Mast raising system

[phdoc007]

I built a mast raising system for my MacGregor 25. I was raising the mast one evening and the pulley snapped off of the pole.

Does anybody have a suggestion of what to use? After the pulley broke the snap holding forward tension on the pole broke as well. Fortunately, I was holding the mast when this all happened or who knows what would have happened.

Any suggestions? How about a carabiner or something a little heftier than the pulley and snap?

 

[caguy]

Posibly a larger block and use aregular clevis pin shackle. It shouldn't be pulling more than 400 lbs when the mast is horizontal. How long is your pole?

 

[CalebD]

That sounds like a fairly personal question. How long is yours?

Seriously though, if anyone can help you caguy can.

 

[jdhohmann]

A caribiner will work great, make sure you get a locking beaner, on average they are good for about 3500 lbs, depending on the brand, however, you will stoill neeed to use a veavy duty pulley... On one of our older Mirage 26's, she had a tripod system, which connected to the deck at the base of the poles and stood a little better than 90 degrees to the plane of the deck, this kept the pulleys at a good angle as to not overload them with the initial haul up of the mast, the mast also had a pin at one end, which was connected to the mast step to allow it to be pulled into place without having to worry about it slipping, I wish our Hunter had this system, it worked amazing

 

[Bob McL]

I used a 1-1/2x1-1/2 aluminum pole and made the roller where the strap goes over the end from an old cut down printing press roller (we used to call them washing machine rollers - for us older folks - and you could use a skate board roller also). The winch is a brake winch from Harbor Freight. Bails are flat stainless with a bolt through and a small piece of rubber tube to keep the stainless spread where the flat strap attaches to the mast. There are two lines from the top of the gin pole that attach to the pulpit used as back stays for pole support.

 

[phdoc007]

The pole is 6'.

 

[caguy]

Generally the systems that use a gen pole attached to the forestay and then cranked down with a block an tackle use about a 10' pole. The ones like mine and Bob's use a ~7' pole but are attached to the mast 7' up so it is pulling at a 45* angle. It all has to do with vectors.
I did find out today that adding a furler to the mix really adds to the cranking effort, but it still worked none the less.

Incidently Novelman and I were working on replacing the leaf springs on his boat today. we both brought Johnson bars to the job and mine was bigger.

 

[watercolors II]

The easiest system I know of is 1 1/2 people and 100 feet of line.

Attach the line to the end of the forestay and using the 1/2 person, say a child close to 100 lbs in weight, pulling the other end in the parking lot. As CAGUY says, it has to do with vectors and angles. The rope being the vector, the longer the line the greater the angle to the mast, thus the easier the pull on the line.

100 feet of line will put one about 4 car lengths in front of your tow vehicle so it’s not as far as one would imagine. The shorter the line the smaller the angle on the mast and the harder the pull. When I ask a bystander for a pull on the line, they always want to grab the line right in front of the tow vehicle, my 12 year old using the end of the 100 foot line can actually hold the mast at an angle to allow me to untangle hooked lines and stays during the lift.

In the cockpit you must lift the mast to an angle for this rope to take over.

You fellows using the gin pole, using your block and tackle you pull the gin pole down about halfway and then reach up and pull it down by hand. At the start of the lift you’re lifting the total weight of the mast and rigging attached to it plus the leverage created by lifting at the 1/3 point of the mast. Once the mast reaches an angle of 45 degrees, half of this weight and more is transferred to the bottom of the mast at the mast step.

You only have to over come the first 1/3 of the lift. The total mast angle goes from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. The first 30 degrees is the hardest, the second 30 degrees is the easiest and the last 30 degrees is nothing.

 

[Ron20324]

Incidently Novelman and I were working on replacing the leaf springs on his boat today.

Do the springs give you a better ride in choppy water

 

[InRenoMan]

Cheap fix for me. Less than $10 at Lowe's.

I try to use what the boat already has to offer. I went to Lowe's and bought a stainless caribiner and an anchor shackle and attached it to the forestay plate on the bow. If raising the mast I attach a line to the forestay, run it through the caribiner and back to a cockpit winch. I put 4 turns of line on the winch, lift the mast with one hand while pulling in the slack on the winch. At that point the mast is high enough to winch up through the tough angle. It may sway back and forth if I'm on the water doing this but the shrouds eventually stop it. If alone I'll continue until the mast is upright then go forward and connect the forestay. If I have a helper I'll put them on the winch and muscle the mast as best I can without injuring a delicate back 'til it's upright then have the helper cleat the winch line and I attach the forestay.
Bringing the mast down requires only me. Tie a line to the forestay through the caribiner, put some turns on the winch to give the forestay connection some slack, cleat the line, disconnect the forestay and drop the mast slowly. You may have to slacken the line and go tip the mast to get it started. I try to stand and grab the mast at the very end of dropping to the deck because there is a lot of tension at the end of the procedure. If you use a very stretchy line you will find this method dramatic and potentially painful.

I built a mast raising system for my MacGregor 25. I was raising the mast one evening and the pulley snapped off of the pole.

Does anybody have a suggestion of what to use? After the pulley broke the snap holding forward tension on the pole broke as well. Fortunately, I was holding the mast when this all happened or who knows what would have happened.

Any suggestions? How about a carabiner or something a little heftier than the pulley and snap?

 

[philwsailz]

There is a tool often available that really helps. It is often found near the ramp, it helps any mast raising system work better, and it is free. It is called a hill. If you can find a spot near your launch ramp with an incline, park the boat with the bow aimed down-hill. The steeper the better.

Regardless the angle of the boat, your primary fight is with gravity. Parking on a hill with the bow down increases the "at-rest" angle of the stick prior to lift. Every degree of angle you can put under the boat is one less angle you have to physically lift the mast. You have less of a total arc to swing the stick through to "vertical-with-respect-to-gravity" and then the mast will "fall" into a position "vertical-with-respect-to-the-boat" and will stay there un-assisted while going forward to connect the forestay.

I have shared this little tidbit elsewhere, and have been met with a little confusion, so if necessary, I can draw/edit a picture explaining the principle.

 

[Hawk4661]

Thank you Phil for that simple but awesome easy effort approach. I will try it next week if this hot weather ever quits...lol Im in Bella Vista Ar. come over and join me sailing on Beaver Lake anytime..mark<><