Attaching a Mast to a 74' O'day 20

Joe11688 · Aug 21, 2010

Danny Correll said:
Hello, I'm new to your forum! I have sailed with others for a few years now. On Aug. 15th, 2010 I purchased my first sailboat, a 74' O'day 20 with a 63' 10 hp Evinrude. With the help of others I placed the mast in it's mounting bracket ontop the boat. However, we truly struggled doing this task. Please help with suggestions in assembling and taking down the mast. I would truly appreciate pictures or videos to illustrate.

God Bless, Dan

Dan,
You may want to look into building a Gin Pole and a mast crutch.
http://slowflight.net/upgrades/tips-GinPole.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKjUi2h0mX8

These two sites can give you some ideas needed to build the Gin Pole. I think that the mast crutch in the stern is as important as the Gin Pole. In most cases if you don't have a roller furler, you could get away without the temporary stays. You can also use a block and tackle for raising the mast instead of the small boat winch. I use my boom vang which has an extra long line on it, for mast raising. The mast crutch can be fitted with a small roller to allow you to roll the mast back and forth. Two important things need to be adhered to when raising/lowering the mast. 1. The boat needs to be level. 2. The wind needs to be coming directly from the stern. Just stand on top of the sliding hatch with the line from the blocks in your hand and guide the mast up. Check to make sure that there are no twists or snags in the stays and turnbuckle. In other words, take your time and watch everything as the mast goes up. Years ago, I trailered my O'Day 222 every week and put the mast up with just the mast crutch. Today I use the Gin Pole and keep my boat in the water at the yacht club. Once you develop a plan it becomes pretty easy after a while.

LordNelson · Aug 22, 2010

i have an 74 oday 20 and made a gin pole based upon joe's and other's designs. it works well. i mounted a winch on the gin pole which works well, but that increases the weight of the pole which makes it harder to handle until you actually start crankiing up the mast.

i lift the mast up slightly to get a better "bite" and then my wife cranks it up. you have to watch the turnbuckles to make sure they don't get caught and bend. (next year i am going to try wrapping a piece of foam noddle around them to keep them upright.)

i find i have to lift the mast some to get the pin in the tabernacle to start the process. i plan on making a new adjustable boom crutch to aide make it easier.

i used a 2by4 for the gin pole. if i had to do it over, i might spring for aluminum tubing to make it lighter and easier to handle. also, my winch is oversized and heavy. it is best is you find a winch which "locks" in both directions in case you have to stop and make adjustments.

Johan S. · Oct 20, 2010

Why do people on here make things so complicated!!!!!
Danny, this is very easy to do....
With the mast laying on the top of the boat and the bottom of the mast pinned to the tabernacle..
1st fasten the sidestays
2nd fasten the backstay
3rd Standing on deck, grab mast and raise it up and apply forward force.
Once vertical, grab forestay and pulling forward on it - let go of mast completely. Keep pulling forward and kneel down and clip it.. DONE!

LordNelson · Oct 20, 2010

if it was that easy, i wouldn't have made the gin pole.

Joe11688 · Oct 20, 2010

I think that both of you guys are right. Mast raising can be easy or it can be hard. It all depends on your age, strength, and whether you have a furler. If you're young enough to bull a mast up and down by hand without a roller furler, and you do a lot of trailer sailing, then by all means build a mast crutch with a roller in it to support the mast. Then attach a single sheave to the rear hole in your bow plate for a 3/8"X60' line to connect to your Jib halyard shackle. All your stays save the fore stay can be left connected to the chainplates and bungeed when en route to the ramp. The sail can be on the boom with the sail cover on, inside the cabin and ready to go on the mast when it's up. At the ramp: Make sure that you set the boat and trailer on a level surface with the wind coming from directly toward the stern. I used to sometimes launch the boat first and raise the mast at the dock but most of the time I did the mast raising while the boat was on the trailer because of the better stability. The first task was to mount my Davis Windex to the extension bracket near the mast head. I used a wing nut for that. Then remove the bungees but leave one on for the fore stay so it doesn't flop around when your raising the mast. I'd close the companionway hatch cover and move the mast aft. This is where the small roller in that mast crutch really comes in handy. If you don't have that, you have to pick the mast up and walk it back to the cockpit. Not such a good idea. Can you stand on the closed companionway hatch on an O'Day 20? I really don't know but this is where I stood when I raised my mast years ago with the 60' line attached to the jib halyard in my hand. This line is of no use until the mast is almost up. Then you can take it around the the mast above the goose neck fitting on the mast so it doesn't slide down. Then pull the slack out of the rope and tie it to the bow cleat. The mast is up and you can take your time connecting the fore stay to the forward most hole in the bow plate. You need to make sure that no stays or turnbuckles get caught or twisted when you're raising the mast.
Now on the other hand,--"four thumbs and a finger",-- if you're a "Geezer" like me and you have a CDI Roller Furler and you only launch once a year and pull it out at the end of the year, by all means go for the Gin Pole. :dance:
Ahoy!
Joe

Attaching a Mast to a 74' O'day 20

Danny Correll

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Joe11688

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Attachments

LordNelson

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Johan S.

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LordNelson

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Joe11688

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