I am getting ready to take the mast down on my Catalina 25. When I bought the boat the mast had already been stepped so I do not know how unwieldy handling it will be. I will use a block and tackle to lower it slowly. While it is being lowered, will the upper spreaders keep the mast from swinging side to side or do I need to try to control it with some other method? How do you do it? Can my wife and I do this ourselves?(we're not body builders)
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
B
Bob Teeter
I owned a 25 for 11 years before we got our 42. I always like to have to people help me with the mast, but did do it by myself on ocassion. I always lowered by taking off the forestay, but only after removing the forward lowers and loosing up the shrouds a few turns. You will get a little movement from side to side when bringing her down. Also, the block and tackle is OK, but at a certain point the angle makes it very difficult to control. I would just hold onto the forstay and let the mast down slowly. Second person would be on the cabin top and would help guide the mast from there. Third person would be in the cockpit and act as the person to catch the mast and hold it while the pin is removed. To prep, be sure the pin is ready to remove and electrical is unhocked. Be aware that the person holding the mast in the cockpit has to hold it while you remove the pin. The mast must them be passed forward and placed between the bow pulpet and stern pulpet. Lastly, be sure that you have enough room behind the boat to allow the mast to come down. Good luck. Bob
H
Herb
two is good three are best
Bud you will not have any trouble with the mast it handles with ease. I use a line atttached tothe forstay to add the length so that i can get the angle i want. Bob covered the other points well. But one thing you will want to do is Look up first and then around. You never know when those pesky power lines will creap in around you. You do not want to be close enough that if youhave a problem you could get near them .
Bud you will not have any trouble with the mast it handles with ease. I use a line atttached tothe forstay to add the length so that i can get the angle i want. Bob covered the other points well. But one thing you will want to do is Look up first and then around. You never know when those pesky power lines will creap in around you. You do not want to be close enough that if youhave a problem you could get near them .
W
w.Elliott
stepping your mast
I have been up and down with the mast on my Capri 25 . (esp during Hurrican season) It is do able but you really need three and use a push pole to suport oit once it above your head. be sure the wind is calm. you should have no problem i've done it about 5 times and I'm no expert boatman. Also use the rear winch to pull a line to the front main stay. Basically for support again. You should be able to life it right up but it is nice to have three people.
I have been up and down with the mast on my Capri 25 . (esp during Hurrican season) It is do able but you really need three and use a push pole to suport oit once it above your head. be sure the wind is calm. you should have no problem i've done it about 5 times and I'm no expert boatman. Also use the rear winch to pull a line to the front main stay. Basically for support again. You should be able to life it right up but it is nice to have three people.
B
Bob Finley
Un stepping the mast
I have a Catalina 22 that I trailer, so I am stepping and unstepping the mast every trip out. With some pre-planning and some help, it is not a bad job at all. Without the help and/or some type device, you can do damage or get someone hurt. Having someone in the cockpit area sounds good, but without a pole roughly 10 feet tall with a Vee shaped crotch at the top, this person won't be much help. As the mast progresses through the 45 degree angle on it's way down it gets very heavy very fast and progressively gets worse. This is the reason for the pole to lay the mast in as it gets to the point of vitually impossible. Without the pole, a person in the cockpit can't reach high enough to help you let it down. With the pole supporting the weight of the mast, you can now unbolt it from the cabin top and start to slide the bottom end forward to the point that it can lay on the forward pulpit. Now the weight of the mast at the stern is lessened so that you can lift it out of the vee and let it down the rest of the way. Having someone helping you by holding the fore stay works well until the mast passes through the 45 degree angle and after that, the person on the front end is useless because the leverage angle is such that they can't contribute anything. I have constructed a device that attaches on the rudder mounts at the transom that is a piece of 1-1/2 inch square tubing. It sticks up 5 feet. Telescoped into it from the top is another piece of metal tubing that just fits the inside that is also 5 feet long. It has a rubber Vee shaped boat trailer roller mounted at the top end and can be telescoped up to be 10 feet high. I slip a cross pin in it to hold it up when I am stepping or un-stepping the mast. When unstepping the mast, I first attach the device to the stern of the boat and extend the inner part upward pinning it up. Then I release the two forward side stays. Next, I have my helper un-pin the fore stay and I stand on top of the cabin stradling the mast facing the rear. I begin letting the mast tip toward the rear and gradually lower it down to rest on the rubber roller. The next step is to unbolt the mast from cabin top and lift the lower end out of the slot and move it forward to the bow pulpit. The rubber roller allows the mast to slide forward easily. After securing the mast to the pulpit, I go to the stern, pull the pin from the telescoped section and lower the section into the larger piece to the bottom. I travel the boat like this with the mast secured to the telescoped section and riding on the rubber roller. It rides about 1 foot above the top of the cabin. All of the stays coil up and lay in the cockpit area. This is a home made version of the "mast up" device that Catalina Direct sells. Since you are going to only lower the mast once or twice per year, it is not worth your time or expense to buy or build one. The Vee shaped pole (10 or 12 foot 2X4) should work fine for you. Don't under estimate the weight of the mast when it is coming down past the 45 degree point. When standing atop the cabin you only have a lever arm of about 5 feet to handle it with and it has another 20 someodd feet of weight fighting you. You mentioned using a block and tackle to help. I can't picture what you would attach it to and I would think you would run out of slack to release just about the time that you hit the dreaded 45 degree point. I can email photos of the setup if you (or anyone) is interested. Good luck and do be careful! Bobf38@worldnet.att.net
I have a Catalina 22 that I trailer, so I am stepping and unstepping the mast every trip out. With some pre-planning and some help, it is not a bad job at all. Without the help and/or some type device, you can do damage or get someone hurt. Having someone in the cockpit area sounds good, but without a pole roughly 10 feet tall with a Vee shaped crotch at the top, this person won't be much help. As the mast progresses through the 45 degree angle on it's way down it gets very heavy very fast and progressively gets worse. This is the reason for the pole to lay the mast in as it gets to the point of vitually impossible. Without the pole, a person in the cockpit can't reach high enough to help you let it down. With the pole supporting the weight of the mast, you can now unbolt it from the cabin top and start to slide the bottom end forward to the point that it can lay on the forward pulpit. Now the weight of the mast at the stern is lessened so that you can lift it out of the vee and let it down the rest of the way. Having someone helping you by holding the fore stay works well until the mast passes through the 45 degree angle and after that, the person on the front end is useless because the leverage angle is such that they can't contribute anything. I have constructed a device that attaches on the rudder mounts at the transom that is a piece of 1-1/2 inch square tubing. It sticks up 5 feet. Telescoped into it from the top is another piece of metal tubing that just fits the inside that is also 5 feet long. It has a rubber Vee shaped boat trailer roller mounted at the top end and can be telescoped up to be 10 feet high. I slip a cross pin in it to hold it up when I am stepping or un-stepping the mast. When unstepping the mast, I first attach the device to the stern of the boat and extend the inner part upward pinning it up. Then I release the two forward side stays. Next, I have my helper un-pin the fore stay and I stand on top of the cabin stradling the mast facing the rear. I begin letting the mast tip toward the rear and gradually lower it down to rest on the rubber roller. The next step is to unbolt the mast from cabin top and lift the lower end out of the slot and move it forward to the bow pulpit. The rubber roller allows the mast to slide forward easily. After securing the mast to the pulpit, I go to the stern, pull the pin from the telescoped section and lower the section into the larger piece to the bottom. I travel the boat like this with the mast secured to the telescoped section and riding on the rubber roller. It rides about 1 foot above the top of the cabin. All of the stays coil up and lay in the cockpit area. This is a home made version of the "mast up" device that Catalina Direct sells. Since you are going to only lower the mast once or twice per year, it is not worth your time or expense to buy or build one. The Vee shaped pole (10 or 12 foot 2X4) should work fine for you. Don't under estimate the weight of the mast when it is coming down past the 45 degree point. When standing atop the cabin you only have a lever arm of about 5 feet to handle it with and it has another 20 someodd feet of weight fighting you. You mentioned using a block and tackle to help. I can't picture what you would attach it to and I would think you would run out of slack to release just about the time that you hit the dreaded 45 degree point. I can email photos of the setup if you (or anyone) is interested. Good luck and do be careful! Bobf38@worldnet.att.net
- Status
- Not open for further replies.