Mast maintenance done

[kpgraci]

Since I had to remove the mast to replace the backstay I took the opportunity to do some mast maintenance.

I fixed the vang bail on the lower mast that had some loose and missing screws, fabricated a mast gate to make reefing easier, added that topping lift I've been wanting and now need since I'll no longer have a backstay pig tail. I also built a gin-pole so I can raise the mast myself when the time comes.

As it turns out the weather has been too bad to sail anyway so the timing was good.

The mast was originally gold anodized but much of that has wore off, so I considered painting the mast (white I suppose), but my research into that showed it to be more of a project than I want (or can afford) to do right now.

I'm still waiting to receive the wire and fittings for the backstay and upper shroud, hopefully it will come in this week so I can go sailing this weekend.

I'm looking forward to trying out the gin-pole. I liked the idea of an Aluminum pole but I made it from a 2x4 instead. That allowed me to easily attach a ratcheting strap on the end to snug it up to the mast so I would not have to add any mast fittings for attachment. A mast contoured notch in the end of the 2x4 combined with the strap makes a nice secure fit. Other than that I followed the Good Old Boat article for the system - using the jib halyard, boom vang and a stabilizing bridle.

I'll post some pics here of the mast raising and other modifications once I come to that.

 

[Joe11688]

I'd be interested in seeing the pics when you get ready Ken.

 

[emergpa1]

Since I had to remove the mast to replace the backstay I took the opportunity to do some mast maintenance.

I fixed the vang bail on the lower mast that had some loose and missing screws, fabricated a mast gate to make reefing easier, added that topping lift I've been wanting and now need since I'll no longer have a backstay pig tail. I also built a gin-pole so I can raise the mast myself when the time comes.

As it turns out the weather has been too bad to sail anyway so the timing was good.

The mast was originally gold anodized but much of that has wore off, so I considered painting the mast (white I suppose), but my research into that showed it to be more of a project than I want (or can afford) to do right now.

I'm still waiting to receive the wire and fittings for the backstay and upper shroud, hopefully it will come in this week so I can go sailing this weekend.

I'm looking forward to trying out the gin-pole. I liked the idea of an Aluminum pole but I made it from a 2x4 instead. That allowed me to easily attach a ratcheting strap on the end to snug it up to the mast so I would not have to add any mast fittings for attachment. A mast contoured notch in the end of the 2x4 combined with the strap makes a nice secure fit. Other than that I followed the Good Old Boat article for the system - using the jib halyard, boom vang and a stabilizing bridle.

I'll post some pics here of the mast raising and other modifications once I come to that.

What issue of good old boat?
Thanks
Keith

 

[kpgraci]

What issue of good old boat?
Thanks
Keith

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/maststepping.php

I'm rigging it up without the benefit of being at the boat. the bridle is supposed to attach to the stanchion base or other such attachment points - but my boat has none and I don't want to drill any more holes in it - so I think I can attach the baby stays to the cabin top hand rail. I bought some steel rings and 100' of line so I'm sure I can work something out.

 

[Joe11688]

http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/maststepping.php

I'm rigging it up without the benefit of being at the boat. the bridle is supposed to attach to the stanchion base or other such attachment points - but my boat has none and I don't want to drill any more holes in it - so I think I can attach the baby stays to the cabin top hand rail. I bought some steel rings and 100' of line so I'm sure I can work something out.

Ken,
I think it's worth a try if you can temporarily attach the rings to the cabin hand rails to see if the baby stays are going to hold your mast and not bind. Of course, the further you have the rings away from the mast on each side of the boat, the more stability your going to get for your baby stays. This is why I opted for the pad eyes on my deck on each side and made up some pivot bridles. I don't know if your chainplates are set up similar to mine in relation to the mast. If it is, you may be able to get away with two small pad eyes for your deck and two small stainless steel shackles to attach to the toggles of your stays on each side of your boat.
It's important that you make each pivot bridle even before you drill any holes in your boat. The shackle has to stay, but the pad eye can be placed in the right spot in order to get the pivot bridles even. This is why I say, make the pivot bridles first and then spot the eye pads,--that is if you go the same route I did. I would just experiment with what you want to do first though. Good luck!
Joe

 

[kpgraci]

Nice pics of the bridle setup. Your mast is more forward than mine, my chainplates are in line with the mast. My handrails are about the same height as the pivot point and they extend just forward of the mast - I'm guessing about 2 feet away - I think that will be enough to stabilize everything.

I agree the further away the better but I was trying to get away without more deck hardware...maybe I should just add some pad-eyes and be done with it. I've got till Saturday to figure it out.

 

[kpgraci]

BTW - That wooden block attachment on the mast for the babystays - you made that? I thought you said you had no woodworking skills - that looks very professional.

 

[Joe11688]

BTW - That wooden block attachment on the mast for the babystays - you made that? I thought you said you had no woodworking skills - that looks very professional.

Yes, I did make that. My woodworking skills are hacky but that mast yoke or whatever you want to call it, came out pretty good. I had to fashion a longer bolt for the locking mechanism. The bolt that came with that dog was only 3.5 inches long.
If you make one of these Ken, you don't have to make it as fancy as the one pictured with a hinge. The one that Wayne made up for his Seaward 22 is very simple. It fits the mast nice and snug and it has a steel strap attached to it with a long bolt and a fancy round nut that he picked up at a local hardware store. Here's a picture of Wayne's mast yoke. It's the one on the left in the second picture. The other yoke fits into his Gin Pole.

 

[Joe11688]

Nice pics of the bridle setup. Your mast is more forward than mine, my chainplates are in line with the mast. My handrails are about the same height as the pivot point and they extend just forward of the mast - I'm guessing about 2 feet away - I think that will be enough to stabilize everything.

I agree the further away the better but I was trying to get away without more deck hardware...maybe I should just add some pad-eyes and be done with it. I've got till Saturday to figure it out.

View attachment 46038

If your stays are in line with your mast, I wonder if you could seize the rings to your stays so that they are in line with the pivot point of your mast and see if that works?
I would give your idea a try first before you decide on installing pad eyes. If your chainplates are in line with your mast, you would probably need to install four pad eyes which is costly and just another obstacle to stub your toe on.
Actually, Wayne has eye nuts for his baby stays on top of his cabin and it seems to hold the mast pretty well. Anyway, you're the guy that should make the call. You know your boat better than I do. Good luck with that.
Joe

 

[kpgraci]

The other yoke fits into his Gin Pole.

That's a good concept and solves the problem I had of not wanting to add a permanent deck level attachment point on the mast for the gin pole...

For the upper mast stays I just put an eye strap on each side of the mast at the 7.5 foot mark, a height I can work at with outstretched arms.

My rigging came in yesterday so I'm all set.

 

[Joe11688]

The MacGregor sailboat masts are set up with two tangs on the mast about shoulder high with a bolt going through the mast to hold them. The baby stays are connected to these tangs. My mast has internal halyards and I wouldn't be to keen on having a bolt through the mast.

 

[Technodad]

My rigging has what looks like the original optional mast raising set up, note the triangle mounts on the outer shrouds to connect the boom supports too for front raising. It works well but next spring I am going to try a gin pole up front to raise from the rear with the same set up.
For forward raising the mast overhangs the pullpit railing by so much it is hard to manage.

 

[Joe11688]

I think the PO installed those triangular plates on your 23 but I could be wrong about that. I know that O'Day installed them on their 26s and some of their 25s.
If it works for over the bow mast raising, it should work for mast raising over the stern. Although, you wouldn't really need the plates for raising the mast from the stern with a Gin Pole unless you had a good roller furler attached to the mast like a Harken or CDI. Even if you don't have a fuler, if you want more lateral stability for your mast when your raising/lowering, those plates plus the baby stays, will provide you with what you need. Do the holes for the bridle ropes in the plates come in line with the pivot point on your mast tabernacle? Do you plan on setting up baby stays from these plates to your mast?

I think that Ken mentioned that his stays are pretty much in line with his mast. Where his O'Day 22 stays do not have these triangular plates as your O'Day 23, couldn't he attached a couple of stainless steel rings to his stays using a strong twine by tying a Prussic Knot or "Rolling Hitch"? I've never tied a Prussic Knot on a stay, but I have tied a lineman's Rolling Hitch on a stay and believe me, it won't slip.

Before I started using that fancy mast yoke pictured below , I used to tie Rolling Hitches to my lower stays within reaching distance for my baby stays attachment and it worked. I used this for a number of years in mast raising with the CDI furler attached.
Then I tried using a different mast holding device that I read about in Small Craft Advisor that involved using a mast slug, a small shackle, with the Main Halyard attached to it. This system worked but it was a PITA to set up especially when the mast was ready to go up.
After that, I adopted Wayne Barlow's mast yoke which is simple and easy to use. I recommend it highly for anyone who needs that extra mast raising/lowering lateral stability regardless of whether they raise from the bow or the stern. I think it is very important that the rings attached to the stays, or the triangular plates be in line with the pivot point of the mast, or Gin Pole bridle and baby stays will bind as the mast is going up.
When you get your mast raising gear finished, please let us know how you made out and if it's successful. Pictures of it would be great too.
Joe

 

[Technodad]

To duplicate the triangles you could clip a caribener or snap ring or chain joiner over the shroud and run a piece of rope down to the chain plate to hold it. It would slide up to the desired height and work the same.

 

[kpgraci]

...this is a great concept - WM has something called a shroud cleat. since my stays are inline with the mast it may work.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=50045&subdeptNum=50083&classNum=50086

But then...the bridle Vee's out to attach to the deck to prevent fore-aft movement of the ring...not sure how this setup would work with that in mind, seems like it would pivot at the chainplate - not desirable - it would still need to be secured to prevent fore-aft movement.

EDIT:

OK, I see...it's for attaching to the boom, or in my case, the gin pole, and the bridle Vee (as it were) is upside down in the form of the plate to gin-pole/plate to shroud connection...

Well, if it had not been done before I would say it would not work...but apparently is does.

EDIT 2:

The shroud cleat will not work. The shroud must 'bend' at the joint and the triangle plate allows this - the shroud would be damaged (kinked) with a shroud cleat.

 

[kpgraci]

Just for completeness on the mast raising topic, there is a non-gin pole method that uses sheer legs (or shear?). This is basically a bi-pod attached to the mast and the legs attach to the deck in line with the mast. I'm unclear if the deck pivot needs to be in line with the mast pivot, seems like it should but the descriptions did not mention that.

Supposedly with this setup the mast could be raised and lowered safely even at sea, which is interesting.

 

[Joe11688]

To duplicate the triangles you could clip a caribener or snap ring or chain joiner over the shroud and run a piece of rope down to the chain plate to hold it. It would slide up to the desired height and work the same.

I think that if you tied a prussic knot to the stays with a short piece of 3/16" cord and attached the stainless steel rings to it, it may work provided that you attach the baby stays to the mast first. Then attach the bridle from the end of the Gin Pole. The two V bridles will be even as the mast goes up or comes down because the pivot points will be at the two rings.
I think this should work, but I'm not entirely sure having never done it myself. The Prussic knot is very similar to the rolling hitch in that it won't slip if it's tied to another rope or wire. Mountain climbers have been using for ascending cliffs, so I'm told. The rolling hitch can only work if it's tied in the direction away from the pull. I think that the Prussic knot will hold in either direction of the pull.

 

[kpgraci]

OK. Follow my logic on this then. Instead of attaching to the shrouds, why not just have a ring with three lines - the lower line attaches to the chain plate (which we are assuming is in line with the mast) and is long enough to hold the ring at mast pivot level, and the other 2 are the gin-pole and mast babystays.

Would this not accomplish the exact same thing as attaching to the shroud itself???



EDIT: Assuming there is enough room on the chainplate to attach another carabiner...

 

[Joe11688]

Just for completeness on the mast raising topic, there is a non-gin pole method that uses sheer legs (or shear?). This is basically a bi-pod attached to the mast and the legs attach to the deck in line with the mast. I'm unclear if the deck pivot needs to be in line with the mast pivot, seems like it should but the descriptions did not mention that.

Supposedly with this setup the mast could be raised and lowered safely even at sea, which is interesting.

The sheer legs is pretty neat for someone who has a sloop with a keel stepped mast. I talked to a guy in WM who said that he uses sheer legs to step the mast on his J-24. Sheer legs would be over-kill to use on our boats Ken. I've had to actually pull into a cove and take my mast down one day in order to get under a broken drawbridge on the river. The bridge had broken down earlier in the day with the leafs in the air and they had traffic backed up for miles for three hours. They finally were able to get the bridge down, but it wouldn't be operable until the next day. I came back from an overnighter in Bristol RI and was looking to get back up the river to the club. I'd have been screwed if I didn't have my Gin Pole on board.
I think the Gin Pole is the way to go.

 

[Joe11688]

OK. Follow my logic on this then. Instead of attaching to the shrouds, why not just have a ring with three lines - the lower line attaches to the chain plate (which we are assuming is in line with the mast) and is long enough to hold the ring at mast pivot level, and the other 2 are the gin-pole and mast babystays.

Would this not accomplish the exact same thing as attaching to the shroud itself???

View attachment 46091

EDIT: Assuming there is enough room on the chainplate to attach another carabiner...

I think it would work provided that you connect the baby stays to the rings from the mast first. Then attach the Gin Pole bridle to the rings. Having never done it, I really don't know for sure whether it would work. It would be interesting to find out for sure though. Let me know how you make out. It beats having to drill holes in your deck and adding another piece of hardware on the deck to stub your toe on.