What do you do now?

[Norris Palmer]

Main and Jib Haylyard on O'Day 25 sitting at top of mast. How hard is it to step it? Would it be easier to pull it over on the dock with a winch and get to the top that way? It looks really tough to step one of these masts having lots of experience with Hobie 20's, this one looks like a bugger bear.

 

[Don Evans]

I'd Drop The Mast

Norris, is it to late to have the seller do this for you? Can your yard unstep the mast? Your going to want to figure out a system for yourself anyways so I'd recommend searching the archives (type in mast raising) for all the helpful info listed here on the techniques. There is info at the Yahoo Oday club site too. You will want to survey the fittings at the top anyways, but if you want to just get em down and go sailin, can you bring the boat alongside a shed roof, climb to the peak, lasso the mast and heel it over, and snag the end of the halyards with a 15' boat hook? What about near a bridge (being very cautious about you and the mast).For a picture of a mast lowering system, go to Yahoo O'Day club, join, go to the pictures section and find the line drawing. I have used this method as many of us have, with help its not as daunting as you may think. I have also muscled the mast down with 2 other guys with no problem. The mast weighs about 75 lbs. Three pairs of arms can do this easily. You can drop it forward or backward once the forstay or backstay is released, and the shrouds loosened. Let us know how its coming.Don

 

[Dennis Lindauer]

steping the mast

I used to step the mast on a 26, solo, although I'd use the jib halyard to suport the mast as the forstay was loosened, then ease the halyard and the mast would pivit aft. In your case, with the halyard up the mast, try getting several friends to lean forward on the mast while you loosen the forstay, and pull the pin. (Don't forget the forward pin at the base of the mast.) It will help if you make a crutch to suport the mast at the stern rail after it's been lowered. (Mine was an inverted "T" that rested on the fiberglass, in between the stern rail vertical suports and tied to the rail with a line. Try to have the crutch as long as possible, but not so long that you can't reach it, when the mast is resting on it.) After the mast has been lowered, pull the second pin at the mast step and walk the mast forward and rest it on the the bow rail. Then lift the mast off the crutch in the rear and set it on the stern rail.peace-o-cake-mategood luck

 

[Rick]

Mast Lower/Raise

Hi Norris,Unless your boat is in the water, check out the drawing I submitted in the "photo forum" section called "Oday 25 Mast raise". I used this technique (boat on land) with the extension ladder to lower my mast on my 25' this past fall and plan to use the same method to raise it in the spring. Although you won't have a halyard to use as I have in the picture, I don't think it will make much of a difference as long as you have 1 to 2 people along to help you.Good Luck!Rick Leger

 

[Herb Schiessl]

Another Idea

If you can find a high dock/pier or a low bridge, you might be able to reach them with an extension pole with a wire hook on the end.