Easy method to step hinged mast alone?

tsheie · May 18, 2012

Steve: LOTS of activity on that topic lately, and there's a great step-by-step video on YouTube.. Search for 'gin pole' and I think it'll come up-- steps the mast in his backyard, and show the construction of the pole-- p.s. wait for a calm day..

centerline · May 18, 2012

anchorh said:
Been away for awhile, but it's that time of year again.
Have there been any posts about methods of stepping a mast-step-hinged mast by one's-self?
I run a line from the base fitting of the headstay through a block at the stem, back through a couple of fairleads to the port-side winch and then to my hands as I lift and tilt the mast upwards after attaching the rear pin at the step, attaching the backstay and the shrouds.
My panic moment is when the mast is vertical, but the shrouds aren't tight, the headstay isn't connected to its fitting and I have to get the line cleated off and then get myself from the cockpit / cabintop forward to the stem, praying for the sure-to-arrive gust of wind to hold off just a little bit longer.

I am very open to alternate methods. I'm getting too old for this stuff.

Steve -- O'Day 23 Horse Play
Watkins Glen, NY

your method seems fairly secure, except for the part where you need to connect the back stay and the shrouds..... they should be connected before ever lifting it.... if you carry the mast horizontal over your boat like most everyone does, the backstay and shrouds should never need to be disconnected....
if everything is connected as it should be, using the method you are using, you can raise the mast about halfway and then shake the kinks out of the rigging before resuming the lift.... your challenge is keeping some side support on the mast, but once it is stood, there really is no danger of it being blown over because the shrouds will have gotten close to being tight, as well as the back stay. and it takes many times more force to lift it than it does to hold it verticle.... so if the rope you raised it with is secure, it wont fall.... and you have plenty of time to mosey up and connect the forestay to the stemhead fitting....
but if you are looking for another system with a gin pole and side support for the mast without babystays, PM me with an email address and ill send you photos of what I use.... its a very compact easy to use setup.....

Joe11688 · May 20, 2012

I totally agree with Centerline on this. All your stays except the fore stay should be connected before you raise the mast. Keep the boat level and the wind coming from the stern.
Personally, I would build a Gin Pole out of a strong wood such as oak. Mount it on the mast somewhere near the goose neck fitting and figure the length to be about 1 or 2 inches before the forestay when the mast is up.
You can use a four sheave boom vang with extra long line such as I do, or you can mount a small boat winch on the Gin Pole and use that.
The Gin Pole only provides the angle needed to raise or lower your mast. I stand right next to my mast and pull on the blocks as it goes up or down. I want to be there to guide my mast in the event that something goes wrong.

The mast crutch is also very important. Years ago when I trailered my O'Day 222 every week in the summer, I designed my mast crutch so that I could raise it higher.

I used a sheave block on my bow chainplate with a 60'X 3/8" three strand nylon line running through it. I spliced and eye in one end of the line and attached it to my Jib Halyard shackle. Then I raised the shackle to the top of the mast and cleated it off down below. I then stood on the closed companionway hatch and man handled my mast until it was up. To keep the mast in place, I took the 3/8" line around the mast above the goose neck fitting so the line wouldn't slide down, and tied it off to my Starboard bow cleat.
With this accomplished, I could now connect the fore stay and insert the forward pin into the tabernacle and tighten my backstay, (I have a Johnson Handy-Lock on my back stay) and that was it.
My boom was in the cabin with the mainsail and cover on it. All I had to do was attach my topping lift to the end of the boom and lead it out of the cabin to be connected to the gooseneck fitting. I use quick release shackles on my mainsheet and boom vang. I also used a press button quick pin on my forestay and still use it to this day with my CDI Roller Furler connected to it. Keep clear of fast pins.

tsheie · May 21, 2012

Trinkka's right on.. Just came home from weekend of installing roller furling, and had to raise the mast not once but twice (lost a halyard end up the base of the mast..) and the gin pole method made it safe, stable, and easy on a 35' mast. Build tha base of the pole so that it fits around the base of the mast.. Once you're past 45 degrees, the shrouds ensure lateral stability..

Joe11688 · May 22, 2012

tsheie said:
Trinkka's right on.. Just came home from weekend of installing roller furling, and had to raise the mast not once but twice (lost a halyard end up the base of the mast..) and the gin pole method made it safe, stable, and easy on a 35' mast. Build tha base of the pole so that it fits around the base of the mast.. Once you're past 45 degrees, the shrouds ensure lateral stability..

Where you have a roller furler on your boat with a 35' mast, I would seriously think about installing pivot bridles and temporary stays. My mast is only 27' and I have a CDI Roller Furler on my boat.

I made a special attachment to fit on my mast which I place at arms reach. I use this gismo to attach my temporary stays to from the pivot bridles.
Could the mast still go over the side with this set up? You bet it can. You still need the boat level and the wind coming from aft when you do this.
Joe

cddreyer · Jul 6, 2012

Take a look at these links:

http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/tsarchives16/index.cgi/read/507131

http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/s...251/l=106440552/g=55583666/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

I'm considering this set-up. Big holdback is finding all the materials, particularly the poles, and how to fasten to the deck. Thought on the deck would be to make mount blocks using jib cars and attach to the tracks, remove once done. Looks like a good, secure way to raise/lower a mast.

emergpa1 · Jul 7, 2012

anchorh said:
Been away for awhile, but it's that time of year again.
Have there been any posts about methods of stepping a mast-step-hinged mast by one's-self?
I run a line from the base fitting of the headstay through a block at the stem, back through a couple of fairleads to the port-side winch and then to my hands as I lift and tilt the mast upwards after attaching the rear pin at the step, attaching the backstay and the shrouds.
My panic moment is when the mast is vertical, but the shrouds aren't tight, the headstay isn't connected to its fitting and I have to get the line cleated off and then get myself from the cockpit / cabintop forward to the stem, praying for the sure-to-arrive gust of wind to hold off just a little bit longer.

I am very open to alternate methods. I'm getting too old for this stuff.

Steve -- O'Day 23 Horse Play
Watkins Glen, NY

My panic moment was when, with my homemade mast raising system, the mast went over the port side

(

Joe11688 · Jul 7, 2012

emergpa1 said:
My panic moment was when, with my homemade mast raising system, the mast went over the port side(

Keith,
Did you ever find out why that happened? Was the boat listing to one side, or was the wind blowing against the side of the mast? Did one of your stays snag on the way up?
Does your O'Day 26 have triangular plates on the lower stays?

Knowing the exact cause of the mast going over the beam can aid you in coming up with a good system that will work for you.

If your boat was leaning sideways, I doubt if baby stays would have kept the mast from going over the side.

emergpa1 · Jul 7, 2012

Trinkka said:
Keith,
Did you ever find out why that happened? Was the boat listing to one side, or was the wind blowing against the side of the mast? Did one of your stays snag on the way up?
Does your O'Day 26 have triangular plates on the lower stays?

Knowing the exact cause of the mast going over the beam can aid you in coming up with a good system that will work for you.

If your boat was leaning sideways, I doubt if baby stays would have kept the mast from going over the side.

I had constructed an A frame for the " gin pole' and the way I had it secured at the bases was not stable enuff. When i tried to raise the mast the base, or foot, of the starboard pole of the A frame slipped and pulled the pole over starboard and there she went. Not all the way. But it was enuff to bend the mast plate. So when I took it to apart I remembered what u said about putting a bit of plastic between the aluminum base of the mast and the S.S. mast plate and went ahead and did that. I was just glad it didn't take me with it.

Fly_H23 · Jul 16, 2012

I use a small 12 volt winch with a remote control and walk the mast up by hand.

supercub · Jul 17, 2012

Sounds like a good idea. Where do you mount the winch?

Fly_H23 · Jul 17, 2012

I just used the anchor cleat inside the anchor locker when I had a Hunter 23. I bought a 12 volt 3000 lbs rated winch, rigged up a lawn tractor sized gel cell battery. The first half of the lift is hardest, after that the side stays steady the mast.