I have a Catalina 22. I have always raised my mast with a handful of people. I just moved my boat to a new lake and they have the attached setup. Can someone explain how this works on raising a mast? How to hook hook up and raise. Being in Oklahoma, finding a non wind day is a challenge so I want to make sure I am doing it right.
Mast raising question
- Thread starter Okcjeremy
- Start date
Stepping a mast with a gin pole or crane is pretty straight forward, but not something you can really learn from reading a post on the internet. The best learning comes from actually doing it. The gin pole makes the mast easier to step, however, it remains at least a 2 person job. Get to know some people at the club and volunteer to help them and ask them to help you. After you do this a few times you'll be ready to take the lead and raise your own mast with a helper.
The crane hook is attached to the mast with a long rope tied to the mast just above the "pick point" (aka the balance point). On a single spreader rig, this is usually just beneath the spreaders. When lifted, ideally the mast is just a tad butt heavy, this will cause the mast to become vertical when it lifted. Once it is vertical it is lowered with the mast set in the mast step and secured with a pin or bolt on some masts. With the mast vertical and in the step the fore stay is attached, followed by the uppers, and then the backstay. Take up any slack on the shrouds and release the crane from the mast. The lowers can then be attached. The most important step is tying the mast to the crane hook. Someone with experience can show you how to do that.
Some general tips.
Make sure all the running and standing rigging is in the right position. A common error is having a halyard going over the spreader instead of in front or behind the spreader.
Have all the cotter pins and clevis pins ready with any tools needed to install them.
It is easier to thread the turnbuckle on to the stud than it is to insert the clevis pin into the toggle and chainplate.
Lightly lubricate the turnbuckle studs with a dry lubricant.
Until the mast is secure, be very careful moving around the boat. Move slowly and gently to avoid rocking the boat too much.
It is all pretty anxiety producing the first few times you step the mast with a crane, then you realize how fast and easy it is.
Good Luck.
The crane hook is attached to the mast with a long rope tied to the mast just above the "pick point" (aka the balance point). On a single spreader rig, this is usually just beneath the spreaders. When lifted, ideally the mast is just a tad butt heavy, this will cause the mast to become vertical when it lifted. Once it is vertical it is lowered with the mast set in the mast step and secured with a pin or bolt on some masts. With the mast vertical and in the step the fore stay is attached, followed by the uppers, and then the backstay. Take up any slack on the shrouds and release the crane from the mast. The lowers can then be attached. The most important step is tying the mast to the crane hook. Someone with experience can show you how to do that.
Some general tips.
Make sure all the running and standing rigging is in the right position. A common error is having a halyard going over the spreader instead of in front or behind the spreader.
Have all the cotter pins and clevis pins ready with any tools needed to install them.
It is easier to thread the turnbuckle on to the stud than it is to insert the clevis pin into the toggle and chainplate.
Lightly lubricate the turnbuckle studs with a dry lubricant.
Until the mast is secure, be very careful moving around the boat. Move slowly and gently to avoid rocking the boat too much.
It is all pretty anxiety producing the first few times you step the mast with a crane, then you realize how fast and easy it is.
Good Luck.
The first time I raised my mast it was by myself without a handful of people by placing the foot of the mast in the step and attaching all the guys on the mast except the forestay which remained connected to the top of the mast only. After swinging the mast up to it's top vertical position I then secured the forestay at the bow. I found this difficult to do by myself and being a trailer sailor and having someone offer help at a later trip to the lake and accepting the offer from that person not a handful of people I was glad I didn't have help the first time. One thing to remember is that sailing is fun and adventurous and many people who approach it are not aware that there is a fun new language to learn besides corporate and political and may get justifiably confused when you tell them starboard when you explain on a sailboat there is no such thing as HR. (which also may require explanation by the way if the Admiral be aboard)
I have found on my Mariner (19ft, 25ft mast) that raising the mast solo requires a system that prevents the mast moving off the intended track by the wind, and can hold the mast in any position while I futz with shrouds, forestay, etc. I studied various rigs people had come up with for Catalina 22 and the Mariner (both very common boats).
I ended up with a gin pole with a latching 2-way trailer winch mounted on the gin pole. My 1st gin pole made from a 2x4 wasn't strong enough and caused me to dump the mast part way up. My 2nd gin pole was a 2x6 with the outside of the mast crotch reinforced with angled metal along the corners. My next lesson learned the hard way was that I needed to prevent the mast swaying horizontally in the wind while going up/down. The Mariner has aft swept shrouds so the mast has no lateral support until almost all the way up. My solution was baby stays which I attach when raising solo.
The jib halyard attaches to the gin pole. The line to the winch goes through a block at the end of the gin pole to a block just behind the forestay eye to a cleat on deck. Going up, I winch the gin pole down to near the deck, which pulls the mast up to vertical. Baby stays eliminate the horizontal sway until the shrouds take over.
Mariner-specific, the aft (top) end of the mast, supported on a crutch on the rudder gudgeons, needs to be raised from the trailering position to a higher starting point so that the mast clears the cabin sliding hatch when the base is put in the tabernacle. Another lesson learned the hard way.
Much, much easier if there are 2 people. I simply walk the mast up, no winch or baby stays needed. 2nd person keeps tension on the jib halyard until I get the forestay pinned.
Trials on the trailer in the yard instead of at the launching ramp are highly recommended. I have never used a crane. But the gin pole, crutch extender, and baby stays go with me wherever I trailer.
Fred W
ODay Mariner 19 Sweet P
I ended up with a gin pole with a latching 2-way trailer winch mounted on the gin pole. My 1st gin pole made from a 2x4 wasn't strong enough and caused me to dump the mast part way up. My 2nd gin pole was a 2x6 with the outside of the mast crotch reinforced with angled metal along the corners. My next lesson learned the hard way was that I needed to prevent the mast swaying horizontally in the wind while going up/down. The Mariner has aft swept shrouds so the mast has no lateral support until almost all the way up. My solution was baby stays which I attach when raising solo.
The jib halyard attaches to the gin pole. The line to the winch goes through a block at the end of the gin pole to a block just behind the forestay eye to a cleat on deck. Going up, I winch the gin pole down to near the deck, which pulls the mast up to vertical. Baby stays eliminate the horizontal sway until the shrouds take over.
Mariner-specific, the aft (top) end of the mast, supported on a crutch on the rudder gudgeons, needs to be raised from the trailering position to a higher starting point so that the mast clears the cabin sliding hatch when the base is put in the tabernacle. Another lesson learned the hard way.
Much, much easier if there are 2 people. I simply walk the mast up, no winch or baby stays needed. 2nd person keeps tension on the jib halyard until I get the forestay pinned.
Trials on the trailer in the yard instead of at the launching ramp are highly recommended. I have never used a crane. But the gin pole, crutch extender, and baby stays go with me wherever I trailer.
Fred W
ODay Mariner 19 Sweet P
The original poster on this thread has a permanently mounted gin pole with a eight foot cross arm at the top and a pulley at its end to lift a sailboat mast vertical. pgandw gives us a good explanation to how to use that pulley and the need for help if there is wind. Not mentioned and probably not so obvious that the line going through the pulley at the top of the cross arm is a continuous loop.