I'm scrapping my 30' 1981 Islander that was dropped. I have never taken that mast down. It does have reefing for the foresail. Any one tell me how to to it?
Taking mast down
- Thread starter Tom Marini
- Start date
Tom,
You're stepping the mast, is that it? Is it deck stepped or keel stepped. Keel stepped will be quite a challenge if you do it yourself. I read an article on how to do it and it can be done, but you best have good horse sense . . . and insurance.
If it's deck stepped, you can step with a gin pole, but at your length, even that may be problematic. We step the mast for our 25 footer in about 10 minutes but it's smaller, it's made for trailering and hey, we're good at it. If this is a new thing for you (guessing it is) and if you'll do it once in a dog's age, pay the few hundred to have the the pros' pull the pole. Not the answer you wanted, I'm sure.
I heard of one fellow that pulled up alongside his buddy's boat, rigged his own mast as a jib crane by raising the boom up it with one halyard and adjusting the pitch with the other. The halyard for his buddy's boat was hooked to the boom end. Once everything was ready, he cranked the raised boom to a steeper angle thereby pulling his buddy's mast up and out of the partners. Saw photos so I know it worked.
Big brass ones on that fellow.
Don
You're stepping the mast, is that it? Is it deck stepped or keel stepped. Keel stepped will be quite a challenge if you do it yourself. I read an article on how to do it and it can be done, but you best have good horse sense . . . and insurance.
If it's deck stepped, you can step with a gin pole, but at your length, even that may be problematic. We step the mast for our 25 footer in about 10 minutes but it's smaller, it's made for trailering and hey, we're good at it. If this is a new thing for you (guessing it is) and if you'll do it once in a dog's age, pay the few hundred to have the the pros' pull the pole. Not the answer you wanted, I'm sure.
I heard of one fellow that pulled up alongside his buddy's boat, rigged his own mast as a jib crane by raising the boom up it with one halyard and adjusting the pitch with the other. The halyard for his buddy's boat was hooked to the boom end. Once everything was ready, he cranked the raised boom to a steeper angle thereby pulling his buddy's mast up and out of the partners. Saw photos so I know it worked.
Big brass ones on that fellow.
Don