Mast raisi'n ??

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Aug 15, 2006
36
- - New castle,De.
Yuk,Yuk!! Have looked at various mast raisi'n posts etc. In my jaded view it appears that the gin pole(an eight foot piece of somethi'n with an eye bolt thru it) with a cable attached to top of (or there about) the masthead would be workable with the base of said pole resting just forward of the mast step.The trailer winch cable could be attached to the other eyebolt(that i forgot to mention) on the reverse side of the eight foot piece(horozontally opposed of course) and crank that boy right up."NOW" ya'll tell me if i'm on to somethi'n or having another one of my fanciful delusions(which come far to frequently for the admiral).have at me!
 
Jun 8, 2004
550
Macgregor 26M Delta, B.C. Canada 26M not X
Mast Raise Kit

Find a MacGregor Dealer in your area and get them to order a MacGregor mast raising system. They are fairly generic in that they will work on other boats, not just Macgregors. The dealer can likely give you a demo on how it works, I have one and find it works great, even has a clutch brake so that when you let go of the crank handle it does not spin and unwind, you have to crank the handle either way to raise or lower it. see link.
 
Jan 11, 2007
294
Columbia 28 Sarasota
Let me tell you...

Mikes mast raising system on his Hunter is slick. I have seen him, and helped (a little) raise and lower his mast on the water in minutes. He can lower it on the fly if need be. Shoot a video Mike, there are lots of us that could benefit from your ingenuity. Work smarter not harder...
 
C

crazy dave condon

mast raise

Currently, Hunter uses the approach of a mast raising pole inserted into the base of the mast using the main halyard on the bottom side of the mast raise pole for leverage when pulling the mast up while the jib halyard is attached to the top side of the pole. The current 25 has stablizer bars to stabilze the mast sideways. The current system on the Catalina 250 is the use of the winch strap going upward on the extended pole on the trailer attached to the jib halyard. You can raise using the winch on the trailer stand or the winch on the boat. Stabilaztion sideways is achieved thru wires attached to the sides of the mast. Both systems work fine and are safer from what I have seen out there. As for the electic gizmo in the anchor well to winch up, you have to be extremely carefful as too much can cause something to snap and you could loose a mast damaging the boat not to mention possible injuries which I have seen happen in the past.
 
Jun 3, 2004
730
Catalina 250 Wing Keel Eugene, OR
How is the gizmo attached?

Soling42, how is that 12V winch attached in the anchor locker? Have you a brand and model or source for that winch? Also, that video of the C25 shows the owner has used the forestay (and furler) as the line for attaching the mast to the gin pole. Seems like a good strategy to me and it has the furler contained instead of flopping around. Any reason why most others do not use the forestay?? I am building a gin pole setup for my C250. The C250 does have a great mast raising system for on the trailer but at one of our favorite cruise launching marinas they cannot lift with the mast up so we need an on-water system. I am intrigued with that electric winch as my back does not need any chance to get hurt.
 

BrianW

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Jan 7, 2005
843
Hunter 26 Guntersville Lake, (AL)
Dave Ain't Crazy

I've used both my trailer winch and the main winch to raise my Hunter 26's mast. The more "feel" I have, the less likely I am to damage something. MOST of the time, I'm pretty good at following a detailed checklist to avoid conditions that bind on my mast raising system. I have to say that most of the time both winches worked very well. For that first 3 feet of the lift, I've even thought about how good an "electric gizmo" would be. My sad experience is that the hotter it is, or the closer a hurricane is bearing down on me, or any one of many "hurry up" incentives, the more likely I am to be less observant to bind-causing details. Bottom line, the main winch system is the only system that gives me the ability to "feel" something binding the system early enough before damage is done. I KNOW, I KNOW my damages were caused by my inattention to detail. Believe me, I am very attentive MOST all the time, but I'm human. For me, using a mast raising mechanical lift system that allows me to still feel resistance during the lift. For that reason, I now only use my main winch for mast raising. BrianW
 

BrianW

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Jan 7, 2005
843
Hunter 26 Guntersville Lake, (AL)
I'll See Your Bent Gin Pole and Raise You.....

I've encountered a bent gin pole, a bent shroud T-bolt and 2 "buggered out" (bent) gin pole socket holes at the base of the mast. I know, I'm a slow learner. Most of these occurred while the Weather Channel was showing images of red buzz-saw shaped blobs blasting through the Gulf of Mexico. BrianW
 
C

crazy dave condon

Crazy ain't stupid

Anytime an elcctical mechanical lift for example a winch is used, caution is a big must. It would apppear that Michael is using caution but for some, I have seen the aftermath because caution was not in the vocabulary. One fellow pulled the forestay out of the mast which fell on his wife's head and she had stiches put in. Again, caution whenever using a winch. As for the mast raising pole, do not ever pull or push as it can and will collapse and then again you could loose your mast. I am not perfect but attention and caution are two words in my vocabulary when raising and lowering a mast.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
I raise and lower the 35 foot mast on Bietzpadlin

with an "A" frame and The jib halyard and some 1/2 inch laid line and a large single sheave block at the stem. Nancy snubs the line on the way down and tails the winch while I grind on the way up. The hardest part of the lift is the first 3-4 feet after that if I encounter any resistance I look around for a snagged shroud. When the mast is in place I use the halyard to raise and lower the "A" frame.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Popeye, Just one question about your method.

What is the distance from the mast step to the stem fitting? You don't want the pole to blanket the fitting for the stay.
 
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