Mast raising ideas...

[Salty Jack]

I need your guidance. Just bought a nice condition 1981. C22. I haven't put the mast up yet and have been thinking of an easy way to stabilize the mast side to side especially on a windy day. ( I will be mostly sailing alone)
The former owner used his method with no problems ( I think he was damn lucky...). The trailer has a tongue extension and just behind the hitch coupler, he mounted a winch..There is an adjustable mast crutch which he extended all the way. He attached the winch hook to the forestay and raised the mast.with no side to side support. My untried idea to stabilize the mast is to use a length of mainsheet gauge (or stronger) line.. Tie one end to a stantion loop or cleat, wrap the line around the mast snugly 4-5 times approx 8 ft up. Then tie off the other end to a stantion loop or cleat. To keep the wraps from sliding down the mast, put a sail stopper in the mast groove right below the wraps. In essence the rope would serve as baby stays. Was thinking using wraps vs a strong knot tie off in that it would make it easy to get the line down if it's up 8 or 9 feet.
Please poke holes in this before I hurt myself. It should work. After all, I was A Notary Public. Jack

 

[Leeward Rail]

Lots of threads here discuss the various methods. Some use babystays. Keep in mind that:
- stays have to be in the right spot so that the distance from the mast to the where the stays attach (stanchion or cleat) doesn't change as the mast goes up.
- or...has some system where the baby length can change but still hold the mast side to side.
Otherwise the mast only goes so far or the stays are loose until full raised.. which negates the purpose.

To use a winch on the trailer, you really need 2 people. One on deck and another on the winch.

Doing it alone, I would do it all from the deck. A winch strapped to the mast, so you can crank it as you stabilize the mast, a block and tackle (some use the mainsheet) etc.
YouTube has a few demos of different methods.

Some people just push it up by hand. Personally I would only do that in mild wind.

 

[Salty Jack]

I have looked at a few methods and it makes sense to raise it being on the deck. For the same reasons you mention I've hesitated using baby stays. Another solution is having the local marina raise it with their portable crane and three men.

 

[Leeward Rail]

portable crane and three men.

That's overkill for the Catalina 22

Like I say, some poeple just push it up by hand. The only problem I ran into is forgetting to make sure the backstay was laying correctly so it didn't get snagged when raising the mast into position.
Another gotcha is making sure the turnbuckles are laying so they lift up easily and don't get bent.

If you have a support at the back of the boat to hold that mast up (I had mine attached to the rudder gudgons), it makes it much easier. A complete system can be made from wood if required. The only real cost might be a hand winch. (Some people use the mainsheet system from the boat)

Get a couple.helper to give you a hand and do it a few times. Maybe someone with experience.

it isn't as hard as beginners make it out to be. Just use a methodical, consistent method like those shown here or on YouTube. Once you have done it a few times, you should find it simple, and he able to do it alone.

Entertainment for the neighborhood if you practise at home.

 

[Salty Jack]

Thanks. The marina crane idea was only my off beat sense of humor at work... Will watch the videos carefully and proceed. I will attempt to get my brother in law to assist me the first time. He will appreciate the opportunity for a good laugh or to use the first aid kit for the first time.

 

[AaronD]

My experience. Take it for what it's worth:

We've always raised and lowered the mast double-handed. My wife handles the winch and I walk the mast up from the cockpit and cabin top. We haven't ever had baby stays, but it's always been on my list. Maybe someday.

For the first ~30-40% of the lift, I'm holding around the midpoint of the mast, and it can't swing very far. And once it's ~75% up, the normal side-stays support it pretty well laterally. So it's the middle third or so of the lift (maybe 45 degrees to 70 degrees?) where baby stays could help.

We've used two systems (thus far):

• Trailer winch to forestay, with trailer winch strap routed over our bow roller. Your system would vary depending on where your winch is mounted, strap routing, etc. For us, that system:
  • Required dropping the anchor off the roller and securing it back in place after stepping the mast (an extra few minutes)
  • The regular trailer winch (I.e., not a brake winch) made me nervous when lowering. If you lose your grip while lowering, it free-winds. I once did that on a similar winch (lowering a kayak hung in our garage) and I remember the bruises.
• Gin pole with brake winch
  • This system works better for us, but again takes a few minutes to get the gin pole in place, secure winch line, etc.
  • Our gin pole is a 2x4, about 7' long, with a brake winch mounted to it, blocks to route the Dyneema winch line, etc.

If I were starting over - and definitely with a larger boat (C-25 or similar) - I'd consider building a permanent A-frame system like the Tes and Imexus have (folds down around the toe rail along the bow). Probably with baby stays too, but even without, an A-frame would provide reasonable lateral stability (since the mast is suspended from the A-frame joint, and - unlike the gin pole - the A-frame can't swing laterally).

 

[JoeWhite]

Visit this link with images. This was my solution.

Mast Raising Harness | Hunter 25.5 1984 | Sail La Vie Album | Sail La Vie Home

mei1970.org

 

[Salty Jack]

Thank you Joe. Jack

 

[Salty Jack]

Aaron: thanks for your explanation and all the detail. I will be sailing a lot alone. I'm retired and many of my friends are still working. I think I'm leaning toward baby stays. I'm striving for the easiest, safest and most efficient method. I really like the Stingy Sailor video without a gin pole, simple use of the main sheet tackle.. My concern is I'm not 35 anymore (70 in Aug) with a bad shoulder...

 

[JBP-PA]

I use my main halyard and spinnaker halyard as temporary shrouds. I'm guessing that is what people mean by baby stays? I rig them to the toe rail directly abeam of the mast step. I use a 2x4 vertical extension of the trailer winch tower which also is attached to the pulpit and has a roller about 2 feet above the pulpit. My mast step is forward of my cabin, so I must use a mast crutch for the mast to clear the cabin in the down position. I use the jib halyard as a safety backup for the trailer winch. I can do it single handed, but I wouldn't be able to use the jib halyard effectively.

 

[JBP-PA]

To prevent the shroud turnbuckles from jamming I use masking tape to tape the shrouds to the life line. The masking tape breaks free as the shrouds come under tension.
Also, if I have a third person, I'll dispense with the temporary shrouds and give the main halyard to the third person behind the boat, their job being to move left or right as necessary to stabilize the mast sideways.

 

[Leeward Rail]

I will attempt to get my brother in law to assist me the first time.

Eek.. that might be the real dangerous part.


Using an a-frame is likely the safest system.
If you build it, so it has a web/leather collar that can slide up/down the mast, it. solves the geometry issue and gives more bottom attachment locations.
Could easily be stored, strapped to the mast, or in the cabin when the boat is on the trailer.
Not as low priced as using babystays, but..

 

[Salty Jack]

Thanks. Good info!

 

[pclarksurf]

The best video of the process belongs to Stingy Sailor;

I use his basic principle ( I don't use the gin pole option) and use the mainsheet tackle (4:1 purchase) attached to the stem fitting and the forestay. As @AaronD mentions, the key to the single handed raise is the fact that my lower aft and main stays remain ATTACHED. Only the forward lowers need to be disconnected to effect the lift. Added a pic below that shows my use of the mast extension purchased externally.

Once you have a modicum of lift underway-- the side tension of the stays keeps the mast completely in column-- I have attempted (poorly) to video with one hand while I raised and lowered-- showing that you can stop mid lift safely walk away, tidy something-- and continue with no risk.

At the end of the day-- get some help while you formalize your routine, but it can be done one handed with tooling you already own.



How to Step a Mast Single-Handed With or Without Using the Boom as a Gin Pole


Below is a pic just before I attempt the lift : notice the slack in the stays-- a foot or so will put them in tension and solve for any lateral movement:

Extension for reference:

 

[JBP-PA]

Once you have a modicum of lift underway-- the side tension of the stays keeps the mast completely in column--

Only if you have a masthead rig with straight spreaders. If you have a fractional rig with swept spreaders, the side shrouds don't do anything until the mast is completely up.

 

[LakeShark]

@Salty Jack some great ideas and plans here. the Stingy Sailor Method is the best. the mast is not that heavy and with the extension raised its really not too bad of a lift. Just try and make sure the cables are clear and that you can do it in 1 motion. I use my boom vang because its a 5:1 but the main sheet works as well.

Here is a short video I put together after writing an article on the subject for the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association. My son was 11 at the time this was shot and as you can see its a pretty easy 1 person job. Just keep it simple.

 

[Salty Jack]

Love the video! I'm with you regarding simplicity. I've seen the Stingy Sailor video about raising without a gin pole. I just don't want to deal with metal supports, 2 X 4's, a winch on the mast etc. As long as I can do it alone safely, the easier the better From your video it looks like you can have it ready to launch in less than 5 minutes. Not bad!!

 

[LakeShark]

From your video it looks like you can have it ready to launch in less than 5 minutes. Not bad!!

Thanks but 5 min May be a bit generous. I can certainly have the mast up in that time but rigging the boom, tuning the rig if racing, and getting all the cockpit cushions set takes a bit longer.

At a moderate pace I can go from arrival to sailing away with the truck parked n about 45 min. If I am lazy it takes about an hour and if I have help or it’s raining 30 min or so.

My record I believe was my wife and I packing it up as several weather moved in. Nothing like lowering the mast, strapping it all down and quietly working as a team. We did it in 15 min as the tornado sirens were going off and the hail started falling. Waited through the storm on the side of the road for another 30 min after that.

 

[Salty Jack]

Yipes! 15 minutes is record time! 45 minutes is about the average time for set up and take down as I've heard..

 

[LakeShark]

@Salty Jack We did strike the boom, all lines, etc. while motoring back to the ramp following a race. We knew weather was coming and wanted to act fast. I believe we may have even removed the forward lowers or the forestay before pulling the boat as well. It was basically grab the crutch, pull the last stay, get the rig down as Lightning was already over head. We have been working together for more than 20 years on boats so not much communication was needed. we just looked at one another and then went to our respective tasks. I docked and pushed her off, while she pulled the fuel line form the motor to run it out and drove the boat to the trailer once I backed down the ramp. It was so windy putting straps on the mast I was almost blown off the deck in the parking lot. Waves on the lake were 6 foot as straight line winds came though. I was glad we were off the water.