Mast Stepping

shnool · May 5, 2014

For the record, I mast raise IN the water ONLY because our launch ramp has trees all the way to the water (no room to raise a mast). Doing it on the trailer means a more stable platform while raising... it's safer.

YES YES YES... if you can get 3 people together, raising the mast is easy. Again, only use a gin pole or A-frame if you have to do it solo.

The weight of the stick is irrelevant, because the problem isn't the weight, it's the initial effort to move the mast. You can NEARLY lift the mast yourself once you've lifted the aft end with a crutch (this while standing near the mast base, where you need to be to get it all the way up)... but the problem is, OK once it's up, without someone else to put the pin in, you are kind of stuck.

Mattw79 · May 5, 2014

I also raise and lower on the water due to some inconveniently placed power lines over the ramp. I made a gin pole, and knowing the weight is handy to figure out the best attachment point from the pole to the mast. If all I had to do was raise the mast, I would do it manually without the pole, but off the crutch. The real issue is lowering it safely while on the water. I use the cabin top winch to crank it up, and let down which frees up my other hand to guide it into the crutch which can swing off center a couple inches either way. This way has worked great for me since I can do it myself without having someone else rocking the boat while moving around. The first time I lowered the mast, I got rocked by a wake and twisted the mast step. Had to replace the step, but luckily I didn't tear the mast base too.

HERSH · May 5, 2014

Above all. Watch out for POWER LINES !

Hershey

dave_ren · May 5, 2014

Mattw79 said:
I also raise and lower on the water due to some inconveniently placed power lines over the ramp.

The power company would refer to that as an inconveniently placed ramp beneath their line...

aviatorjames · May 18, 2014

xsubsquid said:
AviatorJames, what materials did you build your A-frame out of?

My A-Frame is made from two painter's extension poles.
The lower sections (yellow) is fiberglass and the upper sections are aluminum.
( they are made to telescope to different lengths, but I bolted the sections together )
The apex is sandwiched together between two steel plates with the pulley block in the middle.
Hope this helps!

aviatorjames · May 18, 2014

JEPomer said:
aviatorjames said:

My homemade version of a mast crutch...

Contraption

Click to expand

James,

What did you use for your a-frame poles?
Where did you get them?

Also, where did you get the end pieces for the apex?
Your solution has a finished look to it.

John

It only looks "finished" because I primed & painted all the pieces after putting it together.
This is actually the second A-Frame I've built ...with the improvements I saw necessary!
IMHO ...this is an essential bit of kit for anyone planning on trailering!
...or raising / lowering regularly.

Mattw79 · May 19, 2014

xsubsquid said:
Mattw79 said:

In case anyone's interested, the weight if a standard rig mast including the shrouds, spreaders, electrical, & halyards weighs in at 60lbs.

Click to expand

Mattw79, we just had our first abortive attempt at a mast raising and I can tell you the overall weight of the materials you listed is more than 60 pounds. I can dead lift 120 and I was struggling. When the wiggly mast crutch had an unfortunate separation into two pieces (sorry, didn't realize it would just come out - I assumed it had a stop of some kind) she was left holding the whole thing and almost started crying from the weight. It's gotta be closer to 100 lbs.

Here it balancing from the scale with all the rigging attached. I checked the scale for accuracy with some Olympic weights, and it's right on. Depending on where you're lifting the mast, the force required to move it can and will be much higher than the weight of the mast. I just stepped my mast on the water Friday and almost had to abort as well. I had a cotter pin holding the mast crutch, and I lifted at the bottom while my brother pulled the jib halyard from the dock. About 1/4 of the way up, my backstay snagged on the crutch and he had to hold it there while I untangled it. Fortunately it was up high enough at that point where it wasn't much trouble for him to hold it in place and lower it slightly for me.

jepomer · May 19, 2014

xsubsquid said:
Mattw79 said:

In case anyone's interested, the weight if a standard rig mast including the shrouds, spreaders, electrical, & halyards weighs in at 60lbs.

Click to expand

Mattw79, we just had our first abortive attempt at a mast raising and I can tell you the overall weight of the materials you listed is more than 60 pounds. I can dead lift 120 and I was struggling. When the wiggly mast crutch had an unfortunate separation into two pieces (sorry, didn't realize it would just come out - I assumed it had a stop of some kind) she was left holding the whole thing and almost started crying from the weight. It's gotta be closer to 100 lbs.

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."
~ Archimedes

Matt's calculation of the mast weight (with rigging) is correct. While lifting the mast, YOU are the fulcrum. The force you feel is magnified weight of the mast since the mast has about 25 feet sticking out from where you are lifting.

Mattw79 · May 20, 2014

xsubsquid said:
After seeing his mast on the scale, I stand corrected.

Over the next couple of days, we should have the A-frame ready and will make a new attempt.

I took those pics a few weeks ago when I was curious myself. I checked the scale with olympic weights after cause I had my doubts. I was thinking 80-90 lbs. The way I rig my gin pole requires even more force on the initial tilt since I run a (cheapo)block at the bow back to a cabin top winch and crank it up from there. This allows me to help guide the mast when lowering into the crutch and cleat it at any time if I run into a snag (like the backstay on the mast crutch every single time....). But it definitely adds more friction.

shnool · May 20, 2014

With the mast upper in full extension, ONE person can lift the mast vertical... but you still need a way to put the headstay pin in! After my wife and I stood the mast up ourselves (without the mast upper), and it came a little too quickly down and she was unwilling to let go... and got bruised by the bow pulpit, I endeavored to raise the mast myself with no drama, and nobody to blame, or get hurt but myself. My poor wife had a heckuva lump on her arm...

This happened while we attempted to raise the mast IN the water, with her walking a halyard out a dock (finger)... nearly straight back... Others in our club have used this method, and frankly it's very easy to do, and safe, IF you have 3 people... one walking out the dock with the halyard, another with a SAFETY line to a halyard forward to the jib-tack... and a 3rd standing at the stern with an initial lift height slightly above horizontal to get the ball rolling (this last person could likely be eliminated with the mast upper, but that person instantly is required again, for someone to steady the mast as it goes up, side to side)...

Again, an A-frame, pulls the mast straight up... the mast upper starts the mast higher up than horizontal (much higher)... these devices can easily be created yourself out of any material... and are infinitely just as safe or safer.. plus they allow you to keep tension on the mast once it's up, so that you can safely take your time putting the headstay pin in!

I've seen these topics on various websites over and over for years. The gin-pole works too, but requires temporary safety stays... not a problem, but should be employed.

You folks think any of THIS is difficult, try a J/24 or J/80 keel stepped mast... now you need a MASSIVE A-frame, and a crane type system to lift the mast sans/shroud attached, and lower that mast into the hole in the deck! Yes it's done all the time with trailerable boats, and masts 4-10 feet taller than the Capri 22... one JUST must be careful how they build the derrick.

Mattw79 · May 20, 2014

Yes, I didn't mention that I use temp stays along with the gin pole. Especially since I raise on the water as well. Last Friday I had three people on hand, so I skipped the gin pole and just used the temp stays since it was a little choppy. My first season with the boat I lowered the mast without the temp stays and a wave rolled the boat slightly when the mast was below 45 degrees and I twisted my mast step. I was lucky it didn't tear the bottom of the mast itself at the bolt holes. I did have to replace the mast step though.

aviatorjames · May 27, 2014

...good, I'm glad the videos / photos helped!

Mast Stepping

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