O'Day 26 - Didn't sell, but now what?

Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
So, I had mentioned I was going to have to sell my sailboat, which was really bumming me out but it didn't happen - I had some interest, just not the right time I guess - so I guess that's good...BUT!

My marina called and said they're "not doing fixed keel sailboats anymore". This includes hauling and winter storage.

I have a storage yard that I've used before, so that's good.
I have a hauler who is really well priced, who is going to bring the boat to the yard from a launch right by my mooring, so that's good.

But I need to un-step the mast and - well - it looks like I'm going to have to do it by myself on as calm of a day as I can...yeah, from the water. I'm building a gin pole that I'm planning on using for this and I guess I'm wanting to know how bad this is going to be.:biggrin:

Here is what arguments I'm making to tell myself this isn't going to end in disaster:
  1. The shrouds are just aft of the mast, so I can leave them where they are and will only have a little bit of slack to deal with.
  2. My gin-pole is custom built and will really hug the mast just below the gooseneck. I've attached an image, but it's 2x6 lumber that will be held together with 1/2" diameter galvanized hardware.
  3. As you can see, the gin pole is going to have siding that is constructed of 3/4" plywood, which (might) help steady any side motions, but again: the shrouds.
  4. I will be lowering the mast with both block & tackle and an extra winch that I have, which will be mounted to the gin pole near the mast (not shown, just didn't model it). This should allow me to "pause" the lowering for anything.
  5. I have also constructed a support system at the stern, which will sit 6' ft above the cockpit seating (I'm lowering towards the stern).
I know, it's a crap situation. But it's where I'm at. Has anyone been able to do this (or heard of anyone doing this) without it ending in the mast crashing down?

TLDR; looking for reassurance that single handedly un-stepping a 28' ft mast isn't a surefire way to destroy a boat.
 

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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
That is not a one person job. Don't know what type of mast step you have but the base of the mast will need to be secured but able to pivot in place. I don't think your mast has lateral supports so as soon as the shrouds get some slack you will not only have to deal with the stern pull but also with side to side mast swing. With the boat in the water side motion will be unavoidable. You will need at least one other person on deck to walk the mast back preventing it from swinging to either side and guiding it to rest on a cradle.. The gin pole just gives you leverage to handle the weight of the mast and to prevent any unanticipated transfer of weight. That gin pole needs to be able to strongly strangle and hold the mast at the chosen position. Any slippage of the mast in the gin pole may cause the drop to get out of control. Once the mast is laid down it will have to be released from the mast step and moved forward to rest at the bow pulpit. Allow me to suggest you contact a boat rigger and contract him to drop the mast with your assistance. More than likely he will either do it without a gin pole or have a working one of his own saving the trouble of fabricating one. He will also assist in securing the mast and the wires for travel. I'm not familiar with the Oday 26, but any boat that displaces 5,000 lbs probably has a hefty and heavy mast. Good luck
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
How are you getting the boat out of the water? Crane, travel lift, trailer/ramp, ways?

If you're using a crane or travel lift, perhaps a mid mast attachment to the lift and control lines on the end will have it done in minutes. Of course, it's still a job for a crew, but then, I don't suppose your the crane operator too. Certainly there must be some help from a yard that lets you haul your boat using equipment like that.

There's also the possibility of sailing to another Marina, but I think it's possible to drop a thirty foot mast by yourself if you know what you're doing. Since you're dropping it while in the water and you're stowing it in place over the cabin. Will that change how you lift the boat out of the water?

Do exactly what you're doing, make a list, ask questions, revise the list, ask more questions and then over build the equipment.

-Will
 

dmax

.
Jul 29, 2018
970
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
I have raised/lowered masts on several of my boats, trailerable multi-hulls with mast lengths of 30', 36' and 42' - however, they all came from the factory with a proper set-up. It definitely can be done but it is definitely not a one person job - you need a second person at a minimum to make sure all the rigging remains free and doesn't catch on something and keeps the mast aligned. The mast base needs to be secure and allow the mast to pivot. The gin pole helps with leverage but isn't absolutely necessary for a 28' mast. The loads aren't that high but grow significantly as the mast gets lower, say 20 degrees from horizontal - I rigged up a yoke 8' in length to catch the mast as it was lowered which allowed the last bit where the loads are the highest to be done casually. You definitely want the ability to "pause" plus you need the mechanical advantage of a winch/block and tackle. With the right set-up, it is surprisingly easy but there's a significant pucker factor once the forestay or backstay is released which lasts until the mast is down.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
That is not a one person job. Don't know what type of mast step you have but the base of the mast will need to be secured but able to pivot in place. I don't think your mast has lateral supports so as soon as the shrouds get some slack you will not only have to deal with the stern pull but also with side to side mast swing. With the boat in the water side motion will be unavoidable. You will need at least one other person on deck to walk the mast back preventing it from swinging to either side and guiding it to rest on a cradle.. The gin pole just gives you leverage to handle the weight of the mast and to prevent any unanticipated transfer of weight. That gin pole needs to be able to strongly strangle and hold the mast at the chosen position. Any slippage of the mast in the gin pole may cause the drop to get out of control. Once the mast is laid down it will have to be released from the mast step and moved forward to rest at the bow pulpit. Allow me to suggest you contact a boat rigger and contract him to drop the mast with your assistance. More than likely he will either do it without a gin pole or have a working one of his own saving the trouble of fabricating one. He will also assist in securing the mast and the wires for travel. I'm not familiar with the Oday 26, but any boat that displaces 5,000 lbs probably has a hefty and heavy mast. Good luck
So, the mast is secured to a 2-pin base plate that I would be using as the pivot point for the mast.

I agree there will be some side-to-side motion, however limited because while the shrouds will have slack they'll still be attached so there will be a limit to that motion.

With the length of line I have and using an extra winch that I have mounted to the gin pole, I can physically be that person on the back end, helping to prevent the unwanted motions and guiding it to the cradle.

The release from the mast step is one portion of this I'm working on: there will be a force acting on this as the mast rests on the cradle, right? If tied down I think (last words?...maybe one of a few last words on this, actually), I can un pin it and start walking the mast forward (the cradle has some soft carpet attached). Then I can pull it forward using the same 2-pulley system I use for lowering.

Honestly, I don't think I have a choice here. This whole thing is hanging on by a thread. The previous owner did self stepping, but it was when the boat is out of the water. Certainly a significant differentiating factor, but really the only one. That and he used the boom as the gin pole.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
How are you getting the boat out of the water? Crane, travel lift, trailer/ramp, ways?

If you're using a crane or travel lift, perhaps a mid mast attachment to the lift and control lines on the end will have it done in minutes. Of course, it's still a job for a crew, but then, I don't suppose your the crane operator too. Certainly there must be some help from a yard that lets you haul your boat using equipment like that.

There's also the possibility of sailing to another Marina, but I think it's possible to drop a thirty foot mast by yourself if you know what you're doing. Since you're dropping it while in the water and you're stowing it in place over the cabin. Will that change how you lift the boat out of the water?

Do exactly what you're doing, make a list, ask questions, revise the list, ask more questions and then over build the equipment.

-Will
I have a trailer hauler coming to get it from a launch at another marina that I'm driving it to. They're pulling it out, but they don't do mast stuff.

No crane lift and the boatyard is absolutely refusing to help me with this.

I like to think I know what I'm doing. I'm hoping I've over-engineered a system that can allow it to be done. The water tomorrow morning is going to be dead calm and I've designed the system so that I can actually be walking the mast back if I need to help guide it to the cradle.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
I have raised/lowered masts on several of my boats, trailerable multi-hulls with mast lengths of 30', 36' and 42' - however, they all came from the factory with a proper set-up. It definitely can be done but it is definitely not a one person job - you need a second person at a minimum to make sure all the rigging remains free and doesn't catch on something and keeps the mast aligned. The mast base needs to be secure and allow the mast to pivot. The gin pole helps with leverage but isn't absolutely necessary for a 28' mast. The loads aren't that high but grow significantly as the mast gets lower, say 20 degrees from horizontal - I rigged up a yoke 8' in length to catch the mast as it was lowered which allowed the last bit where the loads are the highest to be done casually. You definitely want the ability to "pause" plus you need the mechanical advantage of a winch/block and tackle. With the right set-up, it is surprisingly easy but there's a significant pucker factor once the forestay or backstay is released which lasts until the mast is down.
So, the pivot point is at the 2-pin base plate, right?

I have two methods for "pausing" the process: an extra winch that is mounted to the side board of the gin pole (almost directly above the pivot point) AND a cleat that is on the mast for the mainsail halyard, which I can quickly tie off on.

My gin pole system is designed with 2 pulleys to help with the working load and I have enough line so that I can actually be the one walking the mast back to help guide it. I'm not sure I want to do that, since if there were a critical issue it could put me in a bad place, but it might also be needed...my train of thought is it's better to have damage than injury.

I'm hoping I've over-engineered the system so that it is doable solo. The previous owner did it on their own, but it was out of the water when they did it. AND they used the boom as a gin pole. I believe my stronger, specifically designed gin pole will compensate for this big difference.

From my research it looks like the mast itself is under 100 lbs. I've designed to a working load of 10x that, which I'm hoping will accommodate this process.

I guess I'll have to make sure I take a video and share it with everyone here. It'll make good for either bragging rights OR what not to do, depending on the final outcome.
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore

dmax

.
Jul 29, 2018
970
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
So, the pivot point is at the 2-pin base plate, right?

I have two methods for "pausing" the process: an extra winch that is mounted to the side board of the gin pole (almost directly above the pivot point) AND a cleat that is on the mast for the mainsail halyard, which I can quickly tie off on.

My gin pole system is designed with 2 pulleys to help with the working load and I have enough line so that I can actually be the one walking the mast back to help guide it. I'm not sure I want to do that, since if there were a critical issue it could put me in a bad place, but it might also be needed...my train of thought is it's better to have damage than injury.

I'm hoping I've over-engineered the system so that it is doable solo. The previous owner did it on their own, but it was out of the water when they did it. AND they used the boom as a gin pole. I believe my stronger, specifically designed gin pole will compensate for this big difference.

From my research it looks like the mast itself is under 100 lbs. I've designed to a working load of 10x that, which I'm hoping will accommodate this process.

I guess I'll have to make sure I take a video and share it with everyone here. It'll make good for either bragging rights OR what not to do, depending on the final outcome.
Yes, the pivot point is at the mast base - I'm assuming on your boat you remove one of the pins to get the mast to pivot: forward pin is removed if you will be lowering the mast towards the stern and vice versa. Your mast is probably in the 100 lb. range as you say, maybe a little heavier. The loads should not exceed 10x the mast weight so you should be ok there. I've done both in-water and out - it is easier when the boat is out of the water as you can move around easier and the boat remains stable. You can do this with one person, you just need to take it slow and continually monitor the rigging so it is free and clear and the mast stays aligned. Don't do it on a windy day. The shrouds do a surprisingly good job of keeping the mast aligned - you want to have some bungies on hand so you can tighten up the shrouds a bit if they get too slacked when lowering - that depends on the geometry of the boat. If the prevous owner did it, you can too. If you're really paranoid, you could build a frame out of 2x4's to protect the boat should the mast not behave. Looking forward to a video of a successful lowering.
 
Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
As an owner of a very similar Oday 25 , I can tell you straight out that dropping the mast is very much a one person job.
The key to doing this safely is proper planning and the correct gear. I've been raising and lowering my mast both on the water and on the trailer for over 15 years . You definitely need side stays connected to your gin pole . Some folks refer to them as baby jumpers .
Oday designed the mast to be dropped forward using the boom as a gin pole . Basically you pull the rear pin on the mast step ,undo the rear stay and play out the mainsheet .
I did this once .. never again .
Our gin pole clamps to the very base of the mast and ends at the bow stem . There are three eye bolts on the end of the gin pole . each eyebolt on the side goes to an adjustable baby stay that attaches to the upper shroud chain plate . The eye bolt on the end of the gin pole has a double block . There is also a double block on the stem head fitting ,just aft of where the forestay attaches . I use 1/2" braided line that runs from the gin pole to the stem head pulley and finally back to the halyard winch on the mast . Pull the forward pin on the mast step , removed the forestay and gently pull the mast back wards as you slowly feed out line from the winch .
This way you can stop any where along the way by simply cleating the line from the halyard winch to the cleat just below .
As a rule I loosen all the stays until there are just about out of thread .
The mast crutch needs to be at least 6' feet tall ! Why / Because as the mast starts to pivot rearward the mast baste will start dig into the coach roof ! Not good ..been there fixed that . Once the mast is in the crutch remove the second pin .
Now if you have a furler ,do your self a favor and remove the sail . The weight is going to try to flop over and will make getting the mast on the crutch harder than it needs to be
 

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  • Helpful
Likes: Will Gilmore
Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
Hopefully these will help . You absolutely need something to keep the gin pole or boom from going side to side . The upper and lower shrouds will not suffice . On our Oday the upper sidestay terminates about a foot from the chain plate . It terminates to a triangular plate that is the same distance as the mast step . There is a 9' jumper stay that attaches from the bottom of the triangular plate to the chainplate . Our baby stays are from a farm store . These are horse leads and are adjustable ,reliable and quite strong
 

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Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
As an owner of a very similar Oday 25 , I can tell you straight out that dropping the mast is very much a one person job.
The key to doing this safely is proper planning and the correct gear. I've been raising and lowering my mast both on the water and on the trailer for over 15 years . You definitely need side stays connected to your gin pole . Some folks refer to them as baby jumpers .
Oday designed the mast to be dropped forward using the boom as a gin pole . Basically you pull the rear pin on the mast step ,undo the rear stay and play out the mainsheet .
I did this once .. never again .
Our gin pole clamps to the very base of the mast and ends at the bow stem . There are three eye bolts on the end of the gin pole . each eyebolt on the side goes to an adjustable baby stay that attaches to the upper shroud chain plate . The eye bolt on the end of the gin pole has a double block . There is also a double block on the stem head fitting ,just aft of where the forestay attaches . I use 1/2" braided line that runs from the gin pole to the stem head pulley and finally back to the halyard winch on the mast . Pull the forward pin on the mast step , removed the forestay and gently pull the mast back wards as you slowly feed out line from the winch .
This way you can stop any where along the way by simply cleating the line from the halyard winch to the cleat just below .
As a rule I loosen all the stays until there are just about out of thread .
The mast crutch needs to be at least 6' feet tall ! Why / Because as the mast starts to pivot rearward the mast baste will start dig into the coach roof ! Not good ..been there fixed that . Once the mast is in the crutch remove the second pin .
Now if you have a furler ,do your self a favor and remove the sail . The weight is going to try to flop over and will make getting the mast on the crutch harder than it needs to be
Thanks for this little confidence booster.

I think my system is very close to yours, and that makes me happy. My mast doesn't have a winch mounted to it, so I actually mounted one to the gin pole contraption that I built. I'm also using tow 2.5" diameter pulleys total, which is less than yours. I don't foresee this as being too much of an issue since these are used for force reduction and not control, and the mast itself really doesn't weight a lot as my research has lead me to use 2.4 lbs per linear foot for an extruded aluminum mast. Of course for calculating the working load I doubled it...and then doubled it again. I have 85' ft of 5/8" diameter braided line that I purchased at the beginning of the season to bring the mainsail halyard aft. This is what I will be using with my gin pole, which I believe should be able to handle the forces being applied (I mean, O'Day wanted us to use the main sheet and that's what mine is!). And the length is more than enough to lower the mast with just the 2 pulleys. I should even have enough that I could actually be manning the mast and walking it back while manning the line.

I will think about how I can modify my system to include the emphasis on side motion control. My gin pole is built around the diameters - both fore-to-aft and port-to-starboard - in which it is a rectangle that will be wedged for a tight fit with the mast. I'm hoping this will allow for better control, like you mentioned.

When you say the crutch needs to be 6' ft tall, what is that in reference to? 6' ft above the mast base plate? Or six feet from the cockpit floor? At the moment my crutch is a little over 6' ft, BUT I was anticipating having it sitting on top of the cockpit seating. Per my AutoCAD model this results in the crutch being about 4' ft above the base plate OR - perhaps as a better metric - the mast will be at about a 15 degree tilt. I'm hoping this is enough for me to not incur that damage you mentioned. This winter I'll be adding a base plate organizer to bring the new halyard lines aft, so I can certainly inspect it then. And I don't have a place to put it next season, so I may have time to make any repairs I need to after tomorrow.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
Yes, the pivot point is at the mast base - I'm assuming on your boat you remove one of the pins to get the mast to pivot: forward pin is removed if you will be lowering the mast towards the stern and vice versa. Your mast is probably in the 100 lb. range as you say, maybe a little heavier. The loads should not exceed 10x the mast weight so you should be ok there. I've done both in-water and out - it is easier when the boat is out of the water as you can move around easier and the boat remains stable. You can do this with one person, you just need to take it slow and continually monitor the rigging so it is free and clear and the mast stays aligned. Don't do it on a windy day. The shrouds do a surprisingly good job of keeping the mast aligned - you want to have some bungies on hand so you can tighten up the shrouds a bit if they get too slacked when lowering - that depends on the geometry of the boat. If the prevous owner did it, you can too. If you're really paranoid, you could build a frame out of 2x4's to protect the boat should the mast not behave. Looking forward to a video of a successful lowering.
Yeah, out of water would be nice. I asked the hauler I hired if I could do it with the boat on the trailer and he replied that he isn't comfortable with it. I understand, but hot damn would it have been cool of him.

I like the idea of the bungie cords I was trying to think of a solution for keeping the rigging taut and that recommendation gave me the spark I needed, thank you!

I do tend to stress the shit out of things, especially when it comes to my sailboat. Which is kind of weird, aren't they supposed to relieve stress? I have to keep reminding myself: you grew up sailing and operating boats, you are competent. And like you said, if the previous owner did this I can to. It would be nice if I had some assistance but today's weather is the absolute best day to do this with winds at 5 mph and my being sheltered from them coming down from the north. I know the water will be flat because I'm always cursing these conditions when I'm trying to get a little wind in my sails.

I got this.

I'll absolutely be sharing the video when I'm done with this.
 
Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
I'd not trust bungies in keeping the gin pole centered .As long as you have a firm method of controlling the gin pole from moving side to side ,you are good to go. The six foot height I mentioned is from the top of the transom .
I don't know what angle back this is . I just know once the mast is dropped rearward enough it comes into contact with the coachroof .
You need all the tension off the pin in the mast hinge if you are going to drive it out. Once the second pin is removed the mast base is going to want to come forward ,in a hurry . This is where rollers on your mast crutch come into play. Lift the mast base and pull it onto the bow pulpit. Now you can dropped the rear mast crutch the rest of the way .
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
I'd not trust bungies in keeping the gin pole centered .As long as you have a firm method of controlling the gin pole from moving side to side ,you are good to go. The six foot height I mentioned is from the top of the transom .
I don't know what angle back this is . I just know once the mast is dropped rearward enough it comes into contact with the coachroof .
You need all the tension off the pin in the mast hinge if you are going to drive it out. Once the second pin is removed the mast base is going to want to come forward ,in a hurry . This is where rollers on your mast crutch come into play. Lift the mast base and pull it onto the bow pulpit. Now you can dropped the rear mast crutch the rest of the way .
Actually, I agree that bungies aren't going to do much. My thought was a mix of bungies as somewhat of an indicator that I would need to tighten up any slack with some come-alongs I have. But after mounting the rig and testing it's stability, I felt I was overthinking it and it wouldn't be needed.

The upward force being applied to the bottom of the mast once the upper half was resting on the cradle was something I had thought of. I detached the pulley from the end of the gin pole and attached it to the bottom of the mast where the bow pin would go and tightened the slack. My main concern was the mast falling off the stern of the boat, so this mitigated that risk by making sure there was sill a point attached. Additionally, this allowed me to use the pully system to pull the mast forward, eventually resting it on the bow.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
EDIT!!!

Well, I gotta say, after a shite 1.5 years I really needed a win. My biggest enemy is my confidence and this was coming into play with this instance as well. I took the matter "by the horns" as they say, and I went into this with what for me would be "over confidence" and it paid off.

I successfully un-stepped the mast, by myself, from the mooring under a steady wind of about 10 mph (more than what I had anticipated), with no damage to equipment and only a sore back (too much disregard for my physical health when I was a kiddo).

I did take videos to share on here in hopes of helping anyone else who is faced with this. I'm going through them now and trying to come to peace with how much of a fatass I've become in my early 40's. :biggrin: And I'll add a written narrative in more detail about the experience, but I'll say this: this task is absolutely doable for a single person! Yes, you need to be careful and plan some redundancies in case things don't work exactly as you want, but this one is a win in my book.

Unstepped Mast-2.jpg
 
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RoyS

.
Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
While deciding where to put your unsold boat, consider taking it home. Wherever you put it, try to locate a spot that you can display a for sale sign and have it seen by many. Thunderbolt love has sold many a boat.
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
While deciding where to put your unsold boat, consider taking it home. Wherever you put it, try to locate a spot that you can display a for sale sign and have it seen by many. Thunderbolt love has sold many a boat.
So, I'm having her stored at a boatyard in Plymouth, MA. There have been some positive changes to my situation which is great and now I'm at a place of "I will sell her with the intention of getting something just a little bit smaller, but I'm not in a rush." In the meantime, while I still own the boat, I'm going to be making modifications to try to make it feel smaller for now, so I can single hand it a little bit easier. This includes:
  1. Finally leading all lines aft now that the mast - I have all the materials with the exception of the organizer plate that sits on the mast base plate. I am going to have both halyards and downhauls (the latter of which I don't have) lead to the cockpit so I can (hopefully) both raise and lower the sails.
  2. Purchasing a headsail bag - I don't have a headsail bag for the hank on jib, so I'm constantly bringing it up and down from the cabin. This is a pain in the arse.
  3. Installing new winches - so, long story short I have a pair of winches that my cousin GAVE me about 2 years ago that I never installed. This will be my first project this fall, since I have everything. Their bolt pattern doesn't match existing, so I'm going to have to take out existing (one of which isn't even a full winch) and fill those fiberglass holes. Then install.
But in the end, I do think I would like something that I can take out a little bit easier AND something that I could beach, so a Catalina 22 would be an option that seems to check all my boxes. I was hoping to use the 26 for more overnights, and I just never did. I guess I thought the family would grow to like sailing more, but since I've determined it will be just me (or the kids who just like swimming and aren't really into sailing), I want something a little more manageable.
Cheers!
 
Dec 30, 2018
37
O'Day 26 Onset, MA
Home - Mariner Class Association
View attachment 198931
Can't get much more manageable than this and still have a usable cabin.

-Will
That's a nice little vessel, and you hit the nail on the head for one of the applications I'm looking to use a smaller boat for: pulling right up to the beach for a little R&R. I'll definitely be putting this one on the short list of potential future boats for me!