Lateral stability when raising or lowering the mast? A-frame?

Mar 23, 2018
63
Catalina 22 12491 Lake Charlevoix
I would like to build an A-Frame type system to help steady the mast while raising and lowering. The mast seems to want to sway, side to side, much more than we are comfortable with. This seems to be greatly exaggerated by our roller furler and any movement of people in the boat.

I’ve read everything I could find on this forum and the Tech Manuals at catalina22.org, and watched a ton of YouTube videos. I think I’ve settled on copying the ideas in this video:

Basically, it uses a gooseneck fitting and pipe to make a simple A-Frame that is able to slide in the sail track.

Has anyone done this?

My plan, like the video, uses a gooseneck fitting, and two “pads” made of 2x6 cut to fit on the cabin top between the pop top and hand rails. I’m intending on using ½” or ¾”conduit as the poles?

Any thoughts on how high up the mast you would want the gooseneck? Seems like the taller the A-Frame the more stability it would provide? The poles in the video appear about 5’ but I’ve seen other systems that are much taller.

Any issues using a system like this?

We are way beyond the idea of just tying the mainsheet to the forestay (or halyard) and pulling. While this does work, this has not proven to be an adequately safe system for us, again likely due to the weight of the furler.

I’m also planning to build a gin pole with a brake winch.

I’ve read the post “Un-stepping mast disaster” and have no interest in having a similar issue, if it can be prevented.

As always pics and measurements are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Douglas
 

Tedd

.
Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
I did something similar, but I used chain and SS carbiners instead of tubing. On my boat (Mac 26S), I was able to run a piece of SS tubing between two stanchions at the height of the mast pivot and then attach a swivel mechanism to each tube. That stays permanently on the boat. The chain baby stays run from those swivels to eye fittings on the mast. The chains stay attached when the mast is down, ready for the next raising, but come off and get stowed with the anchor when the rigging is up.

One of the nice things about using chains is easy adjustability. I've attached the eye fittings on the mast so that they're free to rotate. That way, the chains can be a little long, to make them easier to attach and then, once attached, I just rotate the assembly to take up the slack. My mast comes down so cleanly that it usually drops strait into the crutch even in fairly wavy conditions.
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
This seems to be greatly exaggerated by our roller furler and any movement of people in the boat.
We have a furler and dont see it causing issues since the forestay/furler is tight hauling the mast up.
We never raise the mast on the water, if that is what your mention of people causing movement is.

Fwiw while we dont have a problem raising the mast with 2 people (one on winch and second stabilizing the mast until shrouds take over), i have also been wondering about making a bridle so that i can raise it solo. That way i could solo launch without needing to organize around other people's schedules.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Baby stays was all I used in my Mac26S. I raised and lowered by myself. We know wind in Kansas!
 
Dec 5, 2011
550
Catalina Catalina 22 13632 Phenix City
For what it's worth, I've raised the mast nearly every time by myself with just a home made wooden gin pole and the main sheet. With it's 4:1 rigging and a suitable mast crutch installed in the rudder gudgeons, there's not much effort at all providing you carefully lay out all the standing rigging so nothing snags on the way up. I just stand on the cabin top, put the mast on my shoulder/side of my neck for stability and slowly pull it up. Is it easier with two people? Absolutely!! However, in my world, if I want to do anything, I better be prepared to do it alone because people are notoriously unreliable about showing up for the events they plan with you.
 
Mar 30, 2014
37
Catalina 22 Indiana
I suffered from challenges stepping the mast on my own as well... and created a bridle too... mine was based on the one discussed in this link from Skip Meisch... which also had a nice design for a gin pole.
Tips - Gin Pole

Like Skip’s, mine attaches to the forward babystay chainplate and the turnbuckle on the rear babystay with a SS ring positioned approximately at the height of the mast bolt (pivot point)... Skip used a loop of line around the mast... and attached the SS ring to that loop with some low stretch line... but I had a spare gooseneck slide and attached some spare adjustable lashing straps from the ring to the gooseneck slide. As Skip describes the loop ...or in my case the slide... is then attached to the main halyard... which is then tensioned... the main halyard only needs to go up part way (just below the spreaders worked for me). I was then able to adjust the the lashing straps so they were equal. I‘be used it only once so far... but it did a great job helping to keep the mast mostly centered! Here are some pix of my setup...

053C188A-F488-40A5-B948-8700E57211E6.jpeg

91D651B8-4752-40F0-9C27-D8172E794D07.jpeg

545A17AE-E73C-4EC4-854A-DEC80938D1E2.jpeg
 
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