There are a couple of those contraptions installed near boat ramps on our lake. We call it a Yard Arm, or Mast-raising pole, or whatever. They were built by the generation of sailors who preceded me, in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers who regulate the land. It's a pretty tall and sturdy pole, with a block at the top. I attach an electric winch to do the work. The winch is not necessary for a lighter mast, such as that of my MacGregor 25.
Another procedure just as intriguing is launching the boat. My camera ran out of battery else that would have been on the video. We back the boat down the ramp to the water, block the wheels, unhitch, add a 30 foot hitch extension and then back it way out into the water.
The thing is, we're not doing this to save money by side-stepping the boat yard. There is no boat yard. Those mast-raising poles and 4 precious moorings are the entire infrastructure related to sailing here, on this big lake. In the 80's, this area had half a dozen or more sailors. Now I am the only one out there, except for a 3 or 4 trailer sailors who visit for a few days during the season. My Catalina 30 is the only fixed-keel boat in the water in the summer. In the winter it must be removed because the lake freezes.
While I dislike the label "Do-It-Yourself," it is a matter of necessity for absolutely everything related to my boat. There's nobody to haul the boat, no crane to hire, no mechanic that will work on it, not even someone to patch fiberglass. There are no slips to handle her either. I sometimes wish there was more of a sailing scene here. Maybe I'm one of the last, but I sure do love it.
