Help! We cannot find the mast crutch for our 1985 H23. Is there somewhere we can buy one (if so, how much $?), or has anyone made one from scratch? Thanks!
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Mark Price
Made mine.
I just went to Home Depot and got two 4ft sections of square pipe that fit inside each other and a 2 foot section of round 1/2 inch pipe. Bent a U shape 18 inches long in the round pipe and MIG welded it to the smaller square pipe. Then slid the larger square pipes over the smaller one and marked the position for two 1/2 inch pipes (1 and 1/2 inch long) that go over the rudder pintles, be sure to put a 1/2 spacer between the square pipe and the round pipe or the crutch will not fit over the pintles. Welded those in place and then drilled two holes through both square pipes. One for the crutch in the raised position and one for it in the lowered postion( just to have a place to put the pin when trailering). When raised make sure you have about 2 foot or so of the smaller tube still inside the larger tube for strength or the whole thing will bend then you least expect it(just one of life's little lessions :{ The whole thing took about an hour to make. Mark S/V Wendy Lee Hunter 23
I just went to Home Depot and got two 4ft sections of square pipe that fit inside each other and a 2 foot section of round 1/2 inch pipe. Bent a U shape 18 inches long in the round pipe and MIG welded it to the smaller square pipe. Then slid the larger square pipes over the smaller one and marked the position for two 1/2 inch pipes (1 and 1/2 inch long) that go over the rudder pintles, be sure to put a 1/2 spacer between the square pipe and the round pipe or the crutch will not fit over the pintles. Welded those in place and then drilled two holes through both square pipes. One for the crutch in the raised position and one for it in the lowered postion( just to have a place to put the pin when trailering). When raised make sure you have about 2 foot or so of the smaller tube still inside the larger tube for strength or the whole thing will bend then you least expect it(just one of life's little lessions :{ The whole thing took about an hour to make. Mark S/V Wendy Lee Hunter 23
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Caleb K.
Made mine, too.
Used approx. 4 ft. length of 1" square tubing. Then MIG welded a bent (u-shaped) piece of flat steel to one end. Welded 2 small pieces of angle iron to the side of the other end to align with the rudder posts mounted to the stern. Painted it with Rustoleum. Probably spent less than $15 on materials. (Plan to fasten a thick piece of plastic/poly to the inside of the U-shape to prevent scratching to the mast.
Used approx. 4 ft. length of 1" square tubing. Then MIG welded a bent (u-shaped) piece of flat steel to one end. Welded 2 small pieces of angle iron to the side of the other end to align with the rudder posts mounted to the stern. Painted it with Rustoleum. Probably spent less than $15 on materials. (Plan to fasten a thick piece of plastic/poly to the inside of the U-shape to prevent scratching to the mast.
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afraidknot
food for thought
Just a thought for your scratch problem. I took the time to weld a 1/2 inch rod across the u or rather the saddle that the mast rest on and fitted a roller (non marking) to the middle . This will protect the mast as well as allow for the single handler to roll the mast bact for stepping.hope this helps you . It's been a wonderful addition to my single handeling.
Just a thought for your scratch problem. I took the time to weld a 1/2 inch rod across the u or rather the saddle that the mast rest on and fitted a roller (non marking) to the middle . This will protect the mast as well as allow for the single handler to roll the mast bact for stepping.hope this helps you . It's been a wonderful addition to my single handeling.
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Jay
Made a (wooden) crutch + stepping ramp
Just to be different, here's another type of mast crutch you can make very quickly/cheaply. I just bought a length of pressure-treated 1x6, and cut a U-shaped notch in one end. This leaves 2 pieces about 1" wide sticking up: they are easily strong enough. Make the notch deep enough to hold the long dimension of the mast cross-section, and wide enough so that the mast can't quite turn 90 degrees. I made mine 6'4" tall, but this is up to you. It sits inside the cockpit, down in the drain well, and leans back against the transom. I drilled one hole on each side several inches below the notch so that I can tie lines from the little pseudo-cleat on top of the combing up to support the mast crutch. This worked well even for trailering, and it makes putting in the mast step pin really easy. (The mast is just about balanced when you move it back to put in the pin.) I also made a mast stepping ramp out of a pair of 10 foot long 2x8's. They are spread apart to go on either side of the mast step at the stern, where they sit on top of the transom. At the front end, they come together. They would sit on both the plexiglass sliding hatch and the fiberglass pop-top (which seems iffy), but I screwed on a 2x4 cross member, which takes the weight and sits on either side of the track for the sliding hatch. I also screwed a 2x4 across the 2 planks at the transom, which runs into the stepping plank and keeps the whole thing from moving aft. We just stepped the mast a couple of weeks ago using the stepping plank, and it went _much_ more easily. I didn't have any worries at all about losing the mast sideways. (We use one person in the cockpit lifting the mast, and another with the jib halyard hooked to the main halyard, pulling from the ground, directly in front of the bow.) Whichever one you make (the wood version was really easy), good luck. Jay
Just to be different, here's another type of mast crutch you can make very quickly/cheaply. I just bought a length of pressure-treated 1x6, and cut a U-shaped notch in one end. This leaves 2 pieces about 1" wide sticking up: they are easily strong enough. Make the notch deep enough to hold the long dimension of the mast cross-section, and wide enough so that the mast can't quite turn 90 degrees. I made mine 6'4" tall, but this is up to you. It sits inside the cockpit, down in the drain well, and leans back against the transom. I drilled one hole on each side several inches below the notch so that I can tie lines from the little pseudo-cleat on top of the combing up to support the mast crutch. This worked well even for trailering, and it makes putting in the mast step pin really easy. (The mast is just about balanced when you move it back to put in the pin.) I also made a mast stepping ramp out of a pair of 10 foot long 2x8's. They are spread apart to go on either side of the mast step at the stern, where they sit on top of the transom. At the front end, they come together. They would sit on both the plexiglass sliding hatch and the fiberglass pop-top (which seems iffy), but I screwed on a 2x4 cross member, which takes the weight and sits on either side of the track for the sliding hatch. I also screwed a 2x4 across the 2 planks at the transom, which runs into the stepping plank and keeps the whole thing from moving aft. We just stepped the mast a couple of weeks ago using the stepping plank, and it went _much_ more easily. I didn't have any worries at all about losing the mast sideways. (We use one person in the cockpit lifting the mast, and another with the jib halyard hooked to the main halyard, pulling from the ground, directly in front of the bow.) Whichever one you make (the wood version was really easy), good luck. Jay
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Cliff LEE
Make it your self
Hi any welding shop can make you a crutch very easy. It should cost between 20 and 50 dollars. dont let them talk you into stainless steel it will be 3X as much and you dont need it. regular low carbon steel is what mine is and I just keep it painted.
Hi any welding shop can make you a crutch very easy. It should cost between 20 and 50 dollars. dont let them talk you into stainless steel it will be 3X as much and you dont need it. regular low carbon steel is what mine is and I just keep it painted.
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ALLEN Wilkins
made mine.
Buy 2 gate hinges "female side" attach to same size ipe about 7 feet long.Gate hinges fit onto rear pintles. Attach a bow roller to top.I used some old hand edger brackets on the top of the pipe. Just above deck level install an eye bolt. Run two lines from the eye bolt to rear cleats, this keeps the supt from turning. When moving mast to rear position there is no need to pick up entire mast. Just roll back or forward.
Buy 2 gate hinges "female side" attach to same size ipe about 7 feet long.Gate hinges fit onto rear pintles. Attach a bow roller to top.I used some old hand edger brackets on the top of the pipe. Just above deck level install an eye bolt. Run two lines from the eye bolt to rear cleats, this keeps the supt from turning. When moving mast to rear position there is no need to pick up entire mast. Just roll back or forward.
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