Mast stepping & unstepping / Thank you Don & Paul

[Rick]

Thank you Paul & Don for your recent suggestions on raising & lowering my O'day 25 mast. I devised a system (which I posted in a drawing on the photo forum, please check it out)to lower & raise my mast using an extension ladder as a crutch. I know, sounds crazy, but it worked like a dream. Please see my drawing (exuse the crude drawing) and let me know what you think.Thanks again,Rick

 

[TT]

comin' down

took a look at your drawing, it wasn't that bad, and the idea was helpful. I will need to take mine forward due to the eye that the boom vang secures to, but it is better to have twelve feet of mechanical assistance and not just extra sets of three foot arms!

 

[Don Evans]

Very Well Done

Rick, essentially it is similar to Ben Allens' method, minus the A frame to steady the mast. How was it coming down? I suspect your use of the ladder, essentially a long pair of arms, steadied it as you lowered the mast through the remainder of its arc by dropping the extension ladder. I used the A frame method for the first time this year and was most impressed by how straight the mast descended. I had a crutch built to capture the mast at the 7 foot height from the cockpit. I had bolted the bottom feet of the A frame (made from 2X4's), to the toe rail, and unfortunately it ripped a piece of it off, so a repair to the rail will be on my list next spring. Next time I will bolt it to mid-boat cleats near the toe-rails, using U bolts. Don

 

[Paul Palmer]

Mast raising and lowering

RickYour method of lowering your mast was very ingenious. I'll have to keep it in mind.Paul