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masthead work coming up, what else should I plan?

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 14:44:16

my boat is docked parallel (like parallel parking), not bow or stern in (like mall parking lot parking). There are boats front and rear. The smaller boats are normally off of my bow, but of course I can turn the boat around if that makes this easier.

I plan on dropping the mast forward, but retying the boat so that the angle carries the mast over the dock. I plan on going forward because it seems nice to use the main sheet tackle to control the dropping of the mast and I like the set of instructions that I linked to which use nothing but two extra lines.

I'm open to going rear, it would be easier because less of the mast would be over the dock. I just haven't seen such a nice writeup of how to do it with a minimum of extra gear.

alex

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 16:29:57

Alex, it can be done easily going aft if you take a few precautions. I just sold my '84 TR and two of us got the mast down without incident. Admittedly, I made an A-frame out of electrical conduit for the recent drop (the safest way), but I've done it without a A-frame, too. If you have 3 people, it won't be a problem: 1 at the mast to prevent side-to-side swaying and ease it the final portion of the drop (helps to be fairly strong but I did it at 60 yrs old - also, the line can go over this guy's shoulder to act as a human gin pole, if necessary), 1 on a line attached to the cleated jib halyard run to a winch in the cockpit, and 1 in the cockpit to guide it down the last part of the drop. As it comes down, the guy on the line at the winch eases out the line (3-4 wraps on the winch drum, palm of hand on the line slowly easing it out). If you have a whisker pole or a (borrowed) spinnaker pole(the only other equipment you really need), it can be attached to the mast and through the jib line to provide the fulcrum. The guy at the mast then will only need to keep a hand on it to keep it centered and straddle the mast as it comes down.
I'll finish this in a few minutes, got to go start dinner. Okay, I'm back. There is one other thing that would be helpful, a mast crutch to hold the mast at the stern(keeps it off of the cabin top and helps with raising it later - can be made out of scrap lumber and should be about 2-3 ft. higher than the stern railing.

Edited by - dmpilc on 04/13/2012 16:39:44

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 16:45:38

It looks like the weather is going to cooperate for tomorrow. About 60º with calm winds out of the west increasing to 4-7mph later on. I'll have to remember sunscreen or I'm likely to get a bit fried. A big difference from the weather we've been having here lately. Maybe spring has finally sprung!

I'm most familiar with taking the mast down toward the stern, but I've studied the diagram for taking it down over the bow and it looks pretty doable as long as you've got enough line to run through your main sheet tackle in one go. We can pretty easily calculate what the line length requirement is going to be, just 4x the distance from the tip of the boom when vertical to the main sheet attachment, plus another 20' or so to go around the winch with some extra. That's assuming you've got a 4 part fall for the mainsheet tackle.

I'm pretty sure there's going to be enough guys to easily get the mast down with minimum drama.

See you in the morning around 10am-ish.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 17:02:35

When we do it to teh bow, we remove the boom and use the mainsheet attached to the backstay at teh tang where the split backstay is meant to go. It takes a lot less line that way, and you have a 4:1 purchase for control. It does put the load on the traveller bar though, which can be prone to failure.

This and our whisker pole placement have probably gotten more rebukes on this forum than anything else we do, so if you think its stupid, I'm OK with that. It works for us.

I actually prefer lowerign teh mast forward since it comes to rest on the bow pulpit long before it can crush any FG - something I can't say for lowering aft.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 17:19:58

I have a 75' main sheet that is nearly new that I'll rig up first thing tomorrow morning (I switched to a 50' as my regular main, and have this nearly unused 75' line around to use as a jib sheet later on).

Prospector: the idea of connecting to the backstay instead of the boom is an interesting one. I'll check it out tonight (I might head down to the boat shortly) or tomorrow morning.

The part that confuses me with going aft is that I don't really understand the rigging of the halyards to control lowering of the mast. I don't have a spinnaker pole. Going forward just makes logic sense to me. Maybe David can explain how to go aft when he is here tomorrow.

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JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2012 : 18:48:47

Alex, since you're crunched for time, go with your plans. I've seen discussions in which both sides advocated that theirs is better - in the end, I think it's a matter of the method that feels more "right" to you. I went aft, in part because I wasn't sure I'd be able to scrounge up people to help me, and I'd seen DavyJ's videos in which he lowered the mast by himself. The rig is pretty easy, but if you're set up and comfortable going forward, then that's probably what you should do.

Good luck!!!

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2012 : 15:58:27

David came down and helped this morning along with two of my friends. It was great having him around to give some advice.

Lowering the mast forward seemed to work well, I don't see any reason not to do it again in that direction.

I got the antenna, windex, new anchor light, and topping lift all mounted. New sheaves and halyards for the main and jib. I still need to tune the mast, but it is otherwise looking pretty good. Hopefully it doesn't need to come down again anytime soon.

Thanks again for your help David, and it was really nice to meet you.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2012 : 21:06:44

Today was a pretty good time for me. The lowering of the mast forward went off without a hitch and made me wonder how well it'd work with a C-250. The base of Alex's mast has a vertical slot that lets the pivot bolt slide up as the mast goes forward. My C-250's mast doesn't have that slot so I'm not sure it could be done. Anybody done this on theirs?

Using the boom as a gin pole with the mainsheet block to control it was surprisingly easy. Alex had several friends who showed up to help but I think it could have been done with just two folks. One to guide the mast down, and another to tail the mainsheet. However, the wind had pipe up when we raised the mast, and it was nice to have a couple of extra people around just for more control.

The weather couldn't have been much more cooperative, it was as nice a day here in Seattle as we've had all year. I'm glad I put some sun screen on before I headed out. I'm still feeling a bit fried as it is and wish I'd put my hat on earlier then I did.

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