Hello all! I'm currently looking at buying a j24 for cheap, and am trying to gather some technical details for rigging, storage, etc... However, the most important of these is probably mast stepping. What I'd like to know, is: is there a way to step the mast on a j-24 without using a crane or lift of any sort while the boat is on a trailer?
J-24 Mast Stepping
- Thread starter LimenCoyle
- Start date
You can use a Gin pole. I think you can find a thread on this site that has some examples. Of course, there is always the "Iwo Jima" mast raising procedure. Not recommended but been done! ;-)
Google "j 24 gin pole" and you will come up with several posts on it.
See this link:http://www.sail.ie/justintimefiles/GIN_POLE_NOTES.pdf
Google "j 24 gin pole" and you will come up with several posts on it.
See this link:http://www.sail.ie/justintimefiles/GIN_POLE_NOTES.pdf
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It CAN be done, but its not for the weak of heart. Or arms. With all the standing rigging disconnected, 4-6 strong people have to lift the mast to vertical, and then walk it like that to align with the hole in the cabin top and lower it down. Lose control and it's over. Not something you want to do every day. The boat is also hard to trailer launch. Why do you want a j24 with all these issues? Its not a very comfortable boat to sail.
The guys that trailer their J-24s to bigger regattas, like the nationals or the worlds, will step & unstep their masts for each event that they drive to. It probably takes those guys about 15-20 minutes on average to get the rig up with no crane, but those are guys that have a fair amount of experience. I've seen a lot of guys do it. Each seems to have their own little method. I've seen it done with as few as 2 guys, but they were well rigged. Most set ups have a block at the bow & a line that goes from there to a winch. A variety of fulcrum arrangements have been used.
I want this boat because the price is insanely low for the small amount of fiber glass repair needed.
Check the deck carefully for softness in the balsa core particularly around any deck penetrations from hardware, chainplates! Thumping with the end of a screwdriver handle should result in a solid kind of ringing sound if it is OK. If you hear a dead, kind of low hollow sound, or you find softness when you walk on it, it's probably wet. Can be fixed relatively easily from the inside but takes some work. If it's wide-spread, pass on the boat IMO. Do the same on the bulkhead between the cabin and the V berth particularly where the chain plates are bolted to the bulkhead and look for stress cracks in the paint on that bulkhead from the shrouds having been too tightly adjusted - if that has been repainted - ask yourself why. Also suggest you go the the J/24 Class Assn website - there are lots of resources there on what to look for and look out for in a used boat.
I haven't seen it done that way, but it probably can be done. I am more comfortable using sheet winches mounted to the boat because they allow you better control & more feel. You have less chance of bending or breaking something with the hand powered winch.