I've raised Macgregor 26c mast just by hand, why need gin pole for smaller Hunter 23 or 26? The Mac didn't even have swinging step plate. I'm strong but small guy, why do people act like it's a telephone pole it's really a light tube?? Is the fear of that 0.1% fluke wind or fluke XYZ really that fear-inspiring?? I'm not saying I'm right, it's just weird to have fuss about what is a fairly unheavy mast. If a hurricane is coming and I'm away I wanna tell girlfriend go ahead and get behind the mast and let off front rope, no need to futz with gin pole, or am I crazy?? At very least just have 4 friends help but that seems never videod, yet surely that's simplest 2 minute job and best... Just weird to see this attitude.
I've raised Macgregor 26c mast just by hand, why need gin pole for smaller Hunter 23 or 26?
- Thread starter labrmnus
- Start date
The 23 mast is actually kind of heavy and long. There's no way I think any one person (well, maybe Thor) could lift it upright let alone hold it to pin the forestay. Also, when the mast has been moved back to the position where you can pin it to the tabernacle the center of gravity is behind the crutch, so you need a person or device to hold the mast base down until pinned. It is probably possible to use block and tackle to raise it without a gin pole, never tried that. But it does want to sway sideways unless controlled, even lacking wind, so baby stays make it safer (guess how I know that).
Now, I and 3 other friends could do it without stays, but I never could get more than one friend at a time.
Maybe the MacGregor has a much lighter mast?
Now, I and 3 other friends could do it without stays, but I never could get more than one friend at a time.
Maybe the MacGregor has a much lighter mast?
The 26 mast gets very "heavy" from about 60 degrees or so until the side shrouds come into play. I raised mine by hand once, but never again. It's a gamble. A sudden gust or side sway in that vulnerable zone can lead to a disaster. I bought the Mac26M mast raising kit with baby stays. It has a ratcheting winch.
But surely people can LOWER the Hunter 26 mast by selves without gin pole. At no point is there not tension on a line from the bow tip to the jib line, so just wrap a dozen times around the front metalwork or something for enough friction and while standing near top window lower the mast? I may be all wrong, just some approaches seem overly cautious. . . . . . I am in Houston and in past motored with inland rivers so lowering masts and just storing on deck always was a part of my usage of my Macgregor 26c, so I do wonder is the H 26 gonna be hugely different. But good to see other viewpoints. A
YES! It is....
Just wondering.....If you are going to regect the opinions given... why did you ask for them in the first place?:
And if you are wondering if rgranger is
.... in my younger days I took 3rd in the 1998 Virginia state power lifting competion at 220lb... in 1998, .. and in 1999 I took 2nd in the district men's open in (I hit a 405 bench that day) I have tried to lift the H26 mast by standing on the deck facing backwards and basicaly deadlifting it... not a viable way to go... and you can't lift it easily from the cockpit b/c the cockpit is too deep... and you can't step up on the cabin top from the cockpit with this beastly mast in your hands....
If you lift an H26 mast by hand (solo) we are going to want video proof...
To me, the issue with the H23 mast isn't so much the weight of it as it goes up or down (the 4-1 block and tackle can handle that), it is that when it is partially up/down you have to be very careful to prevent it swaying to the side and having it rip the tabernacle off the deck or more likely, rip the mast extrusion off the aluminum base fitting (happened to me). I'm not sure how much the gin pole itself (which it he easiest thing to fashion) helps with the lifting/lowering, probably some as you first attempt to get it going up, compared to the block line going in a straight line to the jib sheave. I'd spend more effort adding some sort of baby stay than necessarily the gin pole itself.
Sorry to ask questions but that seems why the internet exists.
The problem with many opinions if people sound so sure, and also don't give any basis. Some people are mostly guessing but don't indicate this. So a person does have to reject just accepting conclusions people say without details. Talking and debating sometimes leads to new ideas . Half of people are below average, so shouldn't we reject half of opinions as not up to average. Just accepting what someone says on internet is a weird view of the world. Im an idiot myself lots of the time, I never claimed I knew the answer
Hmmmm. Maybe one can put a plywood piece of wood over the window up top, to let person stand exactly where needed to move mast. Or 2 or 4 people can reach from the top sides to lift the mast, maybe using some lumber to bridge between them.
The idea that a gin pole is needed really means some people may feel stuck so, man, seems a good thing to question. Literally a must is just a piece of metal so not rocket science or beyond amatuers to figure out, so yeah maybe 1 or 4 people can do it by hand. Happy Autumn.
The problem with many opinions if people sound so sure, and also don't give any basis. Some people are mostly guessing but don't indicate this. So a person does have to reject just accepting conclusions people say without details. Talking and debating sometimes leads to new ideas . Half of people are below average, so shouldn't we reject half of opinions as not up to average. Just accepting what someone says on internet is a weird view of the world. Im an idiot myself lots of the time, I never claimed I knew the answer
Hmmmm. Maybe one can put a plywood piece of wood over the window up top, to let person stand exactly where needed to move mast. Or 2 or 4 people can reach from the top sides to lift the mast, maybe using some lumber to bridge between them.
The idea that a gin pole is needed really means some people may feel stuck so, man, seems a good thing to question. Literally a must is just a piece of metal so not rocket science or beyond amatuers to figure out, so yeah maybe 1 or 4 people can do it by hand. Happy Autumn.
I agree with most of what you said but @Crazy Dave Condon did give a basis. He designed the mast raising system on the H26 after having been a Mac dealer.
Anyway... I don't want to squash people's desire to ask questions...
If you want to make a gin pole for under $30 out of parts from Lowes, let me know... done that and took pics ...
The main sheet doubles as the block and tackle needed to raise the mast so it is all very simple to do... your mast should also have tangs for baby stays that stabilize the mast while it is going up. Easy peasy...
@rgranger
I sent a private message to him offfering my help if he first reads the owner’s manual.
Rob he is correct about opinions being offered but I indicated I offered the original plans to hunter and was involved with every other boat since then. As for the 260, I sold nearly 25% of the entire line and Hunter came to me when they were stumped in repairs. That alone should say something about my knowledge and experience.
Until he has read the entire owner’s manual. I will be glad to help him as I already reached out.
I sent a private message to him offfering my help if he first reads the owner’s manual.
Rob he is correct about opinions being offered but I indicated I offered the original plans to hunter and was involved with every other boat since then. As for the 260, I sold nearly 25% of the entire line and Hunter came to me when they were stumped in repairs. That alone should say something about my knowledge and experience.
Until he has read the entire owner’s manual. I will be glad to help him as I already reached out.
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@labrmnus I'm not sure what you're getting at - are you just wondering about why extra things are recommended like gin poles, etc? Or do you have one of these and are trying to figure out the best way?
Your comment that around 4 people could do this - sure, if I had 3 or 4 extra people all the time I'd probably dispense with everything except maybe the gin pole as it makes lifting easier and is very easy to rig. Those extra hands would be deployed to stabilize the mast by holding the side stays. But I was lucky to get one helper, and I found it simply too hard to handle without this assistive stuff. Your mileage may vary.
Your comment that around 4 people could do this - sure, if I had 3 or 4 extra people all the time I'd probably dispense with everything except maybe the gin pole as it makes lifting easier and is very easy to rig. Those extra hands would be deployed to stabilize the mast by holding the side stays. But I was lucky to get one helper, and I found it simply too hard to handle without this assistive stuff. Your mileage may vary.