MAST CRUTCH FOR A M-25

[Gordon]

Hey Everybody, First time poster here! Question: What does the orig. mast crutch look like for a M-25? and Does anyone have any other types that they have made/used?T.I.A. (thanks in advance)Gordonp.s. post here or e-mail meat: gbv0a@aol.com

 

[Mike]

Mast Crutch

I went about 250 miles from home to pick up my Mac 25. When I first saw her she was sitting on her trailer fully rigged. She was at a marina and the previous owners just had her put in the water when they wanted to use her. The mast had not been unstepped in years. During that time the mast crutch had vanished like a brick dropped overboard.I had come well equipped with tools and materials and I took a board 3/4" by 6" and made a crutch. The bottom end of the crutch rested on a carpet square in the reat of the cockpit. An old T shirt was wrapped around the stern pulpit rail and the board rested against the rail and was lashed in place. I cut a "U" shapped notch in the top end and lashed the mast down with a line to the pulpit rail. This worked so well I have used it for 2 years. I am now building an aluminum crutch like the original.It has a vertical rod with pins that go in the rudder gudgeons on the transom and a U shapped cradle on the top with a bolt to clamp the mast in place. I am making the new one with two sets of pins so I can pop the cabin top with the mast down and stored. I also plan to make the crutch do double duty by using it to raise the mast like an a frame. Clamped to the mast and with two guy wires to the sides for stability it should work great. Hope this helps.Mike.

 

[Doug Rodrigues]

Poor factory design.

Mike's mast crutch is a better design than the original factory unit. With the original unit, the vertical tube inserts into a too small support (different than Mike's boat) that is attached inside the cockpit at the transom. Any side forces on the original crutch will cause that too small a support to rip the two screws right out of the fiberglass and cause the mast to fall aside. In doing so, the pop-top hatch has a crushing weight applied by the falling mast. Been there....done that. The only hope to salvage that poor original base for the original crutch is to re-enforce the support base with a large piece of 1/4 inch stainless steel plate to spread the load. I'm still looking for that piece of stainless steel.With my old Venture 2-22 that I just sold, I also had the "Mike design" crutch, but it was attached to the transom rudder fittings. That flat piece of wood was also a good base for a supplimental running light/brake light to be attached at the most rear position of your trailer. Such a light is required in California and Nevada, where I sail.