I'm a new 192 owner and would appreciate any advice on how to lower the mast so I can trailer the boat. Thanks for your help!!!
lowering the mast
- Thread starter lindacc
- Start date
I made an 8' mast crutch using a 2x4, with 4" bow roller at the top, and a cut in half square U bolt to make pintles. It fits in the gudgeons on the stern. I also have a spinnaker halyard that runs down to a pivoting cam cleat on the mast. I fasten the halyard to the stemhead fitting, cleated in my pivoting cam cleat. Then, mark turnbuckle, and loosen enough to remove the pin. Halyard holds the mast up. Then I stand on the cabin top facing astern, and release the halyard. I lower the mast onto the crutch straddling the mast. At that point, I can remove the pivot pin (being careful not to let the mast roll forward,) lift the end and roll forward to the bow pulpit. Standing in the cockpit, it's then easy-peasey to lower the mast, which I have a travel crutch that sits inside the cockpit at the transom. The tall crutch makes it easy, because you don't have to support all of the weight of the mast lowering the second half of the arc. Re-stepping is the reverse. I've never been able to balance the mast on my shoulder and transition from the cockpit to the house, so I like just standing there and raising and lowering from the house.
Lindacc ... The challenges of trailering your boat and what to do with the mast!
This is always a challenge but there are lots of resources to help. Youtube has videos and then in the "show more" section links to more detailed instructions.
I am not familiar with your boat but presume your mast has a tabernacle so that you can easily rotate the mast.
Check out the videos listed below and I'm sure you will see the basic concepts.
Tieing the mast down for transportation can sometimes be a challenge so that the mast does not bounce up and down with every bump. I have a larger O'Day 23 and, after lowering the mast, would always remove it from the tabernacle plate and rest it on the bow and stern pulpits and tie it down for transportation. This was a 2 person operation.
Anyway check out the following and you will get an idea of the basic process.
A couple of other comments
1) Always loosen the stays a little so that they can rotate easily as the mast is lowered.
2) When raising the mast make sure that the turnbuckles are aligned so they can rotate. It is easier than you might think to bend the turnbuckle screws when raising the mast. This can be an expensive mistake since you will have to replace the stay.
3) There has been lots of discussion on this website about raining/lowering the mast. Do a search and I'm sure you will get some additional ideas. Also check out the Trailer Sailer portion of the website for additional comments and suggestions.
4) Practice practise practise. When I first got my boat it was on the hard and I raised and lowered the mast - with a couple of friends on hand - so that I got the rhythm of doing it and what to look out for before I was actually at the launch ramp and doing it for real.
This is always a challenge but there are lots of resources to help. Youtube has videos and then in the "show more" section links to more detailed instructions.
I am not familiar with your boat but presume your mast has a tabernacle so that you can easily rotate the mast.
Check out the videos listed below and I'm sure you will see the basic concepts.
Tieing the mast down for transportation can sometimes be a challenge so that the mast does not bounce up and down with every bump. I have a larger O'Day 23 and, after lowering the mast, would always remove it from the tabernacle plate and rest it on the bow and stern pulpits and tie it down for transportation. This was a 2 person operation.
Anyway check out the following and you will get an idea of the basic process.
A couple of other comments
1) Always loosen the stays a little so that they can rotate easily as the mast is lowered.
2) When raising the mast make sure that the turnbuckles are aligned so they can rotate. It is easier than you might think to bend the turnbuckle screws when raising the mast. This can be an expensive mistake since you will have to replace the stay.
3) There has been lots of discussion on this website about raining/lowering the mast. Do a search and I'm sure you will get some additional ideas. Also check out the Trailer Sailer portion of the website for additional comments and suggestions.
4) Practice practise practise. When I first got my boat it was on the hard and I raised and lowered the mast - with a couple of friends on hand - so that I got the rhythm of doing it and what to look out for before I was actually at the launch ramp and doing it for real.