... I take my mast down once/year and step it again at the beginning of the season. My boat lives inside a building during the off-season, the mast gets transported by a rigger's trailer to and from there and the boatyard (where it is craned in & out) which is about an hours drive away. I can't put the mast in or out at the storage facility because of three bridges on the way lower than my mast height. I'm thinking if a have a clever enough system, I can simply leave the mast in the cradle, on the boat, while inside the building, maybe. A transporting cradle would save me a lot of money & hassle every year. The boat is 40 feet long, the aluminum mast is 60 feet long, the mast is sleeved so I could break it down into two pieces, but that would really add to the job along with the conduit, electrical & halyards. My toerails are solid teak and the brightwork well maintained, so I need to be careful here with braces & such. The Deck is cored fiberglass. Ideally my mast wouldn't be on the boat & cradle for very long, a few days, and I would be motoring on a protected Intercoastal water for several hours, although there often comes along the 50 foot Sportfish going 50 and waking me badly. Something I can assemble, disassemble & store easily & quickly. The mast is recently painted and in perfect, like new condition, and I'd like to keep it that way. Rather than 2 or 3 2X4 X-bracing systems, which would be quick & easy, I'm thinking something that has a soft saddle for the mast to sit into. I'm thinking about making something from Schedule 80 PVC with four legs and sewn canvas or webbing saddles that will slide over the PVC rails. I will also have my forestay and roller furling, the foil is a bit floppy, but can be lashed to the mast. I will remove and re-rig the wire stays & shrouds, and the two sets of spreaders as this does not take long, and will make the mast store more safe and less cumbersome on deck. Any thoughts ?

Thanks, cheers, John