Laguna 26 mast lowering/raising

Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
I need to get the mast lowered on my Laguna 26. It doesn’t have the normal setup of a plate welded onto the base of the mast with a hinge point on the aft side. Instead, it has a through bolt about an inch up, going through a SS bracket which itself is attached to the cabin top. The mast itself is elliptical shape, about 3” x 4.5”

5AF817C4-F366-4870-97EE-9128362CF62F.jpeg


I don’t see how this can work as a pulpit without damaging the mast. If I start to lower the mast aft, the lower aft end of the mast will have to slide forward as the bolt hinge point rises and then the entire weight of the mast will bear down on this aft corner which will almost surely bend the mainsail lug track. On other similar setups I’ve seen, the aft part of the mast is curved to increase the bearing surface and let it slide forward more easily, but mine just comes to a point. What am I missing? I know the mast is designed to be lowered, but it just seems inevitable that the aft end of the base will be crushed.
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
To clarify, in the photo we're looking at the mast from forward and starboard of the mast, right?

It would help to see the other side. It looks like the slot is there so that the bolt can slide up as the mast goes down. And I agree that would put a lot of point load at the base of the mast. Does that SS bracket go completely under the foot of the mast, so that it can act as a bearing surface? That would probably be okay. I mean, it's not like the load is tons. Still, it does seem like an odd design.

Tedd
 
Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Yes, you are right about the perspective. I will try to remember to take another picture of the aft end when I go to the boat tomorrow. The stainless steel plate/fitting does completely go under the base of the mast so I’m not worried about the cabin top, just the aft end of the mast when the slot for the mainsail slugs run ... not down that low of course, but still, I don’t want to crush anything.
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
I doubt it will crush. But you might think about rounding the corner off once you get it down. Even a fraction of an inch of radius would probably help quite a bit.

Tedd
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,078
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
What is the hole at top of the bracket for? There is another at the bottom.
 

LloydB

.
Jan 15, 2006
804
Macgregor 22 Silverton
That looks like the same setup as on my McGregor 22. I doubt that your mast is even twice the weight than mine but even if it were it wouldn't collapse the back edge of the 1/8 inch thick mast as you lower it. The manufacturer would not have designed the tabernacle that way if it was designed only to be set by crane.
 
Dec 23, 2008
771
Catalina 22 Central Penna.
LloydB is right! I have a Catalina 22 and I have weighed my mast at 44 lbs. with the stays hanging from it. My sons 28 footer, I can carry the mast across the deck my self.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
I have seen that style before as a dealer. Generally the back of the mast at the bottom was cut straight with the backside cut at an angle to allow dropping the mast backwards. Can you take a photo of the backside bottom of your mast
 
Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Thanks Dave. Here is a picture of the back of the mast. As you can see, the heel of the mast is not cut at an angle (or curved) like you describe, so it seems all the stress on the channel for the mainsail lugs will almost certainly bend it if I lower the mast aft, unless I can actually lift up on the mast as it’s lowering, but I don’t even think this is possible. Any ideas, suggestions, feedback, etc. most welcome!
 

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Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have calculated that the mast only weighs about 45 pounds, but when lowering it the stress on the mast heel (which is a very small area) will be quite large, which is why I am worried.
 
Mar 9, 2009
84
Macgregor 26S New Port Richey, Fl
Look at Purplesagetradingpost.com a good system for lowering your mast and will releave your fears.
 
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
It will work fine. I too have a Laguna 26, and appreciate your photo as mine came disassembled and just yesterday I was looking at my step wondering which way it faced.

My Clipper 21 had the same set up. It will pivot right over the corner of the mast with no damage.
 
Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Okay, thanks so much. Great to hear that from an actual Laguna 26 owner! Do you have the same stainless steel bracket that screws into the deck top and the same beefy bolt that goes through the bracket and mast and allows the mast to rotate and the pivot point to move up and down about 1.5 inches?

Here is a link to my blog...it might provide more helpful pictures for you.

<< START HERE >>
 
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
yep, same bracket. mine also has a plate under it to attach blocks to for cockpit routed halyards
 
Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Could you post a picture of the plate and bracket. I would like to do the same thing as your setup.
 
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
Could you post a picture of the plate and bracket. I would like to do the same thing as your setup.
My boat is taken apart to reseal deck hardware right now.
This plate sits under my mast base and my halyards and vang run through the blocks to line clutches a small winches on my deck alongside my companionway.
 

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Likes: LagunaJay
Oct 10, 2019
114
Signet 20 0 Ithaca
You could raise the mast slightly and throw a chunk of cheap pine 1x under it, could wax the bottom so it slides easy, mast features like the track will dig into the pine way before the pine bends the aluminum, which is wicked strong anyway and probably would survive the point load. I personally hate the sound of metal scraping across metal...
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
If the backside of the mast base is cut or angled upwards to allow the mast to be dropped backwards easier, that is not a problem as the mast is aluminum resting on a stainless steel mast foot which based on my experience as a dealer was never an issue
 
Jun 15, 2020
38
Laguna 26 Laguna 26 Lake Washington
Mast lowering went as planned. Thanks everyone for the advice. To get it raised, I will have to extend the “pulpit leverage pole” by 2-3 feet, but at least it came down okay with no damage and no injuries!
 

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