward of the trailer axle . . . But I also have the trailer hitched for anything like that. However, as you report, once stepped the mast is not going anywhere.

[tomodda]

**DELETED**

[tomodda]

I wouldn't mess with landing pads; just build the d***n hinge already. I know you want to.

Yes, but it's "Yet Another Project." I'm sure I'll get around to it eventually but spring sailing is probably gonna be brute forcing the mast. Good to know that the aim gets better with practice.

I routinely step on the cuddy top. Seems to handle it fine. You could always add a stringer.

I weigh 19 stone (look it up), so yeah, roof flexes. Stringer? What did I say about "Yet Another Project"?

The preferred way for me to step off the trailer is to sit on the cuddy edge, put my legs over and slide down.

I just jump, but I'm still young and stupid . My wife says that I'm NOT so young (but still stupid), so she gifted me a nice boat boarding stepladder. Sure enough, for this mast-stepping test last weekend, I forgot both the stepladder and that my trailer was not hitched to the car. How stupid is that?

[GreenLake]

I hear you on projects multiplying, but if I understand your description and the weird non-SI units you are throwing around you seem to have boxed yourself into a one-or-the-other kind of deal.

A hinge allows you to work from the cockpit and thus escape the need for strengthening your cuddy top. And it will obviate the need for a landing pad, and realistically also the need for guides, because not only is your control going to be better, you can just bend down to sight the mast foot and mast step.

As projects go, it's not that complicated. I've rebuilt mine a couple of times over the decades, and had it off in between to add to it. So I think I can say that with some confidence. Doing it from scratch means you don't have a template to follow and yes that will make it a bit more involved. But still.