Catalina Coronado 15 stepping the mast

[hkellogg]

Just bought a 15c and trying to figure out how to step the mast. The person who sold me the boat did not sail it but his son did. When he showed me by just pointing at the mast and step while the boat was on the trailer it looked pretty easy. Now that I'm trying to do it it looks very unsafe.

I bought the boat because one of the owners manuals online said it was designed for one person to raise and lower the mast. When I got the boat I was given the owners manual and it says nothing what so ever about how to step the mast much less how to do it with one person.

The only way I see it working is to just put the mast on the base and then count on the three stays to keep it in place. I just can't see trusting it in a sailing situation. There is no clamp, pin, latch etc. at the base. From what it looks like you just put the mast on top of the plate and that's it. There isn't even anything for the last notch to fit in. It just hangs out there and its hardly on the base.

I am not comfortable at all with this seemingly wacky system.

What am I missing?

I took the base off the mast to see how it fits and it really only fits by using the last knotch on the first pin and it just lays there with out locking etc.

Here's how it looks placed in the only position it will fit.

If this is truly how it supposed to work what is the other notch for? why is it rounded?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Joe]

The stays will hold it in position. My nacra's mast sits on a ball, no hinge... no problem. The device you're showing acts like a hinge. Connect the side stays first then run a line from the end of the forstay to the fitting on the bow, so you can control it after you raise the mast.. then go to the front, remove the line and pin the forestay in the desired position... there should be multiple holes in the forestay adjuster connection.. so you can set the tension you desire.

You can step it on the trailer in the parking lot if you are at a ramp, or on the beach if that's more convenient.

 

[walt]

I dont know the official way.. however, on my Coranado 15 (dont know the year), both slots in the mast base fit on pins - ie, two slots are resting on two pins. It sort of looks like the mast base may be adjustable back and forth - but I always just set it as above.

Attached are the best pictures I could find. Once pinned, three stays holds the mast up fine

It is easy to step the mast by yourself with this boat - one of the things I like about it. In one of the pictures, you can see a little custom crutch off the transom and this helps me get the mast base set (holds the back of the mast up so you dont need a second person in the back to do the same thing). I just walk the mast up from the back, the mast base slots rotate onto the two pins. Once up all the way, I have a rope and hook up front that I use to temporary hold the mast while I walk around to the front and pin the front stay.

 

[sinnettc]

Looks to me like that aft "hook" goes on the second pin from the left. You can see that it's shiny there where it was sitting on it. if you can't get it in, try removing the blocks on the left until the mast is raised, then put them back after it's secured.

 

[Joe11688]

The basic thing to remember when stepping a mast on any sailboat from over the stern is to have the wind coming directly from the stern and the boat needs to be level from side to side. The side stays need to be connected, and a mast crutch is needed on the stern to support the mast in the stepping process. You can tie a rope to the fore stay if you like. I've always attached a single sheave to the rear hole in the bow plate and ran a rope through it to the Jib halyard shackle which can be pulled all the way up the mast and cleated off somehow. Once the mast is all the way up, you can pull the slack out this line and cleat it off somehow. I always keep my fore stay from flopping around while raising/lowering by securing it to the mast with a bungee cord. You could rig a mast crutch that could have pintles on it that can fit into the rudder gudgeons on the transom of the boat. A small roller in the mast crutch can enable you to roll the mast aft or forward.

 

[dscribner]

I own a Lancer 25 that we trailer everytime we sail. We step the mast with a single pin in an "L" shaped slot. Th mast pin slides back into the slot then down. Granted , it's a much larger mast, but all the force coming down, caused byt the stays and shrouds WILL keep it in place. Not to worry. And is a stay snaps, your's pops out withought a problem. Mine would rip a gaping hole in the cabin.

Now, get out there!

 

[Brian M H23]

Scribner,
I know what you mean - i tried to take my mast down once, with the foot locked. What really happens is the rivets holding the foot in the base of the mast stretch, and the foot stays on the deck detached from the mast! No worries.

 

[paul4378]

step the mast

[I own a cornado 15 and that is exactly the way mine looks . It will work fine in all conditions. Have fun




quote=hkellogg;724232]Just bought a 15c and trying to figure out how to step the mast. The person who sold me the boat did not sail it but his son did. When he showed me by just pointing at the mast and step while the boat was on the trailer it looked pretty easy. Now that I'm trying to do it it looks very unsafe.

I bought the boat because one of the owners manuals online said it was designed for one person to raise and lower the mast. When I got the boat I was given the owners manual and it says nothing what so ever about how to step the mast much less how to do it with one person.

The only way I see it working is to just put the mast on the base and then count on the three stays to keep it in place. I just can't see trusting it in a sailing situation. There is no clamp, pin, latch etc. at the base. From what it looks like you just put the mast on top of the plate and that's it. There isn't even anything for the last notch to fit in. It just hangs out there and its hardly on the base.

I am not comfortable at all with this seemingly wacky system.

What am I missing?

I took the base off the mast to see how it fits and it really only fits by using the last knotch on the first pin and it just lays there with out locking etc.

Here's how it looks placed in the only position it will fit.

If this is truly how it supposed to work what is the other notch for? why is it rounded?

Thank you in advance.[/quote]

 

[dscribner]

Brian,

I have a 1/2" diameter stainless pin that goes thru the base of the mast into a 3/8" aluminum tabernacle that I made during the winter. I think the weakest point would be ther fiberglass, unfortunately. I makes me shudder just what it would do if the back stay DID let go. You know, that back stay with the bent turnbuckle that I didn't notice until we were a couple of miles out. Yeah, that one. And the 30 knot gusts didn't give me the willies either. What a day!

Actually, two kayakers lost their lives that day. CG found their kayaks on an island and their bodies a couple of miles away. Sad. Two young college girls.

 

[hkellogg]

I dont know the official way.. however, on my Coranado 15 (dont know the year), both slots in the mast base fit on pins - ie, two slots are resting on two pins. It sort of looks like the mast base may be adjustable back and forth - but I always just set it as above.

Attached are the best pictures I could find. Once pinned, three stays holds the mast up fine

It is easy to step the mast by yourself with this boat - one of the things I like about it. In one of the pictures, you can see a little custom crutch off the transom and this helps me get the mast base set (holds the back of the mast up so you dont need a second person in the back to do the same thing). I just walk the mast up from the back, the mast base slots rotate onto the two pins. Once up all the way, I have a rope and hook up front that I use to temporary hold the mast while I walk around to the front and pin the front stay.

Thank you all for your answers and reassurance.

I'll take the plunge soon. The boat I bought on Ebay was advertised as in "excellent condition"...It's not. I've spent another $300 to replace hardware store hardware with real safe items made for sailing, shackles and such. I'm not complaining though. I still think I got a great deal.

Walt: I tried using the short crutch like yours but the main sheet pulley assembly attached to the floor forces me to have the mast almost 6 foot in the air in order to get the angle where I need it so I made a 6 foot one.

 

[kbruni]

C-15 Mast Stepping (Green Bay)

Looking at your photo it appears that the screw is missing in the forward radius of the mast plate. A pan head screw threads into the forward radius and completes enough of the circle to allow the mast to lock in place on the mount when the forward pin is engaged. The forward pin should be a pip-pin or a clevis pin with a quick release safety. To step the mast you do the following:

1- Remove the forward pin in the deck plate.
2- Engage the aft hook of the mast plate in the aft pin of the deck plate.
3- Walk the mast up to vertical and insert the forward lock pin.

If the screw is where it is supposed to be the mast will be locked in the vertical position and you can then secure the forward stay. If the screw has been removed then the mast will not lock in position! Chances are some past owner did not know that the forward pin needed to be removed to properly step the mast and removed the screw from the mast plate so they could get the mast to the vertical position. Hope this helps.

 

[hkellogg]

Thank you for the information.

I'm sorry but I don't see anywhere to put the solution you are talking about. There are no extra holes or anywhere for a pan head screw to even thread into.

I thought there had to be some way of locking the mast down. It just doesn't make any sense the way it is now. Maybe a picture of what you talking about would help if you can be so kind as to send one.

Now I'm really paranoid about stepping the mast and doing some hard sailing.