Mast Lowering
Hi Gill, I assume your mast goes up the same as mine. Mast base in the tabernackle and hoist it forward? I made my own home-made mast support that hangs in the rudder gudreons from a 2"x4"x8' with a bow roller on top. Then I hook the mainsheet to the jib halyard and the where the foot of the jib clips on. To lower the mast, tighten and cleat the mainsheet. This should slacken the fwd stay and the fwd side shrouds. Unhook all three fwd stays and SLOWLY let out the mainsheet. As the mast comes back to about 45 deg. start to steady it and slowly keep letting out sheet until it sits in the bow roller on top of the 2x4. After all the weight is on the mast support and tabernackle, slide the mast back out of the tabernackle and walk it forward. That is what the bow roller on the support is for. To hang the support off the gudgeons I use little angle iron pieces through bolted through the 2x4 with a 1/4" bolt pointed down, jammed in place with a nut, to take the place of the pintles of the rudder. Believe it or not the mast goes up in less that ten minutes! Good Luck, Jay
