Need mast stepping information

[Danny4719]

Finally, we are ready to step the new mast. However, I have never seen the stepping process done, so I have a few questions.
We will be using a mobile crane, 60 foot boom.
The mast weight is 160#, and with new standing rigging, etc. adds about 60# max. so I am looking at 220# max.
Do I use a 3 strand nylon rope, or a lifting strap?
Where should I attach the rope or strap at the mast?
Should I protect the mast paint under the rope or strap with cloth? (the paint is perfection, applied last year).
Do I install the antenna now, or wait until after stepping?
The anchor light is in place now, will it be in the way?
The boat is a H-30T, 1981 40' 6" mast
Any comments appreciated.

 

[Ed Schenck]

So you are doing this yourself? Without experienced yard workers? Soft straps or heavy line wrapped in terry cloth will not mar the paint. The balance point on my mast is just below the spreaders. This allows two persons at the base to control placement easily. Mine goes up with all hardware attached. Nothing comes close to the top where the antenna, wind(anemometer), and tri-color lights live.

Properly done you will have a release line attached. This line will let you pull the knot without someone going up the mast. All of this requires a good crane operator and two on the mast. Especially mine because it is keel-stepped and has to go down a very tight hole. Good luck.

 

[Nereussailor]

Stepping the mast is always a fun job. When I did mine this year, The crane operator didn't watch my hand signals and my Windex got bent. We had to climb the mast after he left. It's pretty straight forward. A strap works best, and some kind of padding wouldn't hurt, especially if you just had your mast painted. Also, tie a line onto the strap and let it hang down. You will use this to pull the strap down when you are finished. The strap needs to go below the spreaders and tangs for the shrouds, or you won't be able to get it off the mast without climbing it. It will wedge under the tangs and be a real pain to get undone.
Tools you will need are a pair of needle nosed pliers, a pair of regular pliers, a regular and Phillips screwdriver, and possibly a small plastic hammer or rubber mallet.You will need at least two people to maneuver the mast into place. Three or four would be even better. It makes connecting the stays and shrouds easier. If your mast base is like mine and has the sheaves for the halyards built into it, remove the pins and sheaves before you lift anything. Make sure that your halyards are properly labeled and not tangled. Also, make sure that your stays and shrouds aren't between the spreaders. (It happened to me the first time I raised mine) Get your wiring in order so it's ready to hook up. Have electrical tape handy to tape the plug.
I would have the antenna on the mast and wired up so that all you have to do is plug it in. but again, be careful when the mast is almost straight, so it doesn't get hit by the cable or the weight on the cable. The same goes for the mast light.
Once you have everything set, lift the mast. get it close to the base, feed your halyards, connect all your wiring, and drop it into place. Get the fore stay and back stay connected, then connect the shrouds. when everything is up and secured, check everything to make sure that it works. Then you can release the mast from the crane. After that, spend the rest of the afternoon tuning your rig.
I think that's all, but if I missed something, someone else will catch it.

Dave

 

[Ed A]

I would not attempt to do this with out at least one guy who has done it! I would not do it without a crane or hoist or jib crane or even a long boom trunk. You have to be able to balance the whole thing while you pick it up. so that means you have to lift form higher that the mid point to keep it from trading ends when it clears the boat. I saw one guy loose control the mast flipped and went thru the bottom of his boat! its real easy to lots of damage or injure someone.

 

[jcherubini]

Clues for stepping mast

The balance point of the mast, with all the rigging attached to the top, is at a point a little ABOVE the spreaders. (All that weight hanging from aloft can teeter the whole thing over.) Rig a loop of strapping about 20' long (10' high) from that point, tie the ends together with a length of line that extends to the deck, and hook the crane strap to that. You can wrap the length of line from this round the spar a little to keep it from going loose and fouling things. As long as you can lower it from the deck, it's all right. Hook a halyard to the loop of strapping and belay it on the mast like you've hoisted a sail. Don't make it too tight-- allow the crane's strap its room. This halyard will hold the top of the loop up so that the whole thing won't let go and teeter over.

Using padding on these straps will protect your Awlgrip.

Rig the forestay and aft lower shrouds first so the mast will stay up and you can get rid of the crane. You can use free halyards (provided they are belayed safely) to help too. Tighten nothing more than mildly finger-tight till you get it ALL hooked up to the chainplates. Start tuning with the lowers first. I tend to tune rigs 'harmonically' (like tuning a guitar) to get it close. Mind mast lean and mast bend as you go. Mind you don't take more than a turn or a turn or half a turn of a turnbuckle at a time before going to its opposite.

Overtightening will be more disastrous than under-tightening. Use common sense. I've never owned or used a tension gauge-- maybe after having done a few dozen of these you get a feel for it.

One problem with furlers is that they're so annoying to deal with when tuning the forestay turnbuckle. Try not to want to see it 'done' too early-- a length of duct tape to hold the drum assembly up on the extrusion is worth a lot. Neglecting to get the forestay right to start with will necessitate removing the sail and doing other stuff when it's wrong later.

Most importantly, one person needs to be crew chief. This guy needs to be responsible and most importantly aware-- don't let anything happen without knowing about it. Well-meaning but inexperienced grunt help can really get in the way on a job like this. It can be done with a crane and two or three people total if you're all patient and careful. Good luck.