lowering mast on oday 26

[John6061]

do you have to take the side stays loose to drop the mast on an oday 26?
thanks

 

[Erniee]

No- I just took pin out of forestay

 

[Joe11688]

do you have to take the side stays loose to drop the mast on an oday 26?
thanks

Do you plan on dropping the mast over the bow?

 

[jdratlif]

Usually if the side stays are in line with the mast then you can lower the mast either towards the bow or towards the stern of the boat. If the side stays are aft of the mast, the mast can only be lowered towards the stern of the boat.

 

[Joe11688]

do you have to take the side stays loose to drop the mast on an oday 26?
thanks

John,
Does your O'Day 26 have triangular plates on the stays like this one?

 

[Ward H]

Hi John,

There are couple of recent threads running about raising/ lowering masts and they include the 25/26. You might want to check them out.
The O'day instructions for their lowering kit say to lower the mast towards the bow.. The instructions were linked in one of the recent threads. Even if you don't have the kit you can follow the instructions for the shrouds. Be careful if you lower it towards the stern. The boom vang eye on the mast can punch a hole in the deck.

 

[kdssail]

Ward is correct about the hole ( from experence). With a vang go forward, remove the vang claw and you can go to the stern. attached is a picture of a mast holding device I made for my Oday 26 and I had them for a 22 and a 25 I had, they work well.