Stepping the Mast

[Jeanne Bromberg]

I have a Daysailer with 24+ft. mast.I have tried stepping it up solo and it is impossible in my mind. Weihght is not an issue. I can get it standing, but being able to balance it while attempting to lift up and into the hole through the deck is impossible. It is difficult enough for two people. I have a friend with an almost identicle boat (newer) who has a two piece mast. Someone has spilt his mast about 18" above the deck. This step allows him to eaisly handle the mast alone. I am considering doing the same thing to mine. I am interested in the pros and cons of doing this. I am wondering if this compormizes the mast for strength. New to sailing he did snap it off in his first adventure out. I would like to do this to allow me to do more sailing. I trailer my boat and have no dock, so I use public landings to put it in. Any opinions? Thanks, Jeanne B

 

[Bob Myers]

Oday Mast setup!

I have an ODAY Day Sailer I from about 1966 and it has a modified mast setup.Give me a call at Work #1-978-974-1387 (EST)and I'll explain how mine is setup.Bob Myers

 

[Gary Britton]

RE:O'Day mast set up

Bob:I also have a 1966 O'Day and have the same problem as Jeanne. Once the mast went out of balance and went crashing to the ground. Luckily no damage, but at 56 years of age I am sure that some day I may loose my own balance along with the mast and go crashing down off the cuddy cabin. May I give you a call also at work some day, or maybe you could e-mail me the information.Thank youGary

 

[Rod Johnson,]

hinge at top of cuddy

I have a 1979 DS II, and still have the one-piece mast. I keep the boat on a mooring all Summer, so it isn't really a huge problem. I step my mast by tying up next to a dock that is about 4-6' above the water (depending on tide) and my Dad walks the mast to almost vertical, then hands the butt end down to me on the boat, I guide it down through the opening in the deck and then he lets go of the mast and moves out on the dock until he can see the maststep, I guide the mast down and onto the step, then attach the shrouds and forestay. Unstapping is just the reverse. Yes, it is a bit scary! Especially unstepping on a day with 50+ knot winds!Anyway, one of these days I'll splice in a tabernacle (hinged maststep), when I do, it will be located no more than 1" or 2" above the top of the cuddy. This keep the stresses low side-to-side since the deck will brace the mast as it comes through the deck. Having the hinge 18" up the mast (18" above cuddy top) would scare me!You can buy the parts for the hinge from D&R Marine ($40), or talk to a local spar maker. I had an e-mail from an owner who had the work done a few years ago by Cape Cod Shipbuilding, cost was around $120.

 

[Ron Boylan]

Daysailer Mast Raising

I have a 1968 Daysailer. To raise the mast singlehanded I added a block to the mast head.I tie a "halyard" off at the base of the mast, run it up through the masthead block and then down through a block at the jib tack and then back to the cockpit. I then pull on this line while pushing the mast up from the cockpit and tie it off when the mast is vertical. I then fasten the forestay and remove the line from the block at the tack and store the line at the mast. The shrouds have to be in place while all of this is going on. You end up with an extra line tied off at the mast but it does work quite well. Lowering the mast under control is also easier.

 

[GAry L. Britton]

Mast raising

Ron:What do you place at the foot of the mast, where ther hole is on top of the cuddy cabin, to stablize the foot of the mast while raising it? Also, how do you attach the shrouds. Mine are not long enough without adding a length of line to them with the mast on top of the cuddy cabin. Once the mast is placed down through the hole and in place, then the shrouds will reach where they attach to the boat.Sounds like a better technique than I have been trying to figue out. Thanks!Fair winds,Gary