Masthead buoyancy

I know it's not cool but I am considering using masthead buoyancy on my Contender because

1. I'm still learning to trapese & helm so I swim alot

2. The water where I sail is not very deep and I don't want to get the mast stuck in the mud.

Is there a down side to this idea ( apart from cost & looking like a nerd )? Also should I use the crewsaver "fender" style or the "airship" style that cats use?

All opinions & experiance welcome.....

Hiya bigum,

Hope you're enjoying the warm weather. Ideal for capsizing!

As a fellow swimmer, I have considered attaching a floatation bag at the top of the mast but the Contender experts in our club weren't convinced. It might be more hassle than it's worth. When hoisting the sail, you've got to be careful the buoyancy aids don't get entangled in the halyard.

You might want to make sure you tape all the holes on the mast first and don't take in too much water when you capsize. It's also a good idea to release the kicker (and the other controls, but kicker is most effective) as soon as you feel you've reached the point of no return. That will prevent the boat from turtling instantly. It will also prevent you from banging your head on the boom when you clamber back on board with the boat head-to-wind.

Now you just need to get on that centreboard, grab the trapeze rope (in my case - I need all the leverage I can get) and start pulling! Watch out for the trap hook on the side decks!  

i always attach two milk bottles to my buzz, doesn't stop it inverting but does slow it down

have always had the bottles since mast breakage

finally i should really get out more