Association Forum - Scaling the Mast

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Scaling the Mast

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

pegasus
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
65 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/26/2006 : 07:08:06

Hi Folks:

A Bird(s) creamed my masthead windvane and I need to repair/replace it.

First question - do you have a recommendation on brand and style of replacement windvane to purchase to keep the buzzards at bay?

Next - I don't want to drop the mast, so how difficult is it to have someone winch me up using a makeshift bosun's chair?

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 09:37:58

Hi Chuck,

For a replacement, I'd say the vane of choice is probably a windex. For general purposes, the Windex 15 is the way to go. This vane is large enough for most of us to see and has a good tacking arm display so that if you set the arms at the right angle, you can help your sail trim a lot.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 09:41:34

So Chuck, for getting up the mast - you'll want a bos'ns chair and a burley mate. Even with 6/1 help of a mast winch, the person hoisting you aloft is cranking 30+ lbs on each turn. Even a box of peaches only weighs about 22 lbs and most folks get tired of carrying that around fairly soon.

To hoist you aloft, one burley mate cranking the winch, someone tailing the halyard, and another burley mate helping hoist the halyard manually..... If you have three strong helpers plus you, it might be easier to drop the mast for the few minutes it'll take to install the Windex.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 10:09:48

We use a canvas ladder that raises up the mast track. My only problem with dropping the mast mid season is the hour of tuning and taping that follows.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 10:11:43

Like Bill said, if you have the manpower already, then dropping the mast might be better. Then you can check out your lights, shives, wiring..... Good luck.

Edited by - on

Brian King
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
73 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 10:31:36

While we're on the subject, and Chuck will need to know how to do this, is there a sure fire way to get the "tacking arms" lined up correctly? Mine were off quite a bit last year but I did a better job lining them up this year, although still not perfect.

Edited by - on

Gambit
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 10:59:50

I had my hands full trying to raise my 11 year old daughter in a bosun's chair. So much so I aborted before getting her too high. We ended up using the gin pole on the lift to raise her up to tape up some rough spots.

Failing a good mechanical lift I would take your burley friends and drop your stick.

My owl seems to have kept the birds away all this season.

Good luck!

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 11:33:17

I use two ratchet blocks and LOTS of line to give at least 2 to 1 (maybe 3 to one?) purchase. A light, strong person could lift himself or herself aloft with this rig, but ONE other person is all that is needed. No winches, etc., except fot perhaps a safety line tended by a 3rd person.

Works quite well; I often loan all this to fellow fleet members.....

Gary B.
s/v Encore!
#685 SK/SR

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 12:04:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brian King
 While we're on the subject, and Chuck will need to know how to do this, is there a sure fire way to get the "tacking arms" lined up correctly? Mine were off quite a bit last year but I did a better job lining them up this year, although still not perfect.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Do you mean your spreaders? If you take the cotter out of the base you might find they slip into the base a bit more which snugs them up. Drill new holes and replace the cotters.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 12:41:13

He means the tacking arms that hold the tabs on the Windex, not the spreaders.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 14:18:38

OH... duh, thanks

Don, do you remember my first season when I posted the photo of my mast head and asked if anyone saw anything wrong? I think it was you who finally spotted the tacking arms were facing forward!

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 09/26/2006 14:20:09

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 17:03:54

Its easy, here is my wife (110 lbs) up at the top.

I made a block and tackle. I hoist 2 blocks up the mast with the halyard. One block goes on the bosun's chair. I get a 3 to one advantage, so I'm only lifting 30 lbs. If I want, I can take the line to a winch, but it is not needed. I just hoist her up and tie it off.

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 18:40:35

A lot of trust going on there...good on you guys!!

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 23:59:11

Wow, what a wife. I now have to go up the mast as my son out weights me by 50lbs and it is no easy task. I forgot the windvane when we traveled to a race and had to go up with powerboats going by during the climb. No bosuns chair so used biggest line for sling; pinched buns always reminds me to install the vane before raising the mast or lowering mast for task. My hat's off to Jim and his wife.

Edited by - on

brian
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
23 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2006 : 21:40:40

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 We use a canvas ladder that raises up the mast track. My only problem with dropping the mast mid season is the hour of tuning and taping that follows.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You happen to have a picture of this ladder setup? What kinda weight will it hold? I am 290lbs, and my 130lbs wife will not go near heights, so I have to hire people to do this task normally.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2006 : 09:21:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 Don, do you remember my first season when I posted the photo of my mast head and asked if anyone saw anything wrong?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, I remember Frank...very funny, but that kind of thing can happen to anyone.

My mast scaling experience...

The day after I splashed my boat a season or so ago, some large bird sat on my Windex and bent the arm so that the vane was pointing straight up to the moon. With a borrowed canvas bosuns chair of questionable age, I proceeded to singlehandedly haul myself up the mast. Now I'm not particularly afraid of heights, just death, but I was a little nervous on the way up. Just as I cleared the spreaders and with about 5 feet or so to go to the masthead, I heard...RIPPPPPP!!! At that point I don't know what was tighter, my bear hug grip on the mast or my sphincter. Needless to say, I immediately abandoned my trip to the masthead.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2006 : 10:26:58

Any clubs around have a mast hoist?

we put the bosuns chair on the hoist with a halyard from the mast as a backup. Then its a simple retooled electricians drill on the winch. Up and down in no time!

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2006 : 10:41:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
Just as I cleared the spreaders and with about 5 feet or so to go to the masthead, I heard...RIPPPPPP!!! At that point I don't know what was tighter, my bear hug grip on the mast or my sphincter.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

Don B
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2006 : 10:50:27

I always wondered why those windvanes were bent...not too long ago I went out to visit my boat. It was just before sunset, nobody else at the marina, no wind and the water was like glass. As I was walking down the finger slip I noticed that the sailboat in the slip next to mine was rocking back and forth quite a bit...hmmmm...looking around I found no passing boats that could have caused wake. You know that feeling you get when you're alone but you're certain someone's watching you? Well, something caught my eye and at the top of that boat's mast, there sat the very large Osprey eyeing me up and down. He looked very much at home resting up next to that bent windvane. I slowly backed away and moved down the fingerslip and the whole while he didn't take his eyes off me. I know he was sizing me up for dinner and you can bet I felt like a drumstick waiting to happen.

He's quite the fixture at the marina and seems to take turns with each sailboat's mast.

Edited by - on

Cate
Navigator

Members Avatar

199 Posts

Response Posted - 09/28/2006 : 11:16:19

For $285 plus $65 for a tool belt/harness you can use this to scale your mast. Practical Sailor gave this product a good review. Apparently a guy named Gary in Maine makes these.

http://www.mastmate.com/index.html

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.