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Spar storage with mast down

What I mean is that if you store the boat bow down for a longer period what little water gets past the cover, and there is always some, will accumulate in the cockpit and might get to the breather hole.

05/06/2025 08:41:00
gk.griffiths
Posts: 186

Many thanks for this info, Gareth. 1) I'm not sure what you mean about the breather hole - the water is on top of the cover and isn't near the hole (which as you say is under the toe strap) 2) I would love to hear more about (or better yet, see photos of) your design for spar supports! Perhaps I can try to replicate?

04/06/2025 01:04:00
Wheeler Ruml
Posts: 3

If at all possible store slightly bow up so any water drains and doesn't pool over the breather hole (on bulkhead under toe strap).

We have made some spar supports (like laser ones) to support the spars and make a slight dome in the cover. Two supports, one at the back of the black hand grips on the taks, one slightly in front of the mast.

03/06/2025 14:33:00
gk.griffiths
Posts: 186

Greetings from mid-coast Maine, USA, where I've been getting used to aero 4111 after sailing a laser for many years. We have a rocky coastline and beaches are rare so during the sailing season I store her rightside up on the dock hung from the gunwales on low homemade stanchions, with rubber rollers on the dock to slide her in/out of the water. Despite storing the spars in the hull, I am not getting the same ridgeline/tenting effect with my top cover that I had with the laser and some water does pool on the cover when it rains. My stanchions are all the same hight so the gunwales are horizontal - the bow is not raised. My cover is from Colie. With the laser, I had plastic supports to hold the spars down the centerline, which helped create the tenting effect. Does anyone have advice about how to achieve this with an aero? Is it Peter's use of the spar bag that allows him to avoid this? Storing a bag under the cover next to the water raises the concern of mildew for me. I am starting to wonder if I need to design a small frame with a 2x4 to fit under the cover? I would welcome any thoughts or experience!

02/06/2025 14:28:00
Wheeler Ruml
Posts: 3

Iâ€™ve just bought some foam blocks and am going to try to find some forms that would achieve a tent-ridge effect on the cover with the spars. Iâ€™m on racks at Gurnard and thereâ€™s little space to lift the bow - so it needs some help... Iâ€™ll post if i have success... ðŸ‘

27/02/2019 22:29:00
jedric
Posts: 2

Hi Clive,
Congratulations and welcome to the RS Aero Class!

In the early days some people considered the Laser style spar holder but with experience it was deemed not necessary.

The gooseneck pin is designed to fold up in line with the lower mast. Do this on lowering the mast each time to avoid danger of scratching and also to fit it inside the spar bag.

The gooseneck pin is also designed for the boom to positively click into it, avoiding it accidentally falling off and dropping onto the deck.

Lower the first part of the mainsail in a controlled manner to avoid dropping the boom tip down onto the daggerboard, if that is on the cockpit floor. It is unlikely to scratch, but it might.

With the spars laid down the middle of the boat, the cover straps pulled tight and the bow slightly raised there will be no pooling of water on top of the cover. You could leave the spars resting on top of your spar bag, not a big issue though.
Dropping the mast routinely is good for avoiding the danger of the featherweight RS Aero blowing over in storms and UV on the mast (although we don't suffer as much from UV, due to the spars being impregnated rather than coated).

For travel we have the RS Aero spar bag. If you rest the boom on top of the bag and wrap the bag around it it makes a nice cylinder shape and you can leave the mainsheet all tied on. You can actually wrap the bag around the lower mast too, whilst leaving the outhaul and kicker also attached (just pulled slack) for a quick rig next time! Avoiding de-rigging those controls also leaves it all nicely attached, meaning that you wont lose them out the back on the motorway!

Here's a movie...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmCd20KfvD8

18/02/2019 13:49:00
Posts: 0

Hi Clive

Welcome to the fleet. I always store the mast(split) and boom in the boat, just lay from the stern, this does not scratch the carbon, and prevents uv issues.

18/02/2019 12:17:00
[email protected]
Posts: 66

Hi everyone. New to the Aero class and a proud new owner. Just wondering how people store the mast parts and boom in their boats in the dinghy park with the mast down. With my Laser I am used to the convenience of the 5 capacity spar Lazy Bones thing to lay them neatly and keep the cover elevated as well. I know they are not aluminium but worry about scratching hull with the spars just laying loose.

17/02/2019 20:07:00
[email protected]
Posts: 9

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