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Stepping the mast without gizmos

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CatalinaGuy
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/08/2003 : 17:18:26

I'm about to step my mast for the first time, and was planning on following the method described in the handbook using two people. Any issues or dangers I should be aware of with this method? It seems pretty straight forward, but the large number of discussions about this topic, and the additional devices folks use to manage the mast stepping process has me a little worried.

Thanks.

Doug Hibberd, 'Shiraz'
C25 SK/SR 1983
Austin, TX

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ppetracca
Navigator

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USA
163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 17:44:57

Doug,

I can offer you only the following personal experiences. For years my wife & I have used the 2 person method from the owner's manual on our Catalina '22. When we bought our tall rig '25 last year we were concerned about handling the mast. We have put it up and taken it down several times in the last year using our two person system with no gizmos and have not had any problems. I am sure that some mechanical assistance would make the job easier, but I have yet to try any. I guess your physical strength and health would be a factor in handling the mast alone. I rigged my '22 many times singlehanded but don't think that is an option with the new boat. Hope that helps. Best wishes.

Patrick Petracca
#4795 Yankee Spirit

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Randall
Navigator

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123 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 19:32:06

Okay, I'll bite: what is the 2 person method?

I didn't get an owner's manual when I bought my 79 TR/SK, so the only way I know to raise and lower the mast is the way that the PO showed me-- a three person method. I lower the mast over the stern, using a gin pole made from an 8' length of heavy gage conduit and a 4 to 1 boom vang with extra long line. I stand on the bow and pay out the line while my assistants stand on each side of the boat and guide the mast down by holding onto the shrouds to keep them from going slack.
Once the mast is down, they go to the stern and hold up the mast while I remove the bolt from the mast step, then all three of us move the mast forward to center it onto the boat and lash it down for travelling.

Please tell me there is an easier way! I used to be able to walk the mast up by myself on my Spirit 6.5 (21'), and with one other person on my Starwind 22 & Clipper 25. Can that really be done on a Cat 25 TR?

Randall

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ppetracca
Navigator

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USA
163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 20:20:06

My method, while harder with our tall rig, works well for my wife and I.

Raising: With the forward lower shrouds removed from the plates, we roll the mast back in it's mast-up cradle until the bottom is even with the step. We then raise the cradle & mast until the mast is at about a 30 degree? angle. (I do know it is the third hole down in the mast cradle. After raising it to an angle, we can insert the mast bolt in throught the mast step and mast without interference from the cabin top. We attach the jib halyard to the pulpit and lead the loose end to the cockpit. We make sure all the standing riggin is laying in the proper direction, then I get under the mast and with two hands walk forward in the cockpit raising as I go. My wife keeps the halyard as a brake and I work my way forward on to the cabin top. I continue until the mast is vertical and my secures the halyard to the mast cleat. We then hook up the forestay and the mast can stand on its own. Then the forward lowers and adjust the standing rigging. The only problems we've encountered are when one of the shrouds gets caught on a winch or the cabin top and neither of us has a free hand to get it loose. One important note also. Make sure the pop-top holding latch on the mast is all the way up and out of the way or it can hang up on the cabin top also.

Lowering: Much the same in reverse. Important things to remember are to have the mast cradle in the up position to receive the mast. If you try to go all the way down to the stern rail, your will hang up on the cabin top. Once it is horizontal, we have no problem moving the mast forward and securing it.

This is probably a more difficult way than others use, but it works for us and we don't find it stressful. I would also have to believe, not having a roller furled headsail make it easier. Our Catalin '22 has a roller furler and it tends to flop around when raising the mast, but it is small enough to handle. On a tall-rig it might be too heavy to control.

Hope this helps. I don't say it's a good way, just mine.

Patrick Petraca
#4795 'Yankee Spirit'
1985 fk/tr

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ppetracca
Navigator

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USA
163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 21:08:16

Other note: As far as the mast cradle...it is availblae from the Catalina Direct catalog. It is called a "mast up"..item #E1689 for about $175.00. Page #4.6 of the current catalog has detailed instructions on using this method.

Patrick Petracca
#4795 'Yankee Spirit'
1985-fk/tr

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Randall
Navigator

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123 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 21:23:48

Thank you Patrick, it sure does help. Your method has to be better: it only requires two people, instead of three.

Randall

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2003 : 21:31:01

A couple pointers to add to Patrick's post.

A snatch block attached to the pulpit makes the halyard/extension line feed more smoothly.

If you lead that line back to a winch (cockpit or coaming) the 'helper' can really give an assist in addition to being able to pause the lift anywhere.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2003 : 00:41:43

I have step the mast many times with just the General and myself without any fancy gizmos. The one thing I do that's of major difference is I drop it forward. My mast step has a 5" slot that allows the bolt to stay in place until the mast is almost to the pulpit. It is not very heavy and the General holds it up on her shoulder while I remove the bolt lift and carry it aft to rest on the for and aft pulputs. Here is our method of lowering: stepping is done in reverse.

Loosen the bolt at the step (do not remove), tighten the mainsheet with the travelier in the center position, remove the aft shrouds, using some 5/16 nylon line I run the line from the two aft chain plates through the hole on the outhaul at the end of the boom and tighten (not overly, but snug)( this keeps the boom from swinging side to side as the mast is lowered or raised), loosen the remaining shrouds 6 turns, release the backstay (one other item my boat does not have a topping lift just a wire spliced into the aftstay that attachs to the boom with a hook. This in effect attachs the backstay firmly to the boom, I release the mainsheet from its cleat and the General pushes on the forstay which starts it down. With the purchase available on the mainsheet you can easily lower or raise it under control. Remove the rope and the boom from the mast. Remove the mast step bolt. Release the center and forward shrouds then the forstay.

We have done this in some windy conditions and not had any problems. I would not do it above 10 knots ever.

Hope the gives you some help and a little different approach using what just came with the boat.

Frog and The General
<img src="http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3f514bcf_339f/bc/boats/__tn_Pretty+Penny.jpg?bc2LWU_AhL8DufLw" border=0>
79 Wing #1166
Pretty Penny

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Todd Frye
Navigator

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USA
222 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2003 : 12:41:05

I will throw my hat in the ring with ClamBeach. I used to have my two oldest boys help me step the mast, until one got too busy with life, and now it's the two of us. This caused a rethink of putting up the mast safely and without overexerting ourselves. The idea came out of the blue to utilize the mechanical advantage we already had on the boat...the two way Lewmar winches. I had already done a few experiments with raising the anchor through rigging pulleys, etc., but this mast raising idea had more promise to it. I secured a snatch block (actually a $7 mountain rescue pulley from REI) to the head stay bracket on the bow and ran a spare line, attached to the jib halyard, through the snatch block, back to the port winch. I still don't have a mast support to prop up the back of the mast (elevate to a 30 degree angle), but will most likely make one this winter. Once we get the end of the mast secured with the through bolt in, I go back in the cockpit and raise the mast over my head as Aaron reels in the slack on the port winch and starts to crank. The first time we used this procedure we both looked at each other in amazement at how easy the mast went up. On only one occasion did the shrouds get fouled on something, and when they did, Aaron secured the line in a cam cleat while I kept the mast centered, fixed the tangle, and went back to cranking the mast to vertical. Our experience with the "two person" method has been positive. Fair winds. Todd Frye

Edited by - todd frye on 10/09/2003 16:57:22

Edited by - todd frye on 10/09/2003 16:58:07

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2003 : 15:12:40

For many years we raised the mast with just two people, no fancy gin poles or crutches. This was with a bare mast. This past spring I installed a furler with a 150. With just the furler extrusion I had a very difficult time muscleing the mast up. I made the mistake of leaving the sail on the furler when we lowered the mast to trailer to Long Beach for the Catalina Island trip. The extra weight was unbelievable for lifting the mast. Almost ended the trip. I am looking forward to rigging the system that Buzz has discribed. The convienience of leaving the sail on the furler when traveling is interesting. Does anybody else do this?

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~

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Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2003 : 16:55:44

Not to show off, but I've done it several times by myself. Use the boom for a gin pole, rig preventer lines to the genoa blocks and then to the winches, use the mainsheet for the tackle. This means, of course, that it lowers forward.

However, I wouldn't recommend it, and I won't do it myself again. There is a constant danger of the mast swinging to one side or the other.

With two people, however, I find it relatively easy.

Brooke

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2003 : 21:30:11

"There is a constant danger of the mast swinging to one side or the other."

Make up a pair of baby-stays athwartships from the mast base to the spinnaker ring to the cabin top or tracks on the gunwhales. This will keep the mast from tipping and make the system stable.

MacGregor actually offored them as an option on their 26C... had tabs that went in the stops provided for the pop top supports.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2003 : 11:52:54

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
looking forward to rigging the system that Buzz has discribed. The convienience of leaving the sail on the furler when traveling is interesting. Does anybody else do this?

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Ed - I am an inveterate lazy dog of a guy, and this character flaw often induces me to leave the sail on the furler when trailering to an "away" cruise destination. The only problem with doing this is that you must be very careful about how you secure the furler once the mast is down, so as to not risk damaging the sail. If the rolled up sail on the furler is in contact with anything else on the deck or the mast, it wouldn't take long for the vibration and bouncing of the triler going down the road to cause the sail to get chafed or torn on something. I have trailered all the way from Sacramento to Bellingham, WA, 900 miles each way, with the sail on the furler, but it was heavily wrapped with old worn out bath towels at every point of contact, and lashed to the mast at 4 points to prevent excess movement.

Larry Charlot
Catalina 25WK/TR Mk. IV #5857 "Quiet Time"
Folsom Lake, CA

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deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2003 : 13:11:19

There have been several good threads on this topic this year. Check Nokomis in Tech Topics for raising and lowering the mast forward. I have just built a gin pole rig as follows, and expect to use it for the first time next week to lower the mast at season's end before hauling.

I have built a tripod using two ten-foot sections of 1" galv steel electrical conduit. Both ends are flattened and the two pieces are through-bolted together at the top of the triangle, and bolted to small two-inch pipe sections that fit over the forward lower chainplates (shrouds removed). The two inch sections have through holes at an angle to attach them with bolts to the chainplates, and a second set of through holes to attach the lower ends of the tripod. The jib halyard clips onto the top of the triangle, which starts out angled forward toward the bow at 40 degrees to the horizontal. A long 3/8" dacron line runs from the top of the triangle down to a turning block at the bow and back to the genoa winches. Boom is long gone. Loosen rear lowers and uppers two turns, detach forestay at the stem fitting and lower mast into a cradle safely tied off to the stern rail. The cradle is ten feet tall (2X6x10')and has a rubber trailer wheel and 2x4 sections to hold the wheel. In theory the mast should slide down in between the 2x4's and nestle on the trailer wheel, which makes it easy to pull the mast forward once the base is released from the tabernacle.

I claim no originality for this setup--it came from the earlier thread and a Tech Tip which I can no longer find. I will photograph the system next week and report back on its effectiveness. The system should work solo, but first time through I will get help...

Dave on "Wood Duck" (#2616 - SR, FK)

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Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2003 : 14:03:15

As to the lateral movement or swaying of the mast, we use the main halyard as a stay. We wrap it around the stern pullpit once and tension it as needed.

Kip Casada

'90 C25 #6021
SR/WK

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IndyJim
Navigator

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USA
130 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2003 : 01:53:53

Ed,
Larry and I have something in common besides being C-25 skippers. I too leave the 150 Genoa on my furler when trailering. I never considered it lazy since thats the way the PO sold it to me. Of course it was wrapped and secured properly but I've never known or considered an alternative. I think it would just add time to my rigging when I arrive. And we all know how itchy you are to get it in the water after a long overland haul!
I also agree with Larry in that keeping it from chafing and avoiding the "road bounce" is important.

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2003 : 15:12:32

Jim, I guess you must use some sort of gin pole to help get the mast up. Any comments? Suggestions? As I mentioned earlier in the post, I was able to muscle the mast up with the help of the main sheet on the bow stem before the roller furler and especially before the furler with sail attached. We trailer about two times a year to more exotic sailing areas and having the head sail already to go does save valuable time.

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