Steping my mast!!! O Day 25

[Swee Pea 1976]

Have to say that anyone who does this on a 25 more than once a year is crazy!!!
Two of us raised it today and after some grunting we got it... Then we realized that the wind direction arrow and VHF antenna were still in the boat FML!!!!
So we lowered it. Put the parts on and raised it again! My helper said. It wasn't so bad that second time! I said we are warmed up now lol!!!
Anyway. I give props to you trailer sailor guys.
And yes I know that we could have rigged it but we said F it and just did it..
the beer went down well after we were done..
Sand and paint tomorrow and splash on Friday!! Woohoo

 

[Joe11688]

I guess it's like anything else. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Good luck with the splash.

Joe

 

[Cabby]

Yep, done it a few times and now we have a slip. Hope to put it in the slip this Sunday. Still need to perfect a tabernacle system as we have a slip in the "upper harbor" which requires us to go under a bridge with a +/- 18 ft clearance, plus or minus around the tides. The mast is 31 ft on our fixed keel O'day 25.

Prior to a slip, we had an approx 3 hour set up and 3 hour tear down when ever we wanted to sail her. That was BRUTAL. Yes enough of that hard work, now with a slip more time to just sail....and fish off the back. Our Salmon season has just started and I can't wait to land our first Salmon on the boat.

 

[cb32863]

So did you just man handle it up or did you use a gin pole or what? I am going to be putting together a gin pole system for mine over the weekend and testing it out a few times in the driveway before launching in a couple of weeks. I have a mooring and sail a lake so I don't foresee having to do it again until fall. Good luck with the season!

 

[Swee Pea 1976]

Yup. Brute strength. I won't do it again without a gin pole!!

 

[RichBone]

I started raising my mast using a gin pole system on the trailer with the trailer winch. It went up and down easy with very little pressure on the winch handle. Last year I had to raise the mast with the boat in the water. I ran a line from the gin pole to a block at the bow then back to the primary winch (Lewmar 16 two speed) at the cockpit. I had a very hard time trying to raise the mast. Too much of a load on the winch- there were two of us. We ended up with one of us on the winch and the other lifting up the mast as best he could. We did get it up though. This year I think I'll do a two part rig between the pole and the bow. I'll run a line from the bow to the pole then back down to the bow then back to the the primary winch. A three part setup is also on the table. I'll just need a longer line.

Rich

 

[sailingandsuch]

I remember when I had my Macgregor 25 I could raise the mast by myself without pulleys or anything. I had a 2x12 with a V cut in on end of it that would rest in the companionway and would stick up about 2'6" above the cabin top. I could stand in the cockpit and lift the mast and set it in this V. Then I would get on the cabin top and raise the mast up the rest of the way. It really wasn't all that bad.

Now I have a Montgomery 17 and it's a piece of cake to raise the mast without any supports.

 

[Joe11688]

I started raising my mast using a gin pole system on the trailer with the trailer winch. It went up and down easy with very little pressure on the winch handle. Last year I had to raise the mast with the boat in the water. I ran a line from the gin pole to a block at the bow then back to the primary winch (Lewmar 16 two speed) at the cockpit. I had a very hard time trying to raise the mast. Too much of a load on the winch- there were two of us. We ended up with one of us on the winch and the other lifting up the mast as best he could. We did get it up though. This year I think I'll do a two part rig between the pole and the bow. I'll run a line from the bow to the pole then back down to the bow then back to the the primary winch. A three part setup is also on the table. I'll just need a longer line.

Rich

I wouldn't know how to comment on why you had a problem trying to pull your mast up from the bow with a winch without looking at it, Rich, but years ago I used my Gin Pole and my boom vang to pull a mast up on a Hunter 23 and I was straining my gut on it for some unknown reason. The only place I was able to attach the snap hook of my bottom boom vang block, was on a pad eye inside the anchor lock on the bow of his boat. I ask myself to this day, "could this be the reason why the blocks were pulling so hard?" The boat owner was standing behind me and never lifted a finger to get the mast started on the ascent. He had a bad case of poison Ivy at the time and felt miserable, so I guess it's understandable. After that episode, I never volunteered my equipment or my services to do another mast raising. With that said, I'm always happy to send pics and info to anyone wishing to build there own mast raising system.

From what I've learned about Gin Poles and mast raising, the Gin pole provides the angle needed for the block & tackle or the winch to pull the mast up. If for instance the mast tabernacle on the cabin is mounted higher than normal, would that have an adverse effect on the angle? I think it would and by the same token, if the attachment point of the block & tackle snap hook or the winch hook is attached lower than normal on the bow of the boat, you will have the same adverse effect. I could be wrong about this assessment. The only way you could find out for sure is to place a tension gauge in between the pulling system and try different Gin Pole lengths and heights of attachments. There has to be a rule of thumb.

I believe that the length of the Gin Pole as well as the attachment points of the pulling system can really make a difference in how well the mast equipment works.

If pivot bridles aren't set up correctly, these too can bind the system. Boom bridles, or baby stays need to be attached to a point which is in line with the pivot point of the mast tabernacle. If this point is off a few inches, the bridles are going to bind.

My friend Jeff owns an O'Day 25 and he raises his mast from over the bow. His stays do now have the triangular plates for the boom bridle and he is able to get away with tying the boom bridle off to a turnbuckle on each side of his boat.
He removes the line from one pulley on each of his Mainsheet blocks and uses one of his winches to take the strain, but--he claims that the mast won't raise unless he gives it a push up to get it going. Then it will go up easy as he cranks on the winch. Someone needs to hold the fuler as it goes up. Also, I think that Jeff has to undo his upper stays before raising and lowering.
Ray has an O'Day 26 which has triangular plates on his stays. He raises his mast from the bow and is able to do this without removing stays. His mast seems to go up pretty easy but Ray always has his brother in-law help him.

These are some pics of Ray's 1986 O'Day 26. My chainplates are set up similar to the ones on Ray's boat even though I don't have triangular plates. I think that Jeff's chainplates are set up different and this is why he needs to remove two of his stays when he raises or lowers his mast. The sketch was taken out of one of my many books and it shows how the pivot bridles are supposed to be set up regardless of whether you raise your mast from the bow or stern.
The only thing I can say is experiment and find out what works on your boat.

 

[Joe11688]

I remember when I had my Macgregor 25 I could raise the mast by myself without pulleys or anything. I had a 2x12 with a V cut in on end of it that would rest in the companionway and would stick up about 2'6" above the cabin top. I could stand in the cockpit and lift the mast and set it in this V. Then I would get on the cabin top and raise the mast up the rest of the way. It really wasn't all that bad.

Now I have a Montgomery 17 and it's a piece of cake to raise the mast without any supports.

The Montgomery boats are great little boats. I've read a lot of nice reviews on them.
Well you know yourself. MacGregor wrote the rules on mast raising. Their boats really weren't made as well as other boats but you really have to hand it to them. They do come up with some great ideas. I had always had a low opinion of MacGregors until I sailed my friend Walter's Mac 26. I don't remember what year it was but I think it was a 2001 or 02. It had wheel steering and she handled beautiful.
Mast raising on a boat with a roller furler can complicate things and make it a little tougher. Also, the captain's age has a lot to do with it. You'll find out for yourself as you reach "Geezerdom" as I have discovered.
I'm pushing 70 but I'm still strong and in good shape,--for how long I don't know. Perhaps I'll wind up with a smaller boat because I'm partial to small boats.

Few people realize that it isn't what you own that makes you happy, it's what you do.
When we first started out in boating we got a small day sailer and had a blast with it. Then, in keeping up with the Jones's, we got something larger and put it on a slip or a mooring but we had to power it up the river in a narrow channel before we could get out to the bay and put the sail up while some kids were having a blast sailing their small day sailers in the river. I guess you know the rest of the story. It's a never ending evolution of the small boat sailor. True happiness is when we can find the boat we love and stick with it for many years and that boat can be either small or large.
I like your site. I'm going to check it out a little more when I get a chance.
Smooth Sailing!
Joe

 

[plainssailor]

mast stepping oday 25

I did it for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a overnight lake sail. I grabbed a cold beer out of the cooler, and told my three teenage sons what to do, it was hot that day and I didn't even break a sweat! I had enough time to drink three beers and smoke most of a nice Cohiba..

 

[Joe11688]

I did it for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a overnight lake sail. I grabbed a cold beer out of the cooler, and told my three teenage sons what to do, it was hot that day and I didn't even break a sweat! I had enough time to drink three beers and smoke most of a nice Cohiba..

I got a good chuckle out of that one! :dance: How were you able to pull that one off? My boys are all married with families. I guess I'll just have to keep using my Gin Pole and like it. Too funny!

 

[billh]

There are a lot of solutions for mast raising, gin poles a frames, and the old he man method I give you credit for getting it done! With that being said, my method has always been the he-man method. My 30 year old brother he-mans it up I pin it in But, this weekend after two years of scouring the interweb, I built an A frame system and raised the mast alone!

I borrowed from several idea's out there. I have the O'Day 26 Joe aka Trinkka talked about.

What I did was buy two 1" thick 10' long conduits from Home Depot. Three eye bolts 3/8" thread, and lock nuts and washers. Then I had to go a local Fastenall and buy n eye nut! I had no idea it was called that so it was a challenge to find. I knew what I wanted but did not know the name of that eye nut.

I was at Wallmart and and saw rubber feet 1 1/8" and bought them as well.

Then I drilled holes at the feet of each pole and attached the eye bolts. I had two carbiners and snapped them on the eye bolt and then to the littel bracket there at the base of the stanchion post. The stanchion posts are very close to being in-line with the tabernackle though lower as the tablernackle is higher up.

Then I layed the the conduit on top of one another and drilled a single hole through both. I put a longer eye bolt on there, and screwed the eye nut as a nut on the threaded side. So, I ended up with an eye on each side. I then took my traveler assembly and attached it to bow, and the lower eye bolt. The line was too short so I attached another line so I could stand at the tablenackle and hold the mast while pulling the line. I attached the Jib line to the top eye on the head of the conduit.

I was worried the conduit would bend or fold, I was worried the job line might snap, and many other fears. However, all went well. I pulled the line and up went the mast. The rubber feet held, and the carbiners held, and the conduit held and the job line held.

I have a few modifications in mind. I have a winch lying around and will use that. I just ordered a remote for it.

So basically I walk the mast up but use the existing tackle as a pulley system and the conduit for stability. Either I planned well, or God watches out for fools, not sure which just yet. I will take some pics and you can see the eye bolts and so on. Obviously I did nto take pics doing this! Didn't seem to have that extra hand

My goal was to be self sufficient. Not count on having others around to help, and being able to haul out or launch from wherever I am. Joe, aka Trinka gave me some insight into a launch for Buzzars Bay, and I went out there and looked a week ago. So, I need to be sure I can launch and retrieve on my own if need be.

Believe me, I was shaking after the mast went up. And once it was up, I realized a made a slight error. I did not bring the pin with me for the tablernackle! I had to yell for some assistance to toss me that part.

So, I few minor tweaks and I think it is an ideal solution. As I say I will pst some pics of the parts used.

Happy sailing.

 

[billh]

Ah. there are the images of the parts...

 

[Joe11688]

Ah. there are the images of the parts...

Excellent! I think it's important for everyone to choose his or her own method of mast raising/lowering an try to improve on it. I've made about five different changes to my mast raising through the years and I think I have it the way I like it, right now.

On the tabernacle pins; I leave them in the tabernacle and when I go to pin the mast, I stick the front pin in my pocket after rolling the mast back and pinning the rear pin on the tabernacle.

I'm planning on splashing my boat this morning at the club. That means that I need to get out there early this morning and take my mast down and get the boat ready for the road so I can get her launched for the 11:00 AM High Tide. If I get there in enough time, I'll raise the mast while she's on the trailer, otherwise I'll just splash her and raise the mast at the dock.

I'll probably be dragging my butt late this afternoon when I get home. Heck, I may even take a snooze in the cabin at the dock after I get her all put together.
Good luck with the mast raising!
Joe