Background
Currently sail a 40ft
Jeanneau (fractional club)on the Chesapeake
Have sailed
offshore a few times
Retiring and moving to Fl Panhandle
Wife and I sail often and want to be able to get under 50ft bridges in the area as well as occasional trips to Keys and
Bahamas
Want to
purchase newer (2005 ff)
boat in the 34-35 ft size.
Probably will go with "production boat"
Will be our long term
retirement boat so I am not really concerned about resale impact.
Plan to
purchase in the next 6-12 months.
ISSUE
Most of the boats we like have
mast heights around 50-53 feet.
I have read extensively and talked to people at the sailboat show in
Annapolis and still don't have a good "feel" for the option of shortening the
mast anywhere from 2ft (minimum) to 4ft (maximum).
Question
Is this doable from a practical standpoint?
Impact on performance (can I reduce the sail area at the top to reduce loss)? We are cruisers - not racers
Guesstimate of costs (both initial and long term if any)
Anyone with real world experience with doing this (greatly appreciate this) especially if in the Fl Panhandle area.
Thanks for taking your time. I hope I have given sufficient information for your reply