2005 Hunter 25 w/ roller furler - mast stepping challenges

[Cap'nCook]

Recently purchased the boat and am trying to practice raising/lowering the mast so I can trailer sail the boat. I'm able to raise the mast with roller furler but can't ever get it to rest in the mast base plate fully to a point I'm able to attach the roller furler shackle to the stem head fitting. The mast doesn't rest in the base plate to where it's fully vertical. It is about a half inch off the deck plate and therefore I can't get the roller furler off the gin pole and attached to the stem head fitting (about 10" short). Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Is there something I can do to pull the mast forward and "gently" force it into the mast base plate?

NOTE: With my main sheet, gin pole, and roller furler setup the gin pole is quite a bit forward when I begin raising so I don't ever pull the mast fully vertical. I have to have someone try to hold/push the mast while I attempt to pull the roller furler and attach. I suspect this may be my issue. I have no mechanical leverage in which to pull the mast completely vertical because I've exhausted the main sheet before the mast is completely vertical. The furler/headstay seems to be longer than it needs to be in order to make that work.

 

[rgranger]

Pics please

 

[Cap'nCook]

Thanks rgranger.... I'll have to attempt again tomorrow and provide pictures.

 

[Timm R Oday25]

Without pictures ,I'm only guessing at possible solutions . Is it possible your gin pole is to long by an inch or so? I use a dedicated rope that lets me cleat off anywhere in the raising and lowering of the mast .

 

[Cap'nCook]

My next attempt today will be to add a rope to the top of the mast that can slip thru once raised. Hopefully it'll help pull it forward just a bit more. If I had a spinnaker halyard that would work beautifully. I'll take pictures of the process and post them.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@Cap'nCook
First a few pictures please. Then send me a private message with phone number to call.
Former Hunter dealer and I designed that mast raise system

dave

 

[Cap'nCook]

Thanks Dave. I'm about to go out and raise once more so I can get pictures of the process and then will message you with contact info.

 

[Cap'nCook]

Mast resting in support and gin pole installed. Gin pole looks fine here, but jib hasn't been pulled tight. Once tight the gin pole is forward quite a bit more than I'd like.

Once I've raised the mast and exhausted the main sheet the mast is still quite a bit short of vertical.

With some assistance we can get the gap to close a bit more, but still short of being able to attach to the stem head fitting.

I do believe that I can use another line to pull the mast forward enough to secure the jib to the stem head fitting, but still wonder if I'm doing something wrong with the system as intended.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Spoke with owner today and went over mast raising in detail. His furler is not a FF 2 CDI but there is a turning block above the forestay and no spinnaker. That solves the issue. I told him to gett another halyard Ten feet longer than the jib halyard to use to raise the mast raising pole. once he gets it , he will advise and will go in depth and report then

Told him to raise the pole upward and get a new longer mainsheet with 10 more feet
@Cap’nhook. Never raise the furler attached to the mast raise pole but leave it on the deck parallel with the pole

 

[Cap'nCook]

Thank you @Crazy Dave Condon . I have a Spinnaker halyard on order to allow for mast raising without stressing the gin pole. Thank you for all your advice and wisdom.

For those with a Schaefer CF-500. It requires the use of jib halyard to lift the top roller which doesn't allow for use of the jib halyard to raise the mast. Also, make sure you have enough main sheet to ease the gin pole slightly aft. These were my issues.

 

[Sailavie1]

I have the same boat and don’t use the roller Furler (fore stay wire) to raise the mast. Instead, I use the halyard line to raise the mast. The key is to have the halyard sorter than the fore stay (furler) so that the mast is able to stand vertical and fully in the base. You need to ensure the halyard line is secured and tied off well.

 

[Cap'nCook]

I have the same boat and don’t use the roller Furler (fore stay wire) to raise the mast. Instead, I use the halyard line to raise the mast. The key is to have the halyard sorter than the fore stay (furler) so that the mast is able to stand vertical and fully in the base. You need to ensure the halyard line is secured and tied off well.

Thank you @Sailavie1

We nearly had the system "working" using the furler, but @Crazy Dave Condon quickly noticed that I was putting undue stress on the gin pole and urged me to stop using the furler to raise the mast. As you'll notice in the pictures, the gin pole was not at 90 degrees to the mast and likely near failure.

I'm unable to use the jib halyard because it is used at the top of the furler to hold the top roller bearing assembly up at the top of the forestay. However, I do have an additional block at the top of the mast for a spinnaker halyard so I have another halyard on the way that I can use instead of the jib halyard. That should solve my lifting problem.

The reason the mast wasn't settling fully on the mast step plate - the shackles on my shrouds binding at the chainplate. The issue was sorta hidden by the boots and mostly exaggerated by my inexperience. This was all realized during the last attempt we were performing to get pictures to post. Once we straightened shackles the mast settled nearly all the way down and I believe once I have the proper lifting halyard we will be in business.

 

[Sailavie1]

Good to hear you got it fully up. Yes, those shackles tend to bind when lifting the mast. I loosely tie the side stays in a vertical position to the stanchions before lifting the mast to prevent them from binding.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Studs in the turnbuckle is what bends, not shackles. A long bungee wrapped around the shroud s would help during raising but stop raising the mast at 50 degrees and shake out the shroud turnbuckles