Mast raising single handed on a 272le

Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
I just bought a 87 272Le and it is on the hard for the winter. In the spring I'll be putting it back in the water . Is there a easy way for one person to raise the mast?
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Yes. Rig a metal tube gin pole that mounts to the base of the mast and runs forward to the bow chainplate. You will use an eye bolt on top of the gin pole to connect the forestay and an eyebolt on bottom to attach your boom vang or other 4:1 block setup with cam cleat setup. You will need about 60 ft of 3/8 or 1/2" line for the block setup. Use your mainsail halyard to support the mast while you disconnect the forestay to connect to the gin pole. Connect and cleat your gin pole control line. Loosen your shrouds, but leave them connected for lateral support. Alternatively, you could rig baby shrouds connected to Ubolts on the deck at or aft of the midpoint of the mast for lateral support.
Mount a telescoping mast crutch in the stern of the cockpit to catch the mast as you lower it. The higher, better, but 6-8 ft should do.
My friend and I have stepped and lowered his Oday 26 mast in this way the last two seasons. Works great!

I will be doing my 272 mast next season.
My only reservation is the pin in the mast step plate. It seems under built. I might mount a double pin step plate like the 26 has.
Check you pin! They often get torn off!

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Andrew
Thanks for your help. Do you have any pictures so I can see how the gin pole works. How do you keep the mast from moving side to side while raising the mast? You mention alittle about this in your reply.
Thanks again
Chuck
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
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Andrew
Thanks for your help. Do you have any pictures so I can see how the gin pole works. How do you keep the mast from moving side to side while raising the mast? You mention alittle about this in your reply.
Thanks again
Chuck
Here are a couple pictures of the gin pole attached to a C22. As long as the forestay is centered on the mast, lowering the mast won't pull the mast to one side or the other. I made the mistake of using a halyard that was not centered on the masthead. It pulled the mast to one side and broke an A-frame leg! That was exciting!

Try to do this on level ground. I have done it on the water several times on an O'day 26. It works fine.
As far as lateral support, the shrouds will provide support as you raise or lower the mast. They will provide less support as you get close to the deck because they will be more slack. I have two baby shrouds rigged aft of my shrouds that have shroud cleats on the wire. I attach a line and can tighten it if I notice the mast trying to sway laterally from the center. You can also steer the mast laterally with the gin pole by pulling it port or starboard to steer the mast toward the crutch.

Youtube Gin Pole Mast Raising.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Hi Andrew,
The pictures you sent helped me alot. I'll start getting the parts together.
Thanks
Chuck
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
If you have a strap eyelet, a bail, or some attachment point at the forward base of your mast, you can connect your gin pole to that point with a shackle. The forestay and block lines will keep it standing upright. I designed mine to not rely on any hardware on the mast because I use it for several boats. If it were just for me, I would attach it to the spinnaker pole eye on the forward side of the mast. Also, the gin pole can be mounted at the base or up to 2 feet or so up the mast. It won't matter. Its use is to maintain the angle of the forestay to the block, not to hold weight.
Make your gin pole the length of the distance from the base of your mast to your forestay chainplate. You can make it a few inches shorter if you like. If you make it longer, your gin pole may not clear the bow pulpit as in the pictures. In the pictures, you see the gin pole being used above the bow pulpit. It worked fine too. I was using it on a C22. It was made for my 272 and my friend's 26.
Make sure you have at least 5 times the length of your gin pole in line attached to your blocks. I recently ordered a 4:1 boom vang setup with 70 ft of line specifically for my mast raising duties. That way, I don't have to change the line on my boom vang for the boat. I did not realize my boom vang line or mainsheet line would be too short! I ran out of line the first time I used the gin pole setup using my regular boom vang! At that point, the mast was about 2 - 2 1/2 feet from the crutch, and it was lined up, so we were able to lay it in. Whew!
It is really cool when you feel how easy it is to handle the weigh and length of the mast with the gin pole. Everyone worries about lateral stability, but if you are pulling in line with the center of the mast head, there will be only centering forces on the mast and pole. Plus, you will be able to stand next to the pole and steer it as you lower the mast.
I am building a telescoping crutch next out of aluminum tubing next.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
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Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Andrew ,
Where did you get your gin pole? Will you send me pictures when your get mast raising set up in the spring.
Thanks Chuck
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
I built the gin pole from 2 1/2" aluminum tube, a couple eye bolts, a large u-bolt, and a 4:1 boom vang rig with 75 ft of line. I cut the tube to match the length from the base of the mast to the forestay chainplate. I will build a telescoping mast crutch this "Winter."
 
Jun 1, 2007
265
O'Day 322 Mt.Sinai
Chuck, I agree with Andrew's comments above. . I'm considering making a gin pole system for my 272LE this winter as well. I was on a friends 272 this past summer and we lowered and raised his mast to pass through Shinnecock Canal here in Long Island, NY. His system is a one man show, very nice. Has a 10' 6" gin pole (spinnaker pole), baby stays and the lines as Andrew describes. Here's a link to some pics of a nice set-up from another Long Islander, Al. Look at pics 117-122. I notice he has a dual baby stay setup, one set for the gin pole, and one for the mast. I like that!

keep us posted on your progress

http://alphonse.zenfolio.com/boats/h4F736D68#h62389171
 
Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Thanks for the site to the pictures.
Where did he get the connection piece for the mast to the gin pole? I could'nt make out how the baby stays are set up.
Chuck
 
Jun 1, 2007
265
O'Day 322 Mt.Sinai
Not sure what Al used, but my friend has a very similar setup on his 272 and uses the spinnaker car on the mast.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
The baby stays should optimally be directly beside the mast, so they don't slacken as the mast is lowered. Thus, they maintain tension on the mast to port and starboard. If they were located aft of the mast, they would slacken as the mast is lowered, and this would offer less stability for the mast to port and starboard as it is lowered.
If you have ever lowered a mast with a gin pole, you would see that you can actually steer the mast with the gin pole. Keep the gin pole vertical, and the mast comes down straight. Push the gin pole to port, the mast sways to port...

The baby stays are only there to keep you from losing control of the mast to port or starboard.

Additionally, you do not need to through-bolt the gin pole to the mast. Just strap it, hook it, use a hanger/u-bolt, or something to keep it from falling off the mast.

Lastly, you will need a tall mast crutch at the rear of the cockpit to catch the mast. For the mast crutch to be able to telescope would be nice.

Thanks,
Andrew
 

Pat

.
Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
Andrew, funny you mentioned the pin at the base of the mast....mine broke many years ago, although
it is still in use and clearly still holds the mast in place...I watch(ed) it a lot but this will remind me to look
at it more often... Very Cold in Wichita.....w/snow on the way they say.....Patrick in Wichita
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Yeah. That pin is useless! I am considering replacing my mast step plate and mast base with the hinged unit used on the Oday 26. I need to keep the actual mast base because it has the sheeves built in for the internal halyards. I am considering cutting the protruding fin off the bottom of the mast base and screwing the hinged base onto the modified cast aluminum base. I would then remove the mast step plate from the deck and screw the hinge base to the deck.

What do you think?

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Sep 7, 2009
74
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Andrew
My season is about to start in Pa. Did you put your 272LE in yet?
We had talked before and you sent me pictures of a smaller boat mast raising system.
Any pictures of the 272LE mast raising?
Chuck
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
The gin pole I used for the C22 and the Oday 26 is the same. It was originally sized for the 272. That worked fine for the 26, but I had to move the attachment for the blocks inward a few feet to match the chainplate position for the C22.
You will want a mast crutch to catch the mast. We used one about 8ft above the stern pulpit.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Oh. Still too cold to launch up here! It snowed 2" today! Crazy weather!
 
Dec 5, 2015
114
Oday 272LE Louisville, KY
Yes. Rig a metal tube gin pole that mounts to the base of the mast and runs forward to the bow chainplate. You will use an eye bolt on top of the gin pole to connect the forestay and an eyebolt on bottom to attach your boom vang or other 4:1 block setup with cam cleat setup. You will need about 60 ft of 3/8 or 1/2" line for the block setup. Use your mainsail halyard to support the mast while you disconnect the forestay to connect to the gin pole. Connect and cleat your gin pole control line. Loosen your shrouds, but leave them connected for lateral support. Alternatively, you could rig baby shrouds connected to Ubolts on the deck at or aft of the midpoint of the mast for lateral support.
Mount a telescoping mast crutch in the stern of the cockpit to catch the mast as you lower it. The higher, better, but 6-8 ft should do.
My friend and I have stepped and lowered his Oday 26 mast in this way the last two seasons. Works great!

I will be doing my 272 mast next season.
My only reservation is the pin in the mast step plate. It seems under built. I might mount a double pin step plate like the 26 has.
Check you pin! They often get torn off!

Thanks,
Andrew
Hi Andrew!

I just found out that the overhead block and tackle ( about 30' high) at the marine service that I use to raise and lower the mast on my 272 is broken and will not be fixed. I read your post about your gin pole. I may have to build one in a hurry. Was the aluminum tube that you used for your gin pole 1/8" or 0.125 thick?

Thanks,

Stan
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Haha! Correct. 1/8 sounds about right. Maybe 3/16, but not 1/4.
Measure the distance from the mast about 1 foot off the deck to the forestay chainplate.
Then, watch this:
 
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