Mast raising system....

Oct 21, 2014
12
Macgregor 26X Panama City
Good afternoon everyone. Quick question. Does anyone have a mast raising system for an 88 26D they want to part with? I just bought the boat and it did not have the mast raising system with it.
 
Aug 14, 2012
40
Macgregor 26D Mosquito Lake, Cortland Ohio
Good afternoon everyone. Quick question. Does anyone have a mast raising system for an 88 26D they want to part with? I just bought the boat and it did not have the mast raising system with it.
I have a 1988 26d, and I have the mast raising system and I love it, and do not want to part with it. You literally can raise and lower the mast by yourself with a little practice .(have someone standby the first time till you get the hang of it.) they are not cheap, about $450.00, and still available from Blue Water Yachts in Seattle. 800-688-8626. Without it you may need three people to lower and raise safely, and not damage something on the boat. Good luck, give them a call while they still might have one.
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Make your own?
Yep, our Mac came with the system but it would be very easy to duplicate for less than $400+. Not saying don't buy that but if on a budget I'd just copy the factory one.



I have pictures of most of it here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-2.html

.... and could supply other info. Someone recently asked what the block and tackle was rated at. Don't know but it isn't thousands of lbs. and the whole system is pretty straight forward (don't forget using baby stays),

Sumner

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Jan 10, 2011
370
Macgregor 25 675 Lake Lanier
I use the vang pulley system to pull up the mast. I do not need any baby stays. I do need something better than 2x4's for my A-frame. It cost less than $10. I raise the mast on the water now instead of on the trailer. In fact the only thing I do is put on the outboard, untie it and drop it in the water. If the dock is busy I pull off to the side. I feel safer having water to fall on instead of the hard hard ground. I have also added some PVC pipes to the back rail that act both as a support for the mast and then when I take the support off they are fishing pole holders.
Very old picture before the polish and the name.
Pulling the transmission out of my Suburban right now and hope to make it down to Cayo Costa for Spring Break.
 
Jul 29, 2010
1,392
Macgregor 76 V-25 #928 Lake Mead, Nevada
Holiday greetings to all: As a preamble, Freedom was masthead rigged out of the factory so I could carry bigger chute, 525 sq ft, for long distance ocean racing. Therefore, I have a much heavier mast extrusion (Sparcraft S-106) which is at minimum 50% heavier. I purloined all of your engineering and that of BWY. I rig the top line running to the Jin pole at the halfway point on the mast where the spreaders attach. Jin pole is 10 ft section of unistrut mounted just forward of step. 4-1 block and tackle at top of pole and at forward chainplate. It is a bear and I have been unable to make it work. Sumner, Bueller, anyone. Got any ideas? Would there be more purchase if I used halyard from mast top? Sorry no pics. Thanks...
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Holiday greetings to all:... It is a bear and I have been unable to make it work....
Your gin pole is your lever arm lifting the mast so from it to the mast makes no difference where it attaches, you will still be lifting the weight of the mast. I attach with the jib halyard as it is handy. I don't see where moving to it is going to help.

Are you just using the block and tackle or going from it to your winch at the back of the boat (I'm assuming there are 2 back there like on mine)? I use the winch in addition to the block and tackle and can cleat the tail of that line at any point raising or lowering.

Sounds like your mast is quite a bit heavier so maybe if you are also using the winch and having problems you need a longer gin pole or more advantage with the block and tackle or a combination,

My take on it but I might be missing something,

Sumner

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The mast on the catalina is a little bigger than the Mac was and a whole lot heavier. This sounds familiar. The pole I made is not that much longer than the Mac one, you're getting into spreader territory, but the biggest change was to a 6:1 block assembly. As others have mentioned, there's not a ton of load, but given that you're dead lifting from horizontal, a 4:1 probably isn't enough leverage. Run the line back to the winch and use that too.
 
Mar 22, 2013
28
Macgregor 26s Carter's Creek, VA
I have a 26S and I have the mast raising system for it. The PO added an additional forestay that goes to an extended bow spirit for I am assuming he used to fly a chute. I have been attaching that second forestay to the mast raising gin pole and raising it like that. I have seen a few videos of people raising there mast on a X or M by a line attached at the baby stay point and I have been wondering if I can do that on my S. Would moving the attachment point down that far make it harder to raise or more stress on the mast? Thanks