Mariner mast lowering

[Wayne Randolph]

We are having difficulty lowering our mast. It did not have lateral stability with the old broken cast aluminum tabernacle, and the D&R O'Day 22 stainless steel tabernacle is no better. How do others with a pin-and-slot attachment keep the bottom end put while lowering the mast? Or is it a special technique we don't know about. Bottom end is not stable, causing almost total loss of control as mast crashes down. No damage to mast yet, but only a question of time if not corrected. Technology or technique?

 

[H. Hey]

mast stepping/unstepping - Mariner

I am sure that many people have their own systems for stepping the mast on the mariner. This is just the way that we do it. It is really a 2 person job. I have heard of people rigging some sort of system to aid them, but we have always done it with two. When we step the mast:We place the foot of the mast in the tabernacle (with the top hanging off the stern of the boat). One person grabs the forestay and stands on the bow of the boat. the other person stands in the cockpit and lifts. With the combined efforts it goes up pretty easily. Unstepping is basically the same process in reverse. The person on the bow has to help take some of the weight of the mast by hanging on to the forestay. .It would be pretty tough to do it by only lowering the mast from aft of the turnbuckle. If you do it relatively slowly and both parties (one behind the mast, and one on the bow - easing out the forestay) share the load, you will find that it goes down smoothly and with controll. Just my thoughts. - H. Hey