Mast raising gin pole

[Doug J]

I have a H26. I believe the mast raising pole should be pretty much be the same on the 23.5, just shorter, 76 inches vs. 101 inches. The manual specifies 1" I.P.S SCH 40-6061 alloy. The mast end has a groove to fit inside the hole in the base of the mast. You just insert the pole into the hole. No need for a bolt or brackets that swivel up and down.

If I were you I would either order a mast raising system from the site store, $189.95, or make one to the OEM specs.

https://shop.hunterowners.com/hp/part.php?m=23.5&c=6&p=54701

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Use of a whisker pole in less thickness of the larger former mast raise thick walled aluminum or the stainless steel counterpart will result in collapse. With regard to what ever is being used, I have always instructed never to grab the pole in the middle to assist in raising or lowering; otherwise, the pole will collapse and either the boat or someone will get hurt or both.

 

[Submarine]

Yeah there isn't any hole or mount on the 25.5 for a mast raising system so I'm on my own. I guess Hunter didn't intend this boat to be a trailer sailer, which makes sense when I found the pad eye for the bow was cheesy and aftermarket, and the bow is made so I can't put a two pronged one lower where it will allow the winch to pull the boat forward not down (so I guess the winch is getting repositioned at some point).

Thanks for the tip Dave, I will be raising this on my own most likely so no chance of grabbing it but I will be sure to let anyone know who lends a hand.

 

[carboman]

http://www.sailingtexas.com/Movies/Hunter23lowermast/hunter23lowermast.html

 

[Submarine]

I'd try to attach the pole to the steel bracket so it can swivel up and down with respect to the mast. Once the jib halyard is fixed to hold it about right angles to the mast, and you use your hauling line to raise it, it won't swivel up and down. I do mine that way, and I find it easier when I lower the mast, as once down I can just loosen the lines, let it swivel so it is horizontal, then unbolt it.

How about using an external forestay/staysail tang riveted to the mast near the base as an attachment point for the gin pole? I kind of like the idea of just drilling a few rivet holes, and then I could drill a hole for the gin pole to bolt or clevis pin to the tang so it would swivel like you are describing.

 

[Doug J]

Looks like this thread is mixing up the question of mast stepping for two different boats, the Hunter 23.5 and the 25.5. The original post by stackwalker was about the 23.3, which does incorporate a factory mast raising system, no need for additional brackets!!!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Doug J;
That was the 23. The 23.5 of course was the first water ballast boat with that designation and the 23 wing keel was referred to as the 23. As for the 25.5, that was an earlier different style keel boat than the water ballast.

Regarding the above referenced video for mast raising with attachment to the base of the stanchions, many did not recommend that to include me. Why, because that base failed and the mast would fall and guess what, masts were replaced and one by me.

 

[Submarine]

Ok so today the repurposed pool skimmer pole failed because I was raising the mast a bit before I could get my rigged side support system on and it fell off the side of the rear support and broke the pole at the base. I guess that's a good thing that it was weak enough to break and not damage anything.

So I redesigned the side support and I'm going to buy a 2x4 instead and use a winch system on the pole instead of the mainsheets attached to the bow. Even with the mainsheets all the way extended I couldn't get the gin pole to be perpendicular to the mast, it was more leaning towards the bow / like that. What concerns me is the angle from the gin pole to the bow, it's \ from the pole down instead of being an extension of the hypotenuse side of the triangle. I wonder if it would be better to anchor the winch side line to my truck so it pulls outwards more.

 

[justsomeguy]

...not damage anything.

Thank goodness!
Here's my system.
https://tomeshew.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/stepping-the-mast-with-a-gin-pole/

 

[Submarine]

Does your winch ratchet in both directions? I couldn't find one that did locally yesterday unless I wanted to drive across town (and the online descriptions were questionable) so I ordered one from Amazon that came today. It's a beast! 2500lbs so way overkill for what I need, but it does ratchet bi-directionally.

I like your pole setup better than the 2x4 I'm using now. I was tempted to go that route but just did the wood as I was frustrated and didn't want to make another trip to the hardware store for mounting bolts after the winch came. I would like to get a ~600lb bi-directional winch instead of this behemoth I have now.

I'll attach some pictures of what I'm doing today but it's all going to come down now and I'll rework the whole idea. This setup is just too unwieldy.

 

[justsomeguy]

Does your winch ratchet in both directions?

No. Makes lowering the mast more exciting.
Most folks use a brake winch, similar to the Mac 25s keel winch.

 

[Submarine]

So I might be stuck with this monster winch. I will have to search around. I think I will shorten the pigtail I am connecting the halyards and pulley to, or use an eyebolt and a smaller pulley.

 

[justsomeguy]

So I might be stuck with this monster winch.

If so, you might want to reverse the wraps on the winch drum?

 

[Submarine]

Are you saying it's wound wrong or upside down? That's how it came straight out of the box. I was trying to do this in 110 degree heat so bear with me lol

 

[justsomeguy]

Are you saying it's wound wrong or upside down? That's how it came straight out of the box. I was trying to do this in 110 degree heat so bear with me lol

Yah, the shadows do seem to indicate that you were out in the mid-day sun.
I just noticed that the cable takes a bit of a turn around the selector's axle. A wear point that I thought could be eliminated if wrapped in the other direction.
Could be I worry too much, too.

 

[Daveinet]

When the mast is nearly all the way down, there is quite a bit of compression force on the gin pole. I'd be nervous to not have a pretty heavy pole. For mine, I use a broken section of boom that I stumbled on. Its not that tall, and doesn't engage the forestay until the mast is about 20 degrees aft. I have a 3rd cable that it hangs on that angles up to the whisker pole ring.

 

[isaksp00]

Keep in mind that winch is probably for a boat trailer, and the way it was wrapped from the factory would support the wire going from the bottom of the drum straight toward the bow eye. The way you are using it has the pull going vertically. If the ratchet action is symmetrical in speed, I'd unwind it all the way and then wind it the other way on the drum.

 

[Doug J]

That 2x4 looks like it could split under the pressure of that cable. Why aren't you using a metal pipe? You went from a flimsy aluminum skimmer pole, that I have to say was foolish to try in the first place, to a 2x4, without going to an adequately sized metal pole. Even your A-frame attachment point on the mast looks iffy.

I still think you'd be better off with something like the 23.5 gin pole.

You can have the bracket attachment at the base of the mast. Then just use baby stays. You don't need a solid A-frame. You can even use braided line for the stays. The baby stays just keep the mast from falling to the side before the shrouds tighten up.

I had a Macgregor 26S, very same setup. It used braided line for the stays. My Hunter 26 uses wire, same concept.

Here's some pic's of the Mac 26S I had. (loved that boat!)

 

[ronkS2]

Before raising the mast i read up on things to watch and the turnbuckles binding seemed to be number one issue. What i did was stand the turnbuckle up as if the mast was already mounted. Then i took electrical tape looped it around the standing rigging on each side and around the life line. HERE is the IMPORTANT part, only let the tape touch for about a half inch so it breaks free easily. If you put three or four tight loops around it, i have no idea the carnage you will create. Everything went up really sweet.

Good luck and be careful
Ron

 

[Daveinet]

The one thing that bothers me from the posts I'm seeing is that there are no side to side cabling on the gin pole. What keeps the gin pole from falling over and dropping the mast?
Also trying to figure out why one would bother with an extra winch, since the main sheet works very well for that function.
My forestay sits in a notch on the top of the gin pole. This way it doesn't have to catch the short gin pole till it is part way leaned aft. I trailer the boat. It takes me about 10 minutes to have the mast up, from the time I arrive at the launch area. everything is quick and simple. The mast crutch is also what holds the mast when it is trailered. It has a roller, so all I do is grab the lower part of the mast and roll it back, so I can put the base in the step.