Winter Storage w/ Mast Up in CT

[sailingmonika]

Hello all,


We are purchasing a 50' sailboat that has a custom canvas winter cover made to be used with the mast up. We need to find a marina for winter storage in CT that allows storing the boat with the mast up. The summer slip will be in the Mystic area but we live near Middletown CT so a marina along the CT river would be OK too. The marina in the Mystic area does not offer mast-up storage.


Any suggestions would be recommended.


Thanks all,


Monika

[psk125]

We also have a "mast up" winter cover. You can have a 2x6 support put up on sawhorses to replace the boom if you need to. There may be reasons for the Mystic marina not allowing mast-up storage. Pulling & storing masts is another source of revenue for them. It also keeps slapping halyards from annoying people all winter. There may be issues with their insurance carrier worried about windage blowing the boats over. A windstorm in Fairfield County last night had gusts over 70 mph. We were just up at Mystic Seaport and noticed that the Charles W. Morgan had hefty chains - and many of them - shackled between the hull and the stone pier on it's north side, apparently to hold it in place against wind funneling down the river valley there. The south side of the ship had strong lines, but not chains. The Connecticut River would be funneling wind all the way from Vermont. Captain's Cove Marina in Black Rock is on an inlet, rather than a river. They allow mast-up storage, but might be further than you'd want to go.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by sailingmonika

Hello all,


We are purchasing a 50' sailboat that has a custom canvas winter cover made to be used with the mast up. We need to find a marina for winter storage in CT that allows storing the boat with the mast up. The summer slip will be in the Mystic area but we live near Middletown CT so a marina along the CT river would be OK too. The marina in the Mystic area does not offer mast-up storage.


Any suggestions would be recommended.


Thanks all,


Monika

Most offer Mast Up storage, at least in Fishers Island Sound.

Ferry Slip
Crockers
Stonington on the River
Norwest

[Cthoops]

Pine Island Marina in Groton, CT allows mast up.

[LeCrux]

Most yards along the CT coast do mast-up storage, as most owners don't want to pay the extra cost each season.

Milford boat works, port milford are two examples.

A few options up the housatonic river as well.

[Daziel]

I purchased a 50 ft sailboat in Mystic last year and it was stored at Safe Harbor Mystic last winter with the mast up with a canvas cover. 99% of the other sailboats were mast up, as well. https://shmarinas.com/locations/safe...utm_source=gmb

Good luck

[Hoodsail]

Dutch's boat yard in Branford, allows stick in or out...same at Brown's BY in guilford, ct...would check soon if looking for this season as smaller yards are filling up....my boat is at Brown's and havent seen the yard this full ever...seems to be more power..thnks

[radsailor]

Long ago there was a marina in Portland, up the CT river that allowed mast up storage. If it is still there, would be perfect logistically for you. Just be sure you follow the day markers point to point especially right near the marina where there is a large submerged rock pile from when freight carrying boats would unload their stone ballast.

[sailingmonika]

Thanks, it appears that there are lots of choices. No sure why Noank Village Boatyard where we will have slip this summer does not do winter storage with the mast up. We are purchasing the boat in NJ where it is on land already, this would be for next fall. The boat has a canvas winter cover designed for the mast to be up, so I'd rather not mess with that. Given how crazy it is with boating now we will have to plan way ahead.

[sailingmonika]

Thanks I have been to that marina by car. It would certainly make working on the boat a lot easier.

[radsailor]

At the time I lived in Longmeadow, MA just over the border from Enfield. The drive for me was far better than the drive to Spicer's in Noank where i kept the boat in the summer.
It was more than 20 years ago, but still many fond memories.
Is the Seahorse restaurant still there.

[MIRELOS]

Bridgeport Boat Works, they are not a marina but a boat yard for winter storage and for repairs, mast up ok, DIY ok, lots of big boats

[sailingmonika]

Hi. we used to keep our 40' sailboat at Spicers but got out of boating for 8 years and have not been back to the area till recently to secure a slip for next summer. We did not have time to look at much in the area. The marina told us that new restaurants had opened up this summer as all the New Yorkers were sick of Covid lock downs and where buying up everything in sight in the Mystic area and keeping restaurants busy. It looks like Seahorse is temporarily closed. As I recall they had no outdoor seating which was a killer for any restaurant in CT.

[radsailor]

Thanks for the followup. I don't recall the Seahorse having outside seating either.
Good luck with the boat !

[Redline452]

For what it's worth, our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45.2 has a mast-up cover, from TopShop (Quinte Canvas) of Kingston, Ontario. When I had to store with the mast down (marina on "wrong" side of bridge for a couple of winters), I sewed web strap loops across the two ends which would normally be zippered shut, to let the mast protude out each end. Our cover has its own frame so does not rely on the boom for support. Tied off the mast and shroud collars in the cover, and all survived the winter.

But my preference is definitely storing mast-up, as we do now - far less wear and tear (and time) on taking the rig down and putting it back up. But the cover can do either, in a pinch.