I'm needing to know if you can actually raise the mast by yourself, or do you have to be in your 20's to get this done. I'm wanting to get back to trailer sailing and this is a big factor before I buy a 1995 H26.
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Yup did it all the time.
Of course this was with a gin pole and struts/or wires to hold mast center. Used the main sheet line attached to the gin pole and led the line aft to a winch and cranked away. Watching and adjusting the turn buckles as it went up. Jim S/V Java
Of course this was with a gin pole and struts/or wires to hold mast center. Used the main sheet line attached to the gin pole and led the line aft to a winch and cranked away. Watching and adjusting the turn buckles as it went up. Jim S/V Java
Absolutely
Jason, I have a 1994 23.5 which has the same mast raising system as the 26. It definitely is a one man job. Make sure the boat you are looking at buying has the gin pole that fits into the base of the mast facing the bow. Also, make sure it has the stabilizing cables that attach to the mast and to the stanchions. It is absolutely critical that you have the cables as they prevent the mast from swaying side to side when raising the mast. If the boat does not have them you are setting yourself up for disaster!*yks. The 240 and 260 have stabilizer bars that are permanently mounted instead of the cables. Once the mast is up and connected to the forestay you remove the gin pole and stabilizer cables and you are ready to go.
Jason, I have a 1994 23.5 which has the same mast raising system as the 26. It definitely is a one man job. Make sure the boat you are looking at buying has the gin pole that fits into the base of the mast facing the bow. Also, make sure it has the stabilizing cables that attach to the mast and to the stanchions. It is absolutely critical that you have the cables as they prevent the mast from swaying side to side when raising the mast. If the boat does not have them you are setting yourself up for disaster!*yks. The 240 and 260 have stabilizer bars that are permanently mounted instead of the cables. Once the mast is up and connected to the forestay you remove the gin pole and stabilizer cables and you are ready to go.
You betcha!
While I don't have to do it often (keep my boat in a slip), I have raised it three times since I've gotten it. Five if I count the dealer making me do it twice at his place before I took it home!
As long as you follow the directions (and the sage advice of the folks here who have posted a ton of advice that can be found in the archives) it's not bad at all. I take it easy and can have the mast up and boom on in about an hour or so. Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
While I don't have to do it often (keep my boat in a slip), I have raised it three times since I've gotten it. Five if I count the dealer making me do it twice at his place before I took it home!
As long as you follow the directions (and the sage advice of the folks here who have posted a ton of advice that can be found in the archives) it's not bad at all. I take it easy and can have the mast up and boom on in about an hour or so. Dave Crowley s/v Wind Dreamer
H26 Mast Raising
The hardest part is shooing away all the people that want to help. This is really a one person job. The first three feet is the hardest, after that, the mast goes up, up, and away.... Lots in the archives and there is a checklist.
The hardest part is shooing away all the people that want to help. This is really a one person job. The first three feet is the hardest, after that, the mast goes up, up, and away.... Lots in the archives and there is a checklist.
Don't do it!
The risk is catastrophic to you and the boat. Get her all set up and snare a passerby for the one minute it takes for that person to pin the forestay. You'll be much better off, safer.
The risk is catastrophic to you and the boat. Get her all set up and snare a passerby for the one minute it takes for that person to pin the forestay. You'll be much better off, safer.
Bill - safety?
Bill - please elaborate! I raise my H23.5 mast by myself all the time. What exactly do you do while somebody else pins the forstay? Put your arms around the base of the mast in case the mast-raising bridals, mainsheet tackle, gin pole, gin pole swages, main halyard shackle or main halyard itself fail? I hadn't thought of those possibilities if that's what you meant. It seems to me the only safe place to be is at the bow pinning the forestay. If any of the above fail, the only place the mast can't fall is forward over the bow! ...RickM...
Bill - please elaborate! I raise my H23.5 mast by myself all the time. What exactly do you do while somebody else pins the forstay? Put your arms around the base of the mast in case the mast-raising bridals, mainsheet tackle, gin pole, gin pole swages, main halyard shackle or main halyard itself fail? I hadn't thought of those possibilities if that's what you meant. It seems to me the only safe place to be is at the bow pinning the forestay. If any of the above fail, the only place the mast can't fall is forward over the bow! ...RickM...
You can do it
I just moved up from a 240 to a 260. The 260 is definately more of a handfull to raise, but it can be done singlehanded. The 240 was a piece of cake to raise singlehanded, I used the mainsheet and did it from the front deck just pulling in the sheet, I did it everytime we went out. The 260 has eight feet more of mast and you need to run the sheet to a winch to get it up. I am adding a block to the bow pulpit to use the trailer winch to raise the mast. Less rigging involved and the trailer winch has more mechanical advantage.
I just moved up from a 240 to a 260. The 260 is definately more of a handfull to raise, but it can be done singlehanded. The 240 was a piece of cake to raise singlehanded, I used the mainsheet and did it from the front deck just pulling in the sheet, I did it everytime we went out. The 260 has eight feet more of mast and you need to run the sheet to a winch to get it up. I am adding a block to the bow pulpit to use the trailer winch to raise the mast. Less rigging involved and the trailer winch has more mechanical advantage.
26/260 is fine to singe hand mast...
just take your time and the requisite precautions. The forestay can be a real bear on other smaller boats, but these Hunters are really designed for ease. It's not the safety issue that arises with other boats.
just take your time and the requisite precautions. The forestay can be a real bear on other smaller boats, but these Hunters are really designed for ease. It's not the safety issue that arises with other boats.
Use a minute of silence ..
Yes I do the mast job myself all the time, though I'm 59 and not very strong. And I double the security with an extra rope to be really safe. (to cover the part around the pole - if one of the attachments would get loose the extra rope will do the job). Once I forgot to attach the stabilising cables and as the mast was almost down, a gust from the side took the mast and it went down just beside the boat (and the rivets came off like matches at the mast foot - luckily, because nothing else broke - and it was quite easy to fix again. I've had my 26 /96 for 6 seasons and I'll keep her for many years to come. And the minute of silence - use it before you start pulling the rope, to check that everything is all right - that you haven't forgotten anything. That has saved me some trouble, because I sometimes tend to be a little sloppy. Toomas toomas
Yes I do the mast job myself all the time, though I'm 59 and not very strong. And I double the security with an extra rope to be really safe. (to cover the part around the pole - if one of the attachments would get loose the extra rope will do the job). Once I forgot to attach the stabilising cables and as the mast was almost down, a gust from the side took the mast and it went down just beside the boat (and the rivets came off like matches at the mast foot - luckily, because nothing else broke - and it was quite easy to fix again. I've had my 26 /96 for 6 seasons and I'll keep her for many years to come. And the minute of silence - use it before you start pulling the rope, to check that everything is all right - that you haven't forgotten anything. That has saved me some trouble, because I sometimes tend to be a little sloppy. Toomas toomas
Mast raising or lowering
The system on the 260 is very nice. I often have help but find I spend more time telling the help what to do than if I do it myself. Reudi mentioned using the trailer winch. I'd like to know how he does that with the cable and hook still on the winch. I route the main sheet back through fair leads to the deck winch which works nice. Brigg
The system on the 260 is very nice. I often have help but find I spend more time telling the help what to do than if I do it myself. Reudi mentioned using the trailer winch. I'd like to know how he does that with the cable and hook still on the winch. I route the main sheet back through fair leads to the deck winch which works nice. Brigg
You bet.
I've done it alone almost every time and I'm in my 40's. The first few feet can be tough, so if you can find someone to provide a bit of lift on the mast in the beginning it's a big help. If you can't, run the mainsheet line to the cabin top winch and use that to get started. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
I've done it alone almost every time and I'm in my 40's. The first few feet can be tough, so if you can find someone to provide a bit of lift on the mast in the beginning it's a big help. If you can't, run the mainsheet line to the cabin top winch and use that to get started. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
Mast raising
It is easy to stand in the cockpit under the mast and push up on it with one hand while pulling the mainsheet with the other. Once you have repeated that a couple of times the mast is high enough that it is getting easier to pull up.
It is easy to stand in the cockpit under the mast and push up on it with one hand while pulling the mainsheet with the other. Once you have repeated that a couple of times the mast is high enough that it is getting easier to pull up.
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