99.9% of the boats launched in Rockport Harbor have their masts stepped(there's very little water side storage space. Boats arrive over the road). This adds labor to spring launch, and with a yawl, a bit more.

You get used to the extra step and it's good to see all of your rig - mast top to clevis pins, up close each season. All masts; wood, aluminum, carbon fiber, spend time on saw horses at the crane, which invites 'everybody' to critique and inspect even the angle of cotter pin legs(I prefer 15 degrees or less ).

I'm reminded of this benefit by some photos of a local schooner that stores mast up. The owner found the shrouds startlingly loose this spring. A yard worker hoisted by crane to the mast top returned with the grissly photos: 6' of full rot at the top of a painted main mast.

No sailing this season on that schooner.

I don't have far to go so I like to keep the mizzen turnbuckles on my windshield. They have a way of spinning off,...I've found.