Your H26 Mast Raising direction for a new owner needed

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 5, 2013

SEND ME AN EMAIL TO davecondon@mindspring.com with phone number and I will call you. I think you might want to try me since I designed the mast raise system and it is the same as a 260 except you must add the bridle wires to the side of the mast so the mast will not fall sideways. Talk with ya soon

crazy dave condon

John23883 · Apr 8, 2013

Raising the H26 mast is pretty easy.

Do you have a manual? If not, go here: http://www.ayesail.net/sailing/MainSailingPage.html
1. Pull the pivot pin from the mast base and set it next to the base.
2. Slide the mast back and insert the pin in the mast base.
3. ATTACH THE MAST BRIDLES!! I keep mine rolled up and in the anchor locker at all times so I can’t attach the main sheet without seeing the bridle wires. Did I mention, ATTACH THE MAST BRIDLES!!
4. Grab the upper and lower shrouds, lift them and lay them forward, check the lower shrouds where they attach to the mast, making sure the black rubber pieces are in place, lift up on the turn-buckles and lay them forward as best you can, so they are ready to lift upward. THEY WILL BEND. Trust me on this.
5. Attach the main sheet to the padeye in the anchor locker.
6. Take the gin pole and attach the jib halyard to one attachment point on the gin pole.
7. Attach the main sheet to the other attachment point.
8. Lift the pole up and into the hole in the mast base.
9. Pull on the jib sheet until the gin pole is leaning 10 deg. to the stern. If you leave the pole vertical, you will cause the blocks (pulleys) on the main sheet to come together before the mast is fully raised. Then you will have to lower it, lean the pole back and do it again. But. Better to lower it and do it again than to try something dangerous or potentially damaging.
10. Lock the jib sheet on the cleat on the mast.
11. Do you have a jib furler? I have a 4” PVC pipe about 6 feet long that is cut in half length-wise and bolted together to form an “H” that I put on the deck and set the boom in while trailering. I set this on the foredeck aimed at the bow and set the furler in the one end. As I raise the mast, the furler slides forward in the pipe instead of bouncing on the deck.
12. Put your gloves on! Make sure you have shoes on.
13. If you have a helper, have them standing on the ground watching and guiding the turn-buckles on one side of the boat. You will watch the other side later. Having your helper on the ground on one side also prevents them from being hit by a falling mast!
14. Sit on the deck with one or both feet braced in the anchor locker.
15. PULL. The first few pulls are a bugger, but after that it gets easier.
16. Once the mast is up a bit and you can stand and pull, but not so high as to bend the turn-buckles, walk back and watch the turn-buckles on your side of the boat. Adjust as necessary.
17. Pull on the main sheet while watching turn-buckles until you can see they are vertical enough and cannot get bent.
18. Walk forward and grab your forestay/furler.
19. Have your helper climb the bow ladder and pull the pin for the forestay.
20. Hand your helper the forestay/furler. One last yank, or two, on the main sheet and have them insert the pin and circlip.
21. Take your foot, with your shoe on, and step on the main sheet at the cam cleat to unlock it.
22. Done!
23. PUT THE BRIDLE WIRES IN THE ANCHOR LOCKER.
John

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 9, 2013

The major idfference with the 260 and 26 system, are the mast stabilizer side wires sometimes referred to as the bridle wires to stabilize the mast sidewas for the 26.

crazy dave

Deadline · Apr 9, 2013

Whatever you do...

1. Go with Crazy Dave, who's not crazy. I bought a Hunter 320 from him in Wilmington NC, and he's the beset.
2. Have a helper nearby to pin the forestay to the bow once you Iwo Jima the mast upward. It can be anyone passing by, since it will only take a moment. You can't be in two place at once, trust me on that.

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 10, 2013

Deadline;

Not sure who you are but thank you for the kind words. In Williamsburg, VA now? email me at davecondon@mindspring.com

Forrest15112 · Apr 10, 2013

John23883 said:
Do you have a manual? If not, go here: http://www.ayesail.net/sailing/MainSailingPage.html
1. Pull the pivot pin from the mast base and set it next to the base.
2. Slide the mast back and insert the pin in the mast base.
3. ATTACH THE MAST BRIDLES!! I keep mine rolled up and in the anchor locker at all times so I can’t attach the main sheet without seeing the bridle wires. Did I mention, ATTACH THE MAST BRIDLES!!
4. Grab the upper and lower shrouds, lift them and lay them forward, check the lower shrouds where they attach to the mast, making sure the black rubber pieces are in place, lift up on the turn-buckles and lay them forward as best you can, so they are ready to lift upward. THEY WILL BEND. Trust me on this.
5. Attach the main sheet to the padeye in the anchor locker.
6. Take the gin pole and attach the jib halyard to one attachment point on the gin pole.
7. Attach the main sheet to the other attachment point.
8. Lift the pole up and into the hole in the mast base.
9. Pull on the jib sheet until the gin pole is leaning 10 deg. to the stern. If you leave the pole vertical, you will cause the blocks (pulleys) on the main sheet to come together before the mast is fully raised. Then you will have to lower it, lean the pole back and do it again. But. Better to lower it and do it again than to try something dangerous or potentially damaging.
10. Lock the jib sheet on the cleat on the mast.
11. Do you have a jib furler? I have a 4” PVC pipe about 6 feet long that is cut in half length-wise and bolted together to form an “H” that I put on the deck and set the boom in while trailering. I set this on the foredeck aimed at the bow and set the furler in the one end. As I raise the mast, the furler slides forward in the pipe instead of bouncing on the deck.
12. Put your gloves on! Make sure you have shoes on.
13. If you have a helper, have them standing on the ground watching and guiding the turn-buckles on one side of the boat. You will watch the other side later. Having your helper on the ground on one side also prevents them from being hit by a falling mast!
14. Sit on the deck with one or both feet braced in the anchor locker.
15. PULL. The first few pulls are a bugger, but after that it gets easier.
16. Once the mast is up a bit and you can stand and pull, but not so high as to bend the turn-buckles, walk back and watch the turn-buckles on your side of the boat. Adjust as necessary.
17. Pull on the main sheet while watching turn-buckles until you can see they are vertical enough and cannot get bent.
18. Walk forward and grab your forestay/furler.
19. Have your helper climb the bow ladder and pull the pin for the forestay.
20. Hand your helper the forestay/furler. One last yank, or two, on the main sheet and have them insert the pin and circlip.
21. Take your foot, with your shoe on, and step on the main sheet at the cam cleat to unlock it.
22. Done!
23. PUT THE BRIDLE WIRES IN THE ANCHOR LOCKER.
John

This is exactly how I raise mine on my 23.5. I just stand over the forward hatch and raise it from there. I can raise up until the last 3-4 inches with one hand, then it gets tight. One thing I do is initially raise a foot or so off the crutch and then lower, loosen the jib sheet and retighten to get any stretch out of the line. The worst things are when you get it almost all the way up, but the mainsheet blocks are touching, or the forestay is around a spreader, etc. The fractional rig is pretty tight and you won't be able to just push or pull it by the forestay to get that extra two inches you need. The first time will take you an hour or so, but if you setup a couple times a month, you'll eventually get it up in 10 minutes.

I used a quick-pin to attach the forestay and it worked well. There is always tension on the forestay and it will not slip out. I've also lost clevis pins and quick pins overboard when rigging on the water and always keep a couple of spares on board.

Deucer · Apr 16, 2013

ABK,

You might want to give a quick description of your mast. It's probably exactly as Forest and John describes, but then again, it might be different. I've got a Charleston spar on my 260 and the lines run different than most people's. Maybe Crazy Dave know more, but I've got some things I've got to do different.

Also, once you master the raising, you might want to look into using an ATV winch to do the pulling. A poster here named Soling sold me on the idea and it really makes things MUCH easier and quicker.

Deucer
1998 H260

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 17, 2013

Deucer;

I responded to your email with a couple of questions. Please advise with your phone number.

crayz dave condon