Lancer 28 Mast Stepping Help?

[Ron Inglis]

I am getting prepared for winter. In the off-season I need to step the mast on my 1980 Lancer 28, to among other issues, rewire the VHF antenna lead. I plan on replacing the windex, adding an anchor light, and spreader lights, and possibly repainting the mast.

Catch is, my boat is moored, and I've never stepped the mast.

I had a Macgreor/Venture 24, but the mast for that boat is way lighter. I'm somewhat nervous about the weight involved.

I have a down-loaded manual, which appears to be for a Lancer 28, but does not explicitly state the model. The diagram and instructions suggest using the mainsheet and boom to raise/lower the mast, like a lever.

The problem is that the mainsheet in the diagram is fastened to the floor in front of the companionway. On my boat it goes to a traveler located on top of the cabin, so I'm not sure the angle is going to be right. Also the traveler track is screwed into the cover that the hatch slides into, and I'm worried it's not going to have enough strength to hold everything.

I don't want to kill anyone, dent the mast, smash my radar, or crush the pulpit.

Can anyone give me some guidance? My particular boat has the mast base cutout designed to lower towards the bow.

 

[sidneyK]

Mast steping and lowering

My lancer 28 1982 is on a trailer, I need to step the mast each time I sail. I have to step the mast at the dock when launching and go under the low bridge, then sailing. I have mast rest on the stern pulpit with a roller on it. It is made of 1x10 pine board with the roller on the top. When in place, it is held on to the pulpit by starch cords. The roller is 8in. above the pulpit. This mast rest is used in place with the mast resting on it and the bow pulpit, when I travel from storage to the ramp. To rise the mast, I roll the mast from the bow pulpit (holding the base of the mast in my hand) to the mast step and place the bolt in the base. The mast is now hanging out the back of the boat. I only disconnect the head stay, the back stay and the shrouds are not taken off, but loosened about an ½ in each for the rising or lowering. I use two 10 ft 2x4s with a bolt at one end to make an A-FRAME. The feet of the a-frame rest on the chine plates on each side of the boat. At the top of the a-frame I have a steel ring that I attach the head stay and a block and tackle (3 perch pulley system). Connect the other end of block and tackle to the bow. Now the a-frame is up in the air with the feet resting on the chine plates. The head stay from the mast up to the, and the block an tackle down to the bow. Pull the block and tackle until the mast is up. Disconnect the a-frame, connect the head stay, adjust up the back stay and shrouds. I use a line on each shroud about 2 ft off the deck guide the mast up or down. If you are lowering the mast only sometimes you can use a couple of cushions on the back pulpit so went the mast is lowered it wont hit the top of the cabin.

 

[Fairwind]

SidneyK does it backwards, lowering the mast towards the rear of the boat..The 2X4 "A"Frame he describes makes it possible..The factory method works but is pretty tricky, using the mainsheet and boom. I don't blame whoever for moving the mainsheet anchor point out of the middle of the companionway, that is a POOR design...You could install a temporary hard point there for raising or lowering the mast however...This is a job I never look forward to, the mast wants to swing off to one side or the other, the lines that are supposed to prevent this do not work very well..Once down the mast overhangs the pulpit considerably and unbolting and moving it towards the stern requires two or three people..I can't imagine doing this while afloat....

Using the factory method, you need a 4-part tackle and a lot of line on the mainsheet to cover the distance with the mast down..

I did it once and instead of using the steadying line described in the owners manual, I had two helpers hold my two jib halyards, one on each side of the boat, keeping the mast centered on the boat as it was lowered and raised...Pulling it up with the mainsheet alone is almost impossible, someone with a strong back needs to help lift it up the first few feet off the pulpit..

 

[Ron Inglis]

Lancer 28 Mast Stepping - WARNING - Not easy!

I finally did my mast work, and thought I would mention some issues.

I took the mainsail mainsheet blocks off and reattached them akin to the diagram in the manual, to the end of the boom, with the topping lift also attached directly to the boom. I used my anchor rode, to make sure I had plenty of line available.

All of this gave me leverage to lower. It made made sense, but I had nagging doubts. I kept thinking there is something wrong with the diagram.

Well there is something wrong with the diagram! There is nothing that controls the mast from pointing off to port or starboard, nor nothing to keep the boom in a vertical orientation.

As we lowered (my two sons assisting) everything went fine until we were almost down to the pulpit. At this point the boom suddenly whipped from vertical, to horizontal. That suddenly altered the whole dynamic. The boom instantly stopped providing leverage entirely, and the mast crashed down suddenly and quite hard. Very scary!

When it crashed over, it almost took out the lifelines on the boat moored next to me, and would have killed anyone struck on the head.

I renovated the mast wires, and went to go back up.

One son lifted the end of the mast using a step-ladder, on the dock, while the other kept control of the boom. I winched up on the mainsheet blocks, and tied off once we ran out of lift.

At this point the boom was very prone to wanting to flop horizontal, and any slight port/starboard shift in the mast aggravated the issue. The step-ladder was moved closer, and another lift session began. Repeat the tie-off, and move the ladder again. Eventually the ladder operator transitioned to the bow, and the lifting continued. After reaching about 45 degrees, things became much easier, but until then it was a very scary.

Entertained the heck out of the people on the balconies of the condo on-shore!

Can anyone enlighten me how this is really supposed to done? The diagram in the manual does not actually work safely!

 

[LloydB]

revisit the diagram and see where it shows to use the port and starboard jibsheets as guys tied from the toerails just 8" forward of the chain plates to the end of the boom. that will keep the boom centered on the mast. I did not see temporary baby stays shown on the diagram for the mast but I think you should place some there anyway. I have found that simple baby stays can be made using adjustable cargo straps that will self secure when wrapped together at the mast(similar to a timber hitch). also it sounds like you removed the pivot bolt before the mast was all the way down? from the diagram I would expect that mast would make a manly teeter-totter across the pulpit