Ok, I just got a 1976 Mac25 and I am curious as to fold the mast down. I assume that you loosen the bolt at the bottom of the mast and detach all the rigging cables from the hull. Then lift the mast and lower it down. Is that correct? Is there an easier way? I just want to make sure before I attempt to do it. -Mike
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lowering the mast
leave the bolt in and all rigging attached. You just unhook the forestay which will let the mast fall backwards. Of course, you eaze it down slowly with a friend--one holds the mast up while the other disconnects the forestay. Lower it down into a mast cradle that usually hoioks into your rudder gudgeons (?) and goes up about 5'. THEN remove the mast base bolt and pull the base of your mast up to the bow and hook it somehow. Make big loops with your shrouds (side cables), backstay, and forstay using a few bungee cords to hold them to the mast. To raise (step) the mast, undo the bungees, slide the mast back so you can put the bolt back thru the base of the mast and deck fitting (castle) step the mast and have friend hook the forstay. Take your time to prevent tangles and injurys.
leave the bolt in and all rigging attached. You just unhook the forestay which will let the mast fall backwards. Of course, you eaze it down slowly with a friend--one holds the mast up while the other disconnects the forestay. Lower it down into a mast cradle that usually hoioks into your rudder gudgeons (?) and goes up about 5'. THEN remove the mast base bolt and pull the base of your mast up to the bow and hook it somehow. Make big loops with your shrouds (side cables), backstay, and forstay using a few bungee cords to hold them to the mast. To raise (step) the mast, undo the bungees, slide the mast back so you can put the bolt back thru the base of the mast and deck fitting (castle) step the mast and have friend hook the forstay. Take your time to prevent tangles and injurys.
Don't Do It Alone
The other response is correct, don't un-do your other mast lines, just the forestay. What ever you do, have someone help you, regardless of the sales literature, mast stepping and dropping is not a one person job! If the mast slips off one side or the other, you risk bending the mast step or breaking it off the top of your deck. Find one of the Mac web sites and download the rigging instructions. You will find it a lot easier to step the mast later if you let out the back stay and shrouds prior to raising it. You will have to go back and re-tension them, but it's a lot better than struggling with the forestay 4" away from the front chain plate. I don't know about the earlier models of 25's, but my '85 has two stainless steel "loops" for the mast crutch to fit in on the cockpit side of the transom. The "crutch is roughly a 1 X 4 (looks like a fence plank with a V-notch cut in one end and a cleat screwed on it. There is also an extra 1/4" hole drilled in your mast near the shroud tangs you are supposed to run a 1/4" X 5" bolt through the mast and the top hole in your mast step to transport the boat. I have not used it, instead we lash the bottom of the mast to the bow pulpit and the stern pulpit. Make sure you coil your mast stays as careful as you can when you have it down to prevent kinks. Hope all this helps.
The other response is correct, don't un-do your other mast lines, just the forestay. What ever you do, have someone help you, regardless of the sales literature, mast stepping and dropping is not a one person job! If the mast slips off one side or the other, you risk bending the mast step or breaking it off the top of your deck. Find one of the Mac web sites and download the rigging instructions. You will find it a lot easier to step the mast later if you let out the back stay and shrouds prior to raising it. You will have to go back and re-tension them, but it's a lot better than struggling with the forestay 4" away from the front chain plate. I don't know about the earlier models of 25's, but my '85 has two stainless steel "loops" for the mast crutch to fit in on the cockpit side of the transom. The "crutch is roughly a 1 X 4 (looks like a fence plank with a V-notch cut in one end and a cleat screwed on it. There is also an extra 1/4" hole drilled in your mast near the shroud tangs you are supposed to run a 1/4" X 5" bolt through the mast and the top hole in your mast step to transport the boat. I have not used it, instead we lash the bottom of the mast to the bow pulpit and the stern pulpit. Make sure you coil your mast stays as careful as you can when you have it down to prevent kinks. Hope all this helps.
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