1. As a rule I seldom or never trailer the Martin16 with its boat cover on. It just adds a lot of drag that is unnecessary.
2. I always make sure that the keel is actually lowered to a point where its weight is on the trailer bunk rather than being slightly elevated during transport. THEN I tie a knot in the keel halyard line to act as a preventer in the unlikely case of the keel falling off the trailer bunk or the bunk actually splitting during transport.
3. I always tie a line around the keel and the keel trailer bunk to prevent any chance of the keel slipping to one side and consequently allowing the keel to drop down on the road surface during transport. Sometime in the past, during the trailering of a Martin16 that belonged to another venue, the keel did actually slide off its trailer bunk and was worn down badly by the road surface before the driver noticed the problem.
4. I always check that the trailer winch is holding the boat(s) securely and that its ratchet is in the proper position to hold the boat securely. I also make sure that the trailer ratchet safety chain is somehow secured to the boat.
5. I always use two ratchet tie-down straps on each boat to hold the boat on the trailer with one going across the boat between the mast step and the spash rail. The second strap goes across the seat portion of the second seat but its location is dictated more by the trailer strap brackets. However please note that ratchet tie-down straps usually place the ratchet itself too near the boat hull. That can result in hull damage during transport. To overcome that possibility, I wrap the strap around the trailer and hook it to the strap itself rather than just hooking that end into the trailer bracket with its hook. This pulls the ratchet closer to the trailer and away from the boat hull.
6. I always remove the rudder from the rudder bracket by removing its pin AND the bolt that holds the rudder in the rudder bracket. To avoid damage in transit I usually store the rudder in the towing vehicle. Also note that some rudders have a nylon bushing in the rudder where the bolt goes through. Those bushings sometimes fall out of the rudder during removal or in transport. Its wise to put a strip of tape over the rudder hole on both sides to prevent loss of the bushing IF the rudder has a bushing. Another alternative is to put the bolt back in the rudder with its oversize fender washers and thereby preventing loss of any bushing.
7. If you have enough slack in the forestay, the main halyard and the jib halyard, it is possible to lower the mast and rotate it so that one of the spreaders can go down into the cockpit. With adequate cushioning in the cockpit and up on deck near the splash rail and back near back seat, the mast can be tied down securely fore and aft for transport.
I personally prefer to detach the mast from the boat entirely by pulling the main and jib halyards out from under the deck, detaching the forestay tension line entirely, detaching the port and starboard shrouds at their chainplates/tangs and securing everything to the mast by wrapping them around the mast and securing them to the mast with some electrical tape. It means reinstalling more things at the sailing venue but for me its easier and means I've spent some time checking rigging attachments prior to using the boats at a venue rather than assuming its all okay and properly attached.
If I do it my way I make sure the mast is resting on a fender/bumper fore and aft and with the spreaders facing skyward and located just forward of the splash rail. I use the bow and stern lines to tie the mast to the boat. This usually means tying one end of the mast to the rudder plate assembly and the other end to the jib boom where it is attached to the foredeck with a swivel and eye plate.
8. I usually secure the main boom and the sail bag in such a way as to prevent any chance of their being sucked out of the boat during transit. Tie them to each other and to any secure portion of the cocpit and to the tie-down straps.
9. Each boat should be equipped with a paddle, fenders, life vests for captain and crew and some form of sponge. IF you decide to take the autohelm, you'll need to make sure you the rudder rod, the rudder piston, the battery box, autohelm control/joy stick, the sail winch system and a mouth control.
1. Make sure the two screws at the base of the mast are reasonably tight but don't over-tighten. Then run a strip of rigging tape over them and around the mast to protect the and prevent them from falling out if they come loose.
2. Make sure that the outer ends of the spreaders are intact, securely attached to the spreaders AND that they allow the shrouds to move up and down through them. Also check the brackets that hold the spreaders on the mast and make sure that they are held securely on the mast by their screws or rivets.
3. Before raising the mast, make sure that any lines near the mast step on the deck are on the proper side of the mast step. Also make sure that each of the "T" connnectors for the shrouds and the forestay are in the mast and pointed in the right direction to allow the shrouds and forestay to extend to their full length when the mast is up. Also make sure that the halyard shackles for the jib and mainsail are tied off in some way or secured near the base of the mast along with their tail ends to prevent their running up and into the mast while its being raised.
4. Connect the port and starboard shrouds to the port and starboard tangs/chain plates using the the third or fourth hole from the bottom on each but the same on each side.
5. Raise and step the mast while checking to see that the tangs on each side don't get stuck and therefore prevent the shrouds from deploying properly.
6. While still holding the mast in its upright position, pull down on the forestay cable and work your way forward keeping pressure on the forestay cable (so the mast doesn't fall) and secure it with the forestay line that is attached to the bow eye and threaded through the hole in the center of the bow deck edge.
7. Make sure that the mast is as straight as possible (90 degrees fore and aft and port and starboard) in relation to the deck of the boat. There is some argument among Martin16 owners about the advantages and disadvantages of having a slight aft rake to the mast. I've noticed the top sailing winners being very careful to measure the distance from the stern to the top of the mast but none of them are volunteering any info. (See the Martin 16 Tuning Guide for more information on this.)