Yet Another Solo Mast Raising Question

[Joe11688]

On my Solina 27, I have integrated mast raising system. It consists of an a-frame attached to the deck. At the end, there is a multi-block system. Lowering/raising the mast is very easy. Baby stays are mounted at the centre of mast rotation and stay under tension at all times. IMO, this is very well thought out and safe system. I have used it number on times on the water when crossing low bridges. Setup time is about 5 minutes.

Mast down:

Mast up:

I have to admit, that is a real neat set up!

 

[ArtVandelay]

Yea I agree, I Iike the idea of the split gin pole to help stabilize it. So one end like you said attached to the auto furler, the other onto the side stay chain plates? I'll have to see if there is a possibility to still attach the baby stays so I can get some more side stability for the mast at top-end

Art

 

[Bosman]

The pivot point of the A-frame is fair distance ahead from the side stay chain plates. However, baby stays are in the centre of rotation of the mast. This is important, as their tension does not change as the mast is being lowered/raised. If your baby stays are in front of of the mast rotation (towards the bow), as the mast goes down the pressure on the baby stays will build and something WILL give. On the other hand, if baby stays are behind (towards the transom) mast's centre of rotation, as the mast goes down their tension will decrease. Also, baby stays are mounted on the same height as the centre of mast rotation, in essence a straight line. In the first photo, you can clearly see inverted U support on both sides of the boat - baby stays are attached to the top of them. Main side stays loose tension as the mast is going down. I will try to dig out some close-up photos.

 

[Ross S]

Doesn't the pivot point of the a frame need to be in line with the center of rotation of the mast also? Or am I not picturing this correctly?

 

[plainssailor]

mast raising

Art, it really isn't that bad. You can do it with three teenagers as you can see from my post yesterday. Seriously though, two men in light wind will have no problem. My Oday 25 raises from over the bow pulpit. Leave the shrouds as loose as you can adjust them, disconnect the back stay and connect the forestay. One guy near the bow pulpit, one near the forward hatch on top of the cabin. work together to stand it up then one person reach down and push the rear pin in. then go down to the rear stay and hook it in. Of course common sense applies to all said above, keeping an eye on the shrouds down low at the chainplate connections cause this can twist and give you some trouble, but really I would only use the gin pole if I were alone. Too much time etc.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Ahhhhh Yes, i didn't notice those U braces, so everything is level, very cool. I just want to be sure, you do leave this rig on all year correct? I don't have to deal with any low bridges and would like a system which I can attach and dismantle each time. If I use the two piece gin pole it will have to be secured above the turn buckle attachment so that I can secure the front stay with the auto furler then detach the two poles. I was down at the boat today and got all the measurements going to try and start building the pieces tomorrow.

Plainssailor, I have done it many times before, mostly on my Tanzer 22. In fact I helped a man put up a mast today and it went up fine, most of the time it will go off without a hitch, but it can be a crap shoot, so if I can find a way to eliminate some of the variables I am willing to try it. I will be testing this system out to make sure it works and if I'm not satisfied with the way it goes then I'm back to the old system of getting some friends to help, nothing lost.

 

[watercolors II]

Oday mast raising system

Art, does your 25 have a small diamond shape plate in each main stay about 2 feet up the stay from the deck. I know my dock neighbor has it on his O’Day 26. It’s placed there for a ginpole bridle.

The location of this insert in the mainstay is directy across from the cabin mast plate when the mast is in the vertical and is part of the working rigging. With the mast supported on the bow pulpit and the boom attached to the mast in it’s actual location, a cable is attached to end of the boom and it is just long enough to attach to this mainstay’s diamond. If this bridle line is the right length it will lift the bottom section of the mainstay up to it’s normal postion when the mast is vertical and with one on each side of the boom it creates a stay for the boom to hold it in the vertical, it also stretches the rest of the mast mainstay straight and somewhat tight creating a truss system to keep the mast in line and the boom in line as you use the mainsheet to pull the boom down towards the cockpit. A halyard must be attached to the end of the boom to lift the top of the mast.

See attached PDF.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Thanks Watercolors, I'll take a look at that, and no I don't have those plates on the stays, i wish i had a proven gin pole system for this already tested! But I'm sure the one i make will be fine

 

[GorillaToast]

Post deleted by GT

 

[Clipper 2]

Hello all, just visiting from the Clipper Marine forum.

I single hand my mast frequently, it's really not that big of a deal. I'm currently running a Clipper Marine MK26 with a 26' mast. The system I use is pretty simple, it consists of 2 8' pieces of 3/4" EMT. I basicly copied another CM skippers system. Here's a link to his sight along with about 20 pictures that explain things better than I can.

http://67.123.120.75/~mike/gallery/A-frame

I hope this helps.

Penny

 

[kenn]

The [mast-raising] system I use is pretty simple, it consists of 2 8' pieces of 3/4" EMT. I basicly copied another CM skippers system. Here's a link to his sight along with about 20 pictures that explain things better than I can.

http://67.123.120.75/~mike/gallery/A-frame

Thanks for that link! Does the A-frame by itself provide sufficient lateral stability to keep the mast from wobbling off to either side, or do you also require some extra support like baby-stays to the mast?

 

[GorillaToast]

Art,
Does your boat have a roller furler? The reason I ask is because if you don't have a furler you could possibly get away without baby stays. All you would need is a mast crutch in the stern and the Gin Pole.
My O'Day 222 has a CDI Roller Furler but I'm able to get the mast up and down by myself.
I can raise/lower on the water or on the trailer. If you can have the wind coming from aft and keep the boat level, you should have no problems.

Of course it goes without saying that you don't want to have some idiot go by in a powerboat and raise a big wake if you choose to do it in the water.

Joe,

How do you have your mast crutch attached to the transom?

 

[Bosman]

The A-frame does not have to be in the centre of rotation of the mast. I am attaching some photos of various boats with this type of setup, you can see the details.

A lot of boats with this type of setup...

Hope this helps!

 

[Clipper 2]

Does the A-frame by itself provide sufficient lateral stability to keep the mast from wobbling off to either side, or do you also require some extra support like baby-stays to the mast?

I don't know what the mast step on your boat is like, on a CM26 the step has a slot so the foot of the mast has a little vertical movement allowable, see picture 6 of Mike's photos. Also, on the CM26, besides the forstay and aft stay, there are side stays (mast head to spreader bar to chain plate) and forward and aft side stays, (what you refer to as baby stays).

Step by step;
1. The base of the mast is placed in the mast step and the retaining bolt is inserted, but left loose.
2. The aft stay, side stays, and aft baby stays are all attached to their respective chain plates.
3. The bolts on the bottom of the A frame go into the chain plates for the forward baby stay.
4. Both of the forward baby stays are attached to the eye bolt at the top of the A frame.
5. The main sheet runs from the top of the A frame to the forward chain plate.

In this position the tension on the side stays is almost the same as when the mast is fully erect. As the mast comes up the side stays will prevent any excessive side sway.

Once the mast is up, attach and tighten the forstay, then disconnect the forward baby stays from the A frame, remove the A frame from the forward chain plates, and connect the forward baby stays to their respective chain plates. Tighten the bolt that holds the base of the mast, adding and tightening a locking nut. Of course, once everything is in place you would want to check the tension on all the stays.

Coming down is simply reversing the process. Always remember to connect the forward baby stays to the a frame before removing the forstay from it's chain plate. Yes, I made that mistake once, and only once. It makes things rather difficult.

I hope this helps.

Penny

 

[GorillaToast]

The A-frame does not have to be in the centre of rotation of the mast. I am attaching some photos of various boats with this type of setup, you can see the details.

A lot of boats with this type of setup...

Hope this helps!

Strangest raft-up I've ever seen.

 

[Bosman]

Strangest raft-up I've ever seen.

That what happens when a bunch of sailboats go through a lock at the same time.

 

[GorillaToast]

Reminds one of the marching band in "Animal House".

 

[kenn]

Ah, boating... nothing better for getting away from it all...

I've started construction on my own A-frame version, thanks to this thread.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Seriously guys, there's no free beer.



Okay, so what kind of pressure does the gin-pole, or A-frame have to absorb? I wouldn't think very much, I was out buying the materials today and couldn't find any steel rods to hook up so I was thinking about some tubular fencing metal. It's not the strongest stuff in the world but I'm not sure how much of the energy is transferred through these to the chain plates, or does it go from the pulleys right to the mast leaving the a-frame/gin-pole pretty much load-free?

Kenn - I think he actually has attached the baby stays to the gin pole to hoist up the mast, and maybe I missed it but I gotta ask, are the main side stays tightened fully? How did you provide the lateral support?

Killer info guys,
Thanks again, Art

 

[justsomeguy]

Seriously guys, there's no free beer.



Okay, so what kind of pressure does the gin-pole, or A-frame have to absorb? I wouldn't think very much, I was out buying the materials today and couldn't find any steel rods to hook up so I was thinking about some tubular fencing metal. It's not the strongest stuff in the world but I'm not sure how much of the energy is transferred through these to the chain plates, or does it go from the pulleys right to the mast leaving the a-frame/gin-pole pretty much load-free?

Killer info guys,
Thanks again, Art

I used a galvanized fence post on my gin pole. The load is virtually all compression if you balance the fore and aft tension at the same place on the pole.
I think.....