How hard is it (and what's involved) to lower the mast on an O'Day 25 so as to be able to go under a bridge? Thanks.
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R.W.Landau
How low is the bridge?
Malcolm, I guess that you are looking at 25's and have a bridge between you and sailing? How many will be in your crew? How low is the bridge? What is your ability/strength? Do you have a furler? do you have masthead instrumentation? When I bought my 23 Paceship, I had no mooring. I would trailer 45 miles rig for an hour, launch, sail for 4 hours, derig, trailer home. This was done singlehanded. If that bridge stands in the way, dropping the mast is less problem than trailering! The most you have to do is loosen the forestay, run a halyard to the bow pulpit through a block and then aft(as insurance),steady the mast as it comes down, let it ride the stern pulpit going under the bridge, haul it back up, and tighten the forestay. Problems; battling a current while trying this,Being single handed and not being able to do this, guiding the mast straight down. In a calm condition, I have stepped a 27 mast with two others,no devises.The 25 mast is about 2/3rds to 3/4 the weight of a 27 mast.I think if you have two other crew you will have no problems. r.w.landau
Malcolm, I guess that you are looking at 25's and have a bridge between you and sailing? How many will be in your crew? How low is the bridge? What is your ability/strength? Do you have a furler? do you have masthead instrumentation? When I bought my 23 Paceship, I had no mooring. I would trailer 45 miles rig for an hour, launch, sail for 4 hours, derig, trailer home. This was done singlehanded. If that bridge stands in the way, dropping the mast is less problem than trailering! The most you have to do is loosen the forestay, run a halyard to the bow pulpit through a block and then aft(as insurance),steady the mast as it comes down, let it ride the stern pulpit going under the bridge, haul it back up, and tighten the forestay. Problems; battling a current while trying this,Being single handed and not being able to do this, guiding the mast straight down. In a calm condition, I have stepped a 27 mast with two others,no devises.The 25 mast is about 2/3rds to 3/4 the weight of a 27 mast.I think if you have two other crew you will have no problems. r.w.landau
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Mast Lowering
Malcolm, Search the archives for a simple way to deal with raising and lowering the mast on O'day 25's. Search under 'mast' and '25' Whether or not its worth doing every time you go sailing depends on you; I probably wouldn't want to do it alone, but with another person its not too bad. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Malcolm, Search the archives for a simple way to deal with raising and lowering the mast on O'day 25's. Search under 'mast' and '25' Whether or not its worth doing every time you go sailing depends on you; I probably wouldn't want to do it alone, but with another person its not too bad. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
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Paul Mieszczenski
The 25 mast lowers forward
Malcolm. The mast step on the O'day 25 has the larger pin in the front to handle the extra load of rasing and lowering. The backstay has to be removed at the chainplate and then lower the mast to the pulpit. Check the archives for several different methods. Sounds like a lot of work to me unless the dockage is really cheep. PM
Malcolm. The mast step on the O'day 25 has the larger pin in the front to handle the extra load of rasing and lowering. The backstay has to be removed at the chainplate and then lower the mast to the pulpit. Check the archives for several different methods. Sounds like a lot of work to me unless the dockage is really cheep. PM
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Malcolm MacFarlane
Further details
Thanks for your comments. I have not actually bought an O'Day, but am considering doing so. I don't need to lower the mast to sail, but am on an inland lake, and if I want to cruise to other lakes, must go up a canal system with bridges. I would need to lower mast to get into next lake (and one after that, etc.). Would likely be tied up to a pier near the lock for raising and lowering.
Thanks for your comments. I have not actually bought an O'Day, but am considering doing so. I don't need to lower the mast to sail, but am on an inland lake, and if I want to cruise to other lakes, must go up a canal system with bridges. I would need to lower mast to get into next lake (and one after that, etc.). Would likely be tied up to a pier near the lock for raising and lowering.
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Russell Marcks
This is how my wife and I lower the mast on our 25. Does require a bit of muscle, but not to bad. Run a 1/2" rope around the mast just above the spreaders. (This is the hardest part, getting the rope up there). I do that instead of using a halyard since the angle between the mast and line doesn't decrease as rapidly as between mast and halyard when I lower. Next, use the main traveler as a block and tackle. Attach to the line you just ran around the mast and to a convenient place forward. I use a shackle attached to the forestay bracket. Loosen the shrouds [not to much] and unfasten the forestay/furler. With one person handling the block and tackle, pull the mast backward. The shrouds keep the mast laterally stable while the person at the block and tackle control the mast as it decends. Walk the mast back until your at the edge of the hatch. The mast is probably resting on your shoulder at this point. Let the person with the block and tackle cleat off, take the mast from you temporarily, then you climb into the cockpit to finish bringing it down. Once you take it from your helper, s/he handles the block and tackle again. At this point, you'll be taking virtually the entire weight of the mast. The angle between the line to the B&T and the mast is now getting to shallow for the B&T to do anygood. Lower the mast onto the pushpit. Alternatively, I devised a pitchfork looking contraption that I lash to the pushpit and rest on a wood block in the cockpit and lower the mast onto that. The 'pitchfork' is about 2' or so above the pushpit. To raise, you just reverse the procedure. The toughest part is getting the mast up and 'past center' so the person handling the B&T can take most of the weight from you. Although the mast is only about 60 lbs, the length coupled with the added weight of halyards, lights, spreaders, etc. Makes this somewhat tough to handle, but manageable. Wouldn't want to do it this way with anything much larger. Russ Marcks
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R.W.Landau
Stays and shrouds
Remember when the mast is down, you have stays and shrouds loose that can drag in the water or find your prop. r.w.landau
Remember when the mast is down, you have stays and shrouds loose that can drag in the water or find your prop. r.w.landau
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