Hi all.
I feel a bit bashful posting about this having seen Kenneth McGee's post!
But might be of interest to some.
(And this posting will remind me what to do next time.)
My Vega lives on a large fresh-water lake NE of Limerick in SW Ireland.
I decided to take her to sea for a month - means mast drop on lake &
lift once tidal waters reached.
Cost of dockyard lifts & drops excessive, nearly €500 each way!
So last weekend I dropped the mast, transited a large sea lock (30m
drop!), raised mast in Limerick docks and took boat to sea.
Heres how I did the mast drop/lift (benefiting from advice on this forum
and hours of boring my sailing friends)
(Obviously boom and headsail removed in advance.)
Bought 2 galvanized steel poles, 6m length, 1.75 inch diameter.
(€60==£50=$80)
Drilled 10mm holes though each at each end (say 6cm short of end).
Pushed a 10cm length, 10mm diameter bolt through both poles at one end
forming the A-frame.
Secured eye-bolts to what are now the feet of the A-frame at
right-angles to the axes of the poles.
Drilled 10mm holes at each end of short (6cm) steel bar.
Ran the 10cm bolt securing the apex of A-frame through one of the holes
in short (6cm) steel bar.
Fitted a short lifting strop of 10mm halyard to apex of frame by forming
bowlines at each end and capturing the bowlines with the bolt in the
tops of the 2 poles.
Secured the 10 cm bolt with nut & locking nut - now I have an A-frame
free to swivel at apex and eye-bolts at feet.
Attached a swiveling block to the lower end of the short steel bar with
a shackle.
Reeved a 20 metre 10mm line (my jib sheet) through the swivel block and
secured ends to foot of frame.
This is the halyard that will lift the mast.
Attached fore & after guys (10 metre lengths of 10mm line - old main/jib
halyards) to lifting strop.
Fitted wooden pads covered with old carpet to feet of A-frame to prevent
damage to deck.
Hoisted A-frame into position just forward of mast using main halyard
attached to lifting strop (lifting/pulling apex of A-frame through gap
between forestay * port (or stbd) forward shroud with 2 helpers guiding
feet of frame onto deck & into position).
block at apex for mast halyard should be facing aft.
(Easier if boat is tied up bow to.)
Guyed frame forward to bow roller.
Secured feet (using eye-bolts) with short (10-15cm) lengths of 10mm line
to forward U-bolts on port & stbd side-decks so that frame is raked aft
maybe 10-15 degrees...
Tied feet together athwartship so that feet cannot "jump" side-ways -
probably not necessary.
Loosely guyed frame aft with guy line *outside* port shrouds to turning
block u-bolt on port after deck then forward to port cockpit winch.
Formed a bowline at one end of mast halyard round the mast *inside*
inner shrouds.
Pulled on mast halyard till bowline ran up to roots of spreaders inside
inner shrouds.
Fitted a turning block to the aft-most u-bolt on stbd sidedeck.
Ran the 20m mast halyard through this turning block back to stbd cockpit
winch.
Loaded up the winch till mast halyard well tensioned so mast supported
by frame.
Eased then released shrouds then backstay & forestay.
*IMPORTANT* Now release the main halyard as if it stays tight the mast
is not free to rotate in a vertical plane.
*IMPORTANT* Now tension after guy so that A frame is properly guyed fore
and aft - cannot do this till now as after guy is fouled by shrouds.
*IMPORTANT* So in fact we eased the port outer shroud first to allow
after guy to be tensioned.
(It is *impossible* to lift the mast with winch if any stays are still
connected, even loosely.)
Winched mast halyard (needed a lot of grunt) till mast foot was well
clear (1-2 feet) clear of deck.
Secured mast halyard to cleat and further secured !!!!! (I should prob
have brought line across to other winch for added security.)
Swing foil/forestay (which is outside A-frame) clear of pulpit onto
pontoon or just into water if no pontoon on the side chosen.
(In fact better if foil/forestay can be just let hang in the water as no
load placed on it.)
Helpers manhandled foot of mast forward onto piece of wood already
lashed athwart pulpit.
Helpers received masthead onto "crutch" already lashed in place on
afterdeck.
Ease mast halyard....
Done.
What about the foil/forestay?
We simply allowed it to lie on the pontoon when dropping mast. When
raising (see below) we let it hang in the water.
To drop the A-frame we used the mast halyard as a long foreguy (untie
from the now horizontal mast leaving it running through the block at
apex of A-frame.
Run this long foreguy through the bow roller and put 2 men in position
on port & starboard sides first of coachroof then of cockpit to receive
the A-fram e and fore-guy man slowly eases the long foreguy (easier if
he can run it round a shore cleat as we did to give him a purchase.
Mast lift is slightly complicated by fact that A-frame must be raised
with no mast available..
Tie A-frame feet as above to side deck.
Attach after guy as above running guy through turning block on after
deck to port cockpit winch.
Attach *long* foreguy (20m or longer) as well as original 10m foreguy.
One man on long foreguy - ideally in raised position well forward of bow
runs long forguy through ring bolt or round bollard on dock and keeps
tensioned.
Two men, one to each leg of frame start to lift - long foreguy man keeps
tension on.
After guy man makes sure apex of A-frame only goes about 10degrees
forward of vertical then secures.
Original short (10m) foreguy now run through bowroller, tensioned and
secured.
With A-frame now securely guyed in place the mast raise is just the mast
lowering process in reverse.
Despite the length of this post it is all quite straightforward - 3
people are needed though for the drop and 4 for the lift.
If you are just dropping the mast to work on the masthead then lifting
again (not dropping A frame) 3 people can do it.
I'd be very interested in comments and suggestions for improvements.
John V1447 Breakaway
I feel a bit bashful posting about this having seen Kenneth McGee's post!
But might be of interest to some.
(And this posting will remind me what to do next time.)
My Vega lives on a large fresh-water lake NE of Limerick in SW Ireland.
I decided to take her to sea for a month - means mast drop on lake &
lift once tidal waters reached.
Cost of dockyard lifts & drops excessive, nearly €500 each way!
So last weekend I dropped the mast, transited a large sea lock (30m
drop!), raised mast in Limerick docks and took boat to sea.
Heres how I did the mast drop/lift (benefiting from advice on this forum
and hours of boring my sailing friends)
(Obviously boom and headsail removed in advance.)
Bought 2 galvanized steel poles, 6m length, 1.75 inch diameter.
(€60==£50=$80)
Drilled 10mm holes though each at each end (say 6cm short of end).
Pushed a 10cm length, 10mm diameter bolt through both poles at one end
forming the A-frame.
Secured eye-bolts to what are now the feet of the A-frame at
right-angles to the axes of the poles.
Drilled 10mm holes at each end of short (6cm) steel bar.
Ran the 10cm bolt securing the apex of A-frame through one of the holes
in short (6cm) steel bar.
Fitted a short lifting strop of 10mm halyard to apex of frame by forming
bowlines at each end and capturing the bowlines with the bolt in the
tops of the 2 poles.
Secured the 10 cm bolt with nut & locking nut - now I have an A-frame
free to swivel at apex and eye-bolts at feet.
Attached a swiveling block to the lower end of the short steel bar with
a shackle.
Reeved a 20 metre 10mm line (my jib sheet) through the swivel block and
secured ends to foot of frame.
This is the halyard that will lift the mast.
Attached fore & after guys (10 metre lengths of 10mm line - old main/jib
halyards) to lifting strop.
Fitted wooden pads covered with old carpet to feet of A-frame to prevent
damage to deck.
Hoisted A-frame into position just forward of mast using main halyard
attached to lifting strop (lifting/pulling apex of A-frame through gap
between forestay * port (or stbd) forward shroud with 2 helpers guiding
feet of frame onto deck & into position).
block at apex for mast halyard should be facing aft.
(Easier if boat is tied up bow to.)
Guyed frame forward to bow roller.
Secured feet (using eye-bolts) with short (10-15cm) lengths of 10mm line
to forward U-bolts on port & stbd side-decks so that frame is raked aft
maybe 10-15 degrees...
Tied feet together athwartship so that feet cannot "jump" side-ways -
probably not necessary.
Loosely guyed frame aft with guy line *outside* port shrouds to turning
block u-bolt on port after deck then forward to port cockpit winch.
Formed a bowline at one end of mast halyard round the mast *inside*
inner shrouds.
Pulled on mast halyard till bowline ran up to roots of spreaders inside
inner shrouds.
Fitted a turning block to the aft-most u-bolt on stbd sidedeck.
Ran the 20m mast halyard through this turning block back to stbd cockpit
winch.
Loaded up the winch till mast halyard well tensioned so mast supported
by frame.
Eased then released shrouds then backstay & forestay.
*IMPORTANT* Now release the main halyard as if it stays tight the mast
is not free to rotate in a vertical plane.
*IMPORTANT* Now tension after guy so that A frame is properly guyed fore
and aft - cannot do this till now as after guy is fouled by shrouds.
*IMPORTANT* So in fact we eased the port outer shroud first to allow
after guy to be tensioned.
(It is *impossible* to lift the mast with winch if any stays are still
connected, even loosely.)
Winched mast halyard (needed a lot of grunt) till mast foot was well
clear (1-2 feet) clear of deck.
Secured mast halyard to cleat and further secured !!!!! (I should prob
have brought line across to other winch for added security.)
Swing foil/forestay (which is outside A-frame) clear of pulpit onto
pontoon or just into water if no pontoon on the side chosen.
(In fact better if foil/forestay can be just let hang in the water as no
load placed on it.)
Helpers manhandled foot of mast forward onto piece of wood already
lashed athwart pulpit.
Helpers received masthead onto "crutch" already lashed in place on
afterdeck.
Ease mast halyard....
Done.
What about the foil/forestay?
We simply allowed it to lie on the pontoon when dropping mast. When
raising (see below) we let it hang in the water.
To drop the A-frame we used the mast halyard as a long foreguy (untie
from the now horizontal mast leaving it running through the block at
apex of A-frame.
Run this long foreguy through the bow roller and put 2 men in position
on port & starboard sides first of coachroof then of cockpit to receive
the A-fram e and fore-guy man slowly eases the long foreguy (easier if
he can run it round a shore cleat as we did to give him a purchase.
Mast lift is slightly complicated by fact that A-frame must be raised
with no mast available..
Tie A-frame feet as above to side deck.
Attach after guy as above running guy through turning block on after
deck to port cockpit winch.
Attach *long* foreguy (20m or longer) as well as original 10m foreguy.
One man on long foreguy - ideally in raised position well forward of bow
runs long forguy through ring bolt or round bollard on dock and keeps
tensioned.
Two men, one to each leg of frame start to lift - long foreguy man keeps
tension on.
After guy man makes sure apex of A-frame only goes about 10degrees
forward of vertical then secures.
Original short (10m) foreguy now run through bowroller, tensioned and
secured.
With A-frame now securely guyed in place the mast raise is just the mast
lowering process in reverse.
Despite the length of this post it is all quite straightforward - 3
people are needed though for the drop and 4 for the lift.
If you are just dropping the mast to work on the masthead then lifting
again (not dropping A frame) 3 people can do it.
I'd be very interested in comments and suggestions for improvements.
John V1447 Breakaway
so I was quite intimidated by the idea of hoisting 80+kg of aluminium into the air. I would have found it very helpful if someone had posted the gory details.