m shure this is a simple question with a simple answer but need to ask. I bought a used 18.5' Hunter with trailer (mid 80's) and am putting the boat into the ocean from a ramp. How do you step the mast? It has a bracket on the top of the cabin (does not go through a hole to a bracket in hull) and a pin on the stern end of the bracket. What is an easy way to step up the mast? The previolus owner has most of the stays already in place with the mast horizontal and parallel to the boat for trailering. Anyone have expereince? Thanks for your help! RJParker Coast of maine
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I know I will catch some lip for this so here goes
The easy answer is that you need about 4 people and a length of line to extend the forestay with and a mast crutch and fulcrum (or tabernacle as you have indicated the mast is deck stepped). You place the foot of the mast in the tabernacle and raise it from the stern while 2 people pull the forestay from ahead in the parking lot (you are still in your trailer). The next thing you have to do is connect all the stays to their chainplates using probably Clevis pins and Cotter pins. Then you relax and tune the rig. The more difficult answer is how do you do it with only 2 people? I recently unstepped the mast of my 19' Lightning with just my wife as help by backing it up on the trailer (with straps on of course) so it's mast was about 4' from an overhanging limb of an oak tree some 25' up. I threaded a messenger line over the tree limb using a fishing pole with a weight attached to it and then pulled over another line I attached a block (pulley) at the end of which another line ran through. The pulley was hoisted up to above half the mast height and a bowline (loop knot) was tied around the lower mast and raised to the spreaders (also about half way up the mast). My wife took the line that controlled the weight of the mast (I can lift the mast but manouvering it when it is upright is difficult) and we were able to lower it quite easily as the temporary 'crane' took care of most of the instability as it was attached to the mast at its middle or center of gravity (if it were horizontal). McGregor sailboats also offers a mast raising solution if you can rig it to your boat and there is always the old Gin pole setup for helping but you will have to google all of that. I wish you good luck at your next mast stepping! It can be interesting and you will learn something if not sweat a bit.
The easy answer is that you need about 4 people and a length of line to extend the forestay with and a mast crutch and fulcrum (or tabernacle as you have indicated the mast is deck stepped). You place the foot of the mast in the tabernacle and raise it from the stern while 2 people pull the forestay from ahead in the parking lot (you are still in your trailer). The next thing you have to do is connect all the stays to their chainplates using probably Clevis pins and Cotter pins. Then you relax and tune the rig. The more difficult answer is how do you do it with only 2 people? I recently unstepped the mast of my 19' Lightning with just my wife as help by backing it up on the trailer (with straps on of course) so it's mast was about 4' from an overhanging limb of an oak tree some 25' up. I threaded a messenger line over the tree limb using a fishing pole with a weight attached to it and then pulled over another line I attached a block (pulley) at the end of which another line ran through. The pulley was hoisted up to above half the mast height and a bowline (loop knot) was tied around the lower mast and raised to the spreaders (also about half way up the mast). My wife took the line that controlled the weight of the mast (I can lift the mast but manouvering it when it is upright is difficult) and we were able to lower it quite easily as the temporary 'crane' took care of most of the instability as it was attached to the mast at its middle or center of gravity (if it were horizontal). McGregor sailboats also offers a mast raising solution if you can rig it to your boat and there is always the old Gin pole setup for helping but you will have to google all of that. I wish you good luck at your next mast stepping! It can be interesting and you will learn something if not sweat a bit.
Thanks
Thak you for your response. Sounds like I will need some help because I looked for tree limbs that might prove useful at the ramp without any luck. Thanks again! RJParker
Thak you for your response. Sounds like I will need some help because I looked for tree limbs that might prove useful at the ramp without any luck. Thanks again! RJParker
You might consider the Gin pole technique
which can get a little bit more involved than my temporary 'crane' technique if you don't have a handy tree limb or other overhanging structure to use. Essentially the Gin pole is a temporary pole that would be attached to the mast by the foot (lower end) and stick up at right angles from the mast. The Gin pole is held in place by lines and you attach a pulley (block) at the end of the Gin pole. You would then thread a halyard (jib or main) through the block up forward and possibly extend with another length of line. The halyard can be led to your trailer winch or just pulled by someone out in front while you do the Iwo Jima pushing of the mast from below while the foot is in the tabernacle. As the mast comes up the Gin pole goes from vertical to horizontal. When the mast is up and secured you remove the whole apparatus. I have done some web searches on things like: "sailboat mast raising devices" and found some interesting stuff on the web, including movies of people doing it alone. Here is a link that has a picture of the Gin pole arrangement for raising the mast (scroll down a few pics). http://www.widgetsailor.com/owners/fred/mastup.html Good luck with all this.
which can get a little bit more involved than my temporary 'crane' technique if you don't have a handy tree limb or other overhanging structure to use. Essentially the Gin pole is a temporary pole that would be attached to the mast by the foot (lower end) and stick up at right angles from the mast. The Gin pole is held in place by lines and you attach a pulley (block) at the end of the Gin pole. You would then thread a halyard (jib or main) through the block up forward and possibly extend with another length of line. The halyard can be led to your trailer winch or just pulled by someone out in front while you do the Iwo Jima pushing of the mast from below while the foot is in the tabernacle. As the mast comes up the Gin pole goes from vertical to horizontal. When the mast is up and secured you remove the whole apparatus. I have done some web searches on things like: "sailboat mast raising devices" and found some interesting stuff on the web, including movies of people doing it alone. Here is a link that has a picture of the Gin pole arrangement for raising the mast (scroll down a few pics). http://www.widgetsailor.com/owners/fred/mastup.html Good luck with all this.
How tall is your mast?
My 22' boat has a 24' mast, my wife and I can step it easily, put the pin in the base an walk it up from the cabin, after 45 degrees I can lift it myself,but do it quickly so the mast doesn't have a chance to fall off to the side, the stays should stop it when you get to vertical, one person leans on it while the other hooks up forestay, make sure nothing is tangled before it goes up. Maybe have a third person the first time in case the backstay and shrouds are misadjusted. If you setup on the hard like we do, watch your step, its a long way down.
My 22' boat has a 24' mast, my wife and I can step it easily, put the pin in the base an walk it up from the cabin, after 45 degrees I can lift it myself,but do it quickly so the mast doesn't have a chance to fall off to the side, the stays should stop it when you get to vertical, one person leans on it while the other hooks up forestay, make sure nothing is tangled before it goes up. Maybe have a third person the first time in case the backstay and shrouds are misadjusted. If you setup on the hard like we do, watch your step, its a long way down.
Thaks, Again!
Thanks for the additional iformation. IT will come in very useful. Again, thanks for your time and asistance. May the wind always be favorable to you. Rick Parker
Thanks for the additional iformation. IT will come in very useful. Again, thanks for your time and asistance. May the wind always be favorable to you. Rick Parker
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