|   I don't know if the masts can extend over the tow vehicle or not. That could depend upon how each state defines what "trailer" means.

Attached are the permit rules for Maine. Pdf attached.
Movememaine.com
The oversized permit has a max length of 80', without a pilot car.

Also, side point about 5th wheels making the length shorter

| Can I have a 45' trailer/boat with 48' masts that extend over the truck bed? 

As far as i know. I mean, I have seen such overhangs, and have been told its fine. I figured that's how it had to be done for masts.

But, hold up. How much bury are we thinking these masts have? Cause 48' is not much mast in the air, right?

| Can I extend them 3' over the truck bed to 48'?  Or can we go crazy with 65' masts that are even with the front bumper long as we're under 13' high?

I wanna say, crazy!?

|   I originally wanted a supermaxi trailer, extending those masts as far as they could go. Now that I've had to squeeze 42' house trusses down our road, with inches to spare on either side when turning the corner, I'm thinking that Rob's fancy origami with the fold-up bows, along with two-part masts, makes a lot of sense.  I could always leave the masts fully-assembled if I were in an area where their length wouldn't get in the way.

When you said 48', I was thinking the same thing. But then I thought trucks haul 53' trailers all the time. I might not be comfortable doing it, but it must be done all the time.

So, we are planing to jump through hoops to make the road profile shorter?

|   As for reefing, it's an odd thing.
|
|   For lots of guys, it's like admitting failure.  They put off reefing until long after they should have and then regret it.
| The best case is that you have less fun and the boat slows down (having up too much sail, and trying to manage it, is less efficient than a well-shaped reefed sail).  Then the scale dips down towards being miserable and wet, then beating up the boat, and then equipment failures and/or capsizing.
|
|   I think I remember Wharram writing about mast height on a Tiki 38, saying something like "sure, you could have higher masts and more sail area, but then you'd have to reef under 15 knots".

Over, not under, 15kts, right? Because gust overloading the oversized sails? Or do I misunderstand whats happening?

|   Okay.  And that's a problem why?

See, I was thinking I must be missing something. Thanks for clarifying.

|   If I wanted to be conservative while cruising in variable winds, I'd keep a reef in all the time.  But if you have one of those 2-knot days where another 200 sf of sail high up will be the difference between moving and bobbing, the taller masts would be wonderful.

I was wondering why one would not have all the safe sail one could get, for use in this scenario.

|   And since it's a harryproa, you can always completely dump your sails, go to neutral, and calmly reef without running into anything. 
|
| That makes it a lot safer to be carrying too much sail.
|
|   The standard method of flying a lot of extra sail area for those light-wind days is to put up a code zero or asymmetrical spinnaker.
| But that makes tacking a production, can flip the boat in a gust, and at some points of sail you can't just dump the sheets.
|
|   I'd /much/ rather have a schooner harryrpoa.
|
|   Plus, shunting a schooner has got to be easier than threading a screecher on a bowsprit in front of the forestay.  Particularly in very light winds, or if the wind picks up to the point where you need to bring that sail in, but have to tack first in order to avoid the shore, a shoal, or another boat.
|
|   So, for the most part, reefing is a silly ego issue.  Just get over your manly self, reef, and have a better day.  Particularly if you're on a bidirectional proa with an unstayed rig.
|
|   But with a stayed mast, there are extra reasons to consider not
| going
| to tall.
|
|         - Mike

Thank you for the above and beyond answer. I appreciate the patient detailing of why, as I am new to alot of this.