Ny one familer with the MastMate out of australia ,?....,getting old and lazy,,,this is the mast raising system not the ladder.
Mast mate
- Thread starter kiki
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I've seen it on the internet. It looks viable and reproducible. I think the thing that would make it or break it for me is whether or not it keeps the mast steady. Mine wobbles while stepping, until the stays take over. I will probably try this method this spring. At first it will be a couple of 2x4s. If it seems to work well, I can get aluminum tube from work.
Depending on how lazy you have gotten 
it's not too difficult to build your own mast raising system, many have done it here. Basically a gin pole (metal or wood) and a bridle to hold the mast laterally (several steel rings and some line) - lots of info on the inet for DIYers
I had found a nice simple one I wanted to build but can't seem to find the link right now...I'll keep looking.
I don't remember if this was the one, but it's pretty good:
http://slowflight.net/upgrades/tips-GinPole.html
it's not too difficult to build your own mast raising system, many have done it here. Basically a gin pole (metal or wood) and a bridle to hold the mast laterally (several steel rings and some line) - lots of info on the inet for DIYersI had found a nice simple one I wanted to build but can't seem to find the link right now...I'll keep looking.
I don't remember if this was the one, but it's pretty good:
http://slowflight.net/upgrades/tips-GinPole.html
You could build a Gin Pole for less money that will do the same task. I'm able to raise/lower my mast with a roller furler attached to it, all by myself.
The first Gin Pole I built was made of oak and it came apart in two pieces and the Gin Pole that I have now was welded up by my son out of 1" and 1-1/2" stainless steel pipe. It too comes apart for easy stowage under the settees.
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- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
I don't know if it is hunter or mcgregor, but one or the other has a mast raising gin pole system that works very well.
Sumner has pictures of his on his pages and I copied the base yoke to fasten the base of the pole to the step plate and made my pole using a piece of mild steel and a sheave set in the top and a small brake winch lower down the pole at a comfortable cranking height. Cable goes up the pole over the sheave and down to the bow of the boat and is shackled in to one of the spare holes in the jib/fore stay attachment point.
Then from the top of the pole a cable is attached down to the mast. I have a ring installed on the mast up about 10 or twelve feet and a permanent cable about 8' long shackled to it and down to another ring low down on the mast. When I am ready to raise the mast, I just un shackle the bottom attachment of the cable and attach to the top of the gin pole and with a helper to watch the lines every where else, start cranking the brake winch.
You can stop and un tangle any snarls at any point and the winch will not let the cable uncoil.
Since I made it last year I have probably used it a half a dozen times and it works nicely.
Tom...
Sumner has pictures of his on his pages and I copied the base yoke to fasten the base of the pole to the step plate and made my pole using a piece of mild steel and a sheave set in the top and a small brake winch lower down the pole at a comfortable cranking height. Cable goes up the pole over the sheave and down to the bow of the boat and is shackled in to one of the spare holes in the jib/fore stay attachment point.
Then from the top of the pole a cable is attached down to the mast. I have a ring installed on the mast up about 10 or twelve feet and a permanent cable about 8' long shackled to it and down to another ring low down on the mast. When I am ready to raise the mast, I just un shackle the bottom attachment of the cable and attach to the top of the gin pole and with a helper to watch the lines every where else, start cranking the brake winch.
You can stop and un tangle any snarls at any point and the winch will not let the cable uncoil.
Since I made it last year I have probably used it a half a dozen times and it works nicely.
Tom...
I built mine for my O23 from the same link posted by Ken. Works great. The hardest part was finding a reversible winch. In my neck of the woods, some boat accessories can be difficult to get locally. I bulit my baby stays from steel cable because I couldn't justify the expense of low stretch rope and 3/16 cable is about 1/2 that. The thing only gets used twice a year.
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
Here is a link for brake winches, Mine was a Dutton-Laimson and I ordered it through Fastenal and had them get me the smallest that Dutton made. It was around $75. no shipping.
Tom...
Tom...
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
Have one on my 19' TS that I use with my cabin stepped mast...works very well. I use some 'baby' stays from the spinnaker D connector about 3' above the mast step through pulleys on the headsail track to provide lateral stability until the shrouds are tight.
The mastmate is used with a mast crutch system made from an extendable aluminium paint roller handle with 2 skateboard wheels...extends from around 4' to about 7' 6". This was suggested by the bloke that makes the mastmate system. The skateboard rollers are mounted on a bolt through the top of the handle which has a U shape guide to help locate the mast. The skateboard wheels run up either side of the sail track...a flat bobbin style roller would tend to close up the sail track after repeated use.
When I use the mastmate I connect it to the spinnaker halyard & the other end to the winch cable. After stepping the mast, I extend the mast crutch until it raise the mast sufficiently then I use the trailer winch to tension the mastmate until it is just 'bouncing' lightly on the mast crutch. From the cabin I then stand the mast up.
A great system for solo rigging & derigging.
Regards
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