Mast raising / lowering on a 26

[agprice22]

Does anyone here raise / lower his mast manually on a 26? I see that the shrouds are aft of the centerline of the mast, so I assume they can be loosened and remain attached during the process? If you do, what is your method? Do you manhandle it, or do you use the winch with or with a gin pole? I know there are many ways, so I am looking for someone's experience with the 26.

I just agreed to terms on a very nice 26. The marina will put it on the trailer and lower the mast, but I am moving it to my marina, so I would like to raise the mast myself.

I currently sail a C22, and I simply attach the back and center shrouds and the back stay and lift it up. It isn't heavy. Maybe 50 lbs on one shoulder? My wife attaches the forestay, and we are set?

Thanks!

Andrew

 

[RichBone]

What do you mean manually? I raise and lower the mast every year, but with the help of a a-frame and a winch.

 

[agprice22]

Yes; thanks. I did find diagrams of the frame and gin pole. I currently have a C22, so I can simply step the mast manually. The mast gets CONSIDERABLY bigger on the 26 and 27!

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Joe11688]

Andrew,
If your O'Day 26 is a late model it may have triangular plates on the side stays. These plates allow you to attach a bridle to center your boom and hold it in place as it is used for the Gin Pole. The mast is raised from the bow of the boat with the side stays connected.
The Mainsheet is used to raise the mast but in order to have enough reach in the blocks, the braid line needs to be removed from each sheave in both the upper and lower blocks of the Mainsheet. The main halyard is connected to the top of the boom and cleated off at the bottom of the mast.
The boom of course provides the angle to raise/lower the mast. These boats came through with the bridle and instructions. You can get an instruction sheet off this site I think.
If your 26 does not have these triangular plates, you can probably still use a bridle if you connect it to a high toggle on each of your two side stays. However, the system is going to bind a little on you in the beginning. You'll probably need to man handle it a little to get it started.

The connection point of the bridle needs to be at the same height and in line with the pivot point of your mast tabernacle pin.

There is one thing you can do that will work if you don't have the plates. I did this for years on my boat and it worked for me. Take two 3/16"X 15" braid lines. Put a small bowline on the end of each line and tie them to each of your side stays with a "Lineman's Rolling Hitch".
http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/album.php?albumid=1918
It is important that you make your wraps of this hitch toward the deck in order for the hitch to hold. I used this hitch for years to tie my baby stays (3/16" braid line) to my stays and it worked for me. If your boat lacks these plates, give it a shot.

If your boat has a furler, someone needs to hold and guide it as the mast goes up or down. Keep in my that the mast can still go over the side if the furler get away, or if the boat and or boat on the trailer isn't level.
The wind needs to be coming directly forward over the bow.

Joe

 

[agprice22]

Thanks! That was excellent information! Anybody ever raise the mast on a 272 this way? It is possible I will end up with a 272, and I don't want to attempt something others would consider insane. But I would like to be able to raise and lower it myself.


Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Joe11688]

When they came out with the O'Day 272 they claimed that the mast can be pivoted on it's pin to go up but some people on this forum have mentioned that they have reservations about trying it.
The mast on the 272 is wider and heavier. It has a lot of control lines connected to it that all need to be run through sheaves and clutches.
One guy mentioned that he raises/lowers his mast with the use of a bridge on the water. I may be wrong about this but I don't think that the mast on a 272 is going to go up as easy as a mast of the 26. It's just too heavy and hard to handle. The tabernacle really doesn't look like it's strong enough being cast Aluminum.
Years ago I sailed an 86 O'Day 272 up from the Cape to Bristol RI and I'm kind of familiar with this boat. They are a sweet boat with a great interior and they don't sail to bad. The wing keel will allow you to go into shallow water which is something I favor in a boat of this size.
I very much favor the keel/centerboard sloops and I like to keep things simple.
I don't like halyards and control lines brought back of the cabin and into the cockpit. The 272 has everything led back to the cockpit.
The only line I like led back to the cockpit is the control line for my CDI Roller Reefing Furler and I have it led right to my combing at the stern rail. Outside of the that, I want to be able to do everything standing at my mast such as reefing and working my halyards.

Joe

 

[Deadline]

Whatever you do, make sure you have a buddy there to pin the forestay as you recreate the Iwo Jima flag. You can't be in two places at once. Trust me.

 

[kdssail]

good info above from Joe. Keep in mind that the 26 has a vang bail at the mast base so do NOT lower mast to stern or you WILL poke a hole in your topside, I installed a mast base plate to attach turning blocks and the vang's lower attachment, now I can drop mast either direction.
I made a mast assist pole that goes on the stern in place of the rudder and it helps a lot..see pictures. good luck

 

[Joe11688]

Whatever you do, make sure you have a buddy there to pin the forestay as you recreate the Iwo Jima flag. You can't be in two places at once. Trust me.

Great advise. You need at least one extra guy if you have a roller furler connected to your mast. Three people would be even better if you are doing this at the dock. It may be possible for the guy standing on the dock to hold the mast and help it up gently when you're ready to raise her.

Do not let anyone board your boat or walk around on it while the mast is going up. All it takes is for the boat to tilt as someone steps on board from the dock. The mast can go off balance and it will be all over but the shouting. Outside of that, observe wind direction and the strength of the wind. I always look up the river and make sure that nobody is going to come by in a powerboat and create a large wake. We have two NO WAKE signs in back of our club but some do not observe them.
That's it.

 

[Joe11688]

good info above from Joe. Keep in mind that the 26 has a vang bail at the mast base so do NOT lower mast to stern or you WILL poke a hole in your topside, I installed a mast base plate to attach turning blocks and the vang's lower attachment, now I can drop mast either direction.
I made a mast assist pole that goes on the stern in place of the rudder and it helps a lot..see pictures. good luck

My friend Ray has a bow crutch with a roller in it which allows him to roll the mast forward and pin the tabernacle. The mast gets slightly top heavy when he gets the pins lined up and he has to apply some downward pressure on the mast so that he can pin the tabernacle together.
This in one reason why I'd rather raise my mast from aft.

I could get a hole in my sliding hatch if I forget to close it before letting the mast down so I know what you mean. Been there and done that.

 

[agprice22]

Thanks. I have a 10 ft mast crutch for raising my mast, so that will help. I will only step and unstep the mast once per season, as the boat is kept in the water from April to October. Seems like the mast crutch and boom method will work, and we only raise / lower it on land, so we will avoid the boat wake issue!

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[billh]

Andrew, this is a great place for that sort of information. As the others have posted, it is pretty straight forward. I "borrowed" several ideas from postings here and came up with an A frame solution. Again this is not my idea, but from some postings from others here. Take a look, I have images in my profile area. basically I have two pieces of conduit, I think they are standard 8' pieces. I bolted them together with an eye bolt, and an eye nut. At the feet I have a circular bolt. I simply shackle the feet to a little ring there at the base of the life line post. Careful though, it does want to bind sometimes. I use the traveler attached to the bow of the boat and connected to the eye bolt or nut, and a halyard to the other side. Then I stand at the mast and shoulder it if alone. I should use baby stays, but shouldering it up and down seems to work for now. However, if I have help, we simply he-man it up or down and not use a system. In either case I leave the side stays and back stay connected. Then once up simply pin the head stay. No issues to date with this method.