1979 Lancer 28 ----Mounting Disc Antenna on Mast

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Feb 24, 2009
7
Lancer 28 Elberton, GA
Wife and I are staying on boat this week to knock out a couple projects--one being to mount an omnidirectional antenna to the top of the mast.

Any ideas how tall this mast is? Hard to gauge by eye. Could be 25 or 30 feet or more.

My wife isn't able to go up in a bosun chair and do the drilling and screwing necessary for the mounting. I weigh 240 so I am not sure I should go up in the chair although heights are not an issue for me. It is more a question of can the mast handle that much downward pressure from my weight?

Would it be better to lower the mast? We've never done it before. Is it simple? Could we just loosen or uncouple the back stay and lay it down without undoing anything else?

Does anyone have the instructions or links to the instructions to lower the mast?

In your opinion, what's the best way to work on the top of the mast?

Thanks!
 
Feb 24, 2009
7
Lancer 28 Elberton, GA
Good morning Nevermore. The mast on my 79 L25 is 27'11"
Thank you Steve.

I am now thinking that the ladder option is not going to work. Focusing now on the standing rigging----lowering the mast to work on the top of it.

How heavy could that mast be? 100 lbs.? 200 lbs.?
 
Nov 26, 2007
155
Lancer 25 SoCal
Not sure Nevermoor. Is you mast keel- or tabernacle-stepped? My 79 L25 is tabernacle-stepped and we easily raise and lower the mast without mechanical advantage. When I'm by myself I can raise / lower the mast using the boom as a gin pole.

Once the mast is on the ground I can carry it by myself...estimate 60 pounds(?) Hope this helps. Steve
 
Mar 26, 2012
23
Adventure Yachts Fantasia 35 Vancouver, BC
Manual is here:

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the owner manual is here:
http://sbo.sailboatowners.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=6300&Itemid=257

There are instructions in the manual.

BTW... Do not use a ladder! I've done it to reach my mast light, which is only half way up, and that's freaky enough, as your weight acts as a lever, and water provides little resistance. The further you go, the more you will lean.

I wouldn't go with a bosun's chair until you have had a chance to inspect the integrity of the upper rigging!

One explanation I gleaned from the internet was:

mast lowering

You might want to check out your mast before lowering, there is a radius
cut on the mast on the forward or aft side of the mast, that is the
direction you want to lower it. I tried to raise my mast using the Lancer
28 manual and discovered that it won't work that way, at least it didn't
for me. Just my opinion, but my mast is designed to lower aft, with or
without a gin pole. I know that the companionway hatch cover complicates
things but the spreaders and shrouds are swept aft, shouldn't be necessary
to do more than loosen the shrouds and stays and lower it using the anchor
windlass. Attaching guys as in the 28 manual is fine, but the measurement
is a little off, the guys should be attached in line with the tabernacle
bolt and should be minded by someone during lowereing, if they tighten up
too tight, they can bend your toe rail. My experience raising using the 28
manual was a disaster although of my own making. The best advice I can
give you is to get help from a rigger the first time you do it, make a
checklist with every step listed, GET HELP, whoever is in charge needs to
watch everything, not work the winch, not steady the mast, not hold a guy
line. Make sure the weather is right for the operation, no wind. It's
might be helpful to fashion a mast crutch for the cockpit that will allow
you to rest the mast before it comes down on the hatch cover. there's a
guy out there named Ernest Gagny that sometimes watches this forum, Brian
might have contact info on him, the man used to sell Lancers, and owns a
gorgeous 27ps, I'd guess he might have better info than I do. Heres my
personal disclaimer to go along with all the half baked advice, I've never
lowered my mast, nor have I succesfully raised it, I'm still finishing my
double spreader replacement as time/money permits. All this aside, Good
luck, hope your project goes smooth as silk.
Rich

 
Sep 27, 2010
18
Lancer 28 Ventura, CA
I posted this 10/2012, my mast step is a u-shape stainless steel , bolted to the top of the cabin . It has a slot on each side to allow the bolt in the mast to ride up as the mast is lowered. I think a 2x4 A-Frame mast crutch in the cockpit is a good idea . This will keep the mast from hitting the top of the cabin. You can work on your mast, and haul it back up.
My lancer 28 1982 is on a trailer, I need to step the mast each time I sail. I have to step the mast at the dock when launching and go under the low bridge, then sailing. I have mast rest on the stern pulpit with a roller on it. It is made of 1x10 pine board with the roller on the top. When in place, it is held on to the pulpit by starch cords. The roller is 8in. above the pulpit. This mast rest is used in place with the mast resting on it and the bow pulpit, when I travel from storage to the ramp. To rise the mast, I roll the mast from the bow pulpit (holding the base of the mast in my hand) to the mast step and place the bolt in the base. The mast is now hanging out the back of the boat. I only disconnect the head stay, the back stay and the shrouds are not taken off, but loosened about an ½ in each for the rising or lowering. I use two 10 ft 2x4s with a bolt at one end to make an A-FRAME. The feet of the a-frame rest on the chine plates on each side of the boat. At the top of the a-frame I have a steel ring that I attach the head stay and a block and tackle (3 perch pulley system). Connect the other end of block and tackle to the bow. Now the a-frame is up in the air with the feet resting on the chine plates. The head stay from the mast up to the, and the block an tackle down to the bow. Pull the block and tackle until the mast is up. Disconnect the a-frame, connect the head stay, adjust up the back stay and shrouds. I use a line on each shroud about 2 ft off the deck guide the mast up or down. If you are lowering the mast only sometimes you can use a couple of cushions on the back pulpit so went the mast is lowered it won't hit the top of the cabin.
 
Nov 26, 2007
155
Lancer 25 SoCal
The current Good Old Boat issue 90 (May/June) on page 56-57 has a mast raising solution.
 
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