Mast Step

[Doug13164]

I have a 1987 Oday 272LE. I'm hopeing that someone can help come up with a new way to raise the mast! Right now it takes 4 grown men to lift it into the upright position. Between the small hinge pin and the traveler for the main sheet in the way, it is quite a job getting the base of the mast into the step. Then the mast must be held in place while people are getting in position to raise the mast. Doing all of this while the boat is on the trailer before launch is quite a task! Has anyone redesigned the mast step and changed the hinge point to help with raising the mast? Any other helpful hints, ideas or coments on how to do this would be great. Thanks Doug

 

[bruce cornell]

mast up

go to the factory mac gregor site and look at their raising system, also info elswhere on this site using a 'gin' pole.

 

[Ted Siegel]

Mast Raising

Doug, I replaced my Oday mast step with a Dwyer hinged step, see link, and put together an A-frame set up like Bruce suggested. Go to this link for an illustration. (Not my page) http://mywebpage.netscape.com/TedsSailingPage/Mast_Raising.html (see the enhanced system)Using his system, the most difficult part of raising the mast is getting the pin in the step, this takes two people to slide the mast back and line up the holes.

 

[Ted Siegel]

Mast Raising cont'd

I built the A-frame using 1 inch conduit and mounted pad eyes on the deck in front of the chain plates. I loosely bolt the foot of the A-frame to these points to act as a hinge and prevent the foot of the A-frame from kicking out under load.

 

[Doug13164]

Thank all of you

Thank all of you who wrote info. I'm now talking to Dwyer Mast about retrofitting one of their mast hinges to my mast. Hopefully it will work out! Thanks for all of the coments. Doug