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TAKING DOWN THE MAST

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collinz88
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/02/2003 : 14:17:15

Just purchased a 1985 catalina 25 swing keel. must trailer it on a rented trailer & take it 200 miles to its new home in punta gorda florida. PLEASE how do i take the boom & mast down/put it up? how many persons needed? can anyone give me a step by step process? start in the cockpit or at the bow? will a two wheel drive pick-up handle it off the public boat ramp, or do you need a bigger truck, or have it lifted out by crane???

steve

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 15:42:07

The following are hyperlinks to discussions of the subject recently on the forum. There should be more discussions in the archives. There are other ways of raising and lowering the mast.

C:My DocumentsPersonalC-25 -250 MessagesMast & BoomRaising Mast.htm
C:My DocumentsPersonalC-25 -250 MessagesMast & BoomMast Raising.htm

There is a simple method that relies on muscle power, rather than mechanical systems. In the future, you might wish to obtain a mechanical system that will enable you to raise the mast without the help of so many people. Some examples of those systems are described in the Tech Tips section of this web site.

Before raising the mast, check to be sure that the headstay, backstay and upper stays are attached to the top of the mast, and that the forward and aft lower shrouds are attached to the mast, approximately at the spreaders. The other end of the backstay should be attached to the boat’s transom, and the aft lower shrouds should be attached to the aft chainplate fittings. If your boat has a backstay adjuster, you should adjust it out all the way.

Untangle all the shrouds and stays, and organize them so that they will move freely, without tangling, when you begin to raise the mast.
Attach a 3/8” line to the shackle on the jib halliard. Be sure that the other end of the jib halliard is attached to the cleat that is situated on the port side of the mast, below the jib sheet winch. (This line will be used as a safety line while the mast is being raised.)

You will need about four people to raise the mast. (Three can do it, if they have strong backs and know what they are doing. Personally, I try to have five available, in case we encounter an unexpected snag.) Before we begin to raise the mast, I always tell everyone that, if the mast gets away from us and starts to fall, don’t try to catch it. Just let it go. (Insurance will repair damage to the boat, but it can’t always completely repair injuries to people.)
Two strong people should be placed in the boat’s cockpit, and one strong person should be placed on the forward deck of the boat. A fourth person should be standing on the dock, at the bow of the boat. The three strong people should lift the mast off the bow and stern pulpits, and carry it aft, until the base of the mast is above the mast tabernacle. The person on the forward deck of the boat should remove the large bolt, wing nut and washers from the mast tabernacle, place the base of the mast into the mast tabernacle, put the bolt through the mast tabernacle and the mast, and replace the washers and the wing nut, tightening the wing nut only loosely.
The person who is standing on the dock at the bow of the boat should take hold of the safety line that is attached to the jib halliard, wrap it once around the bow pulpit, and take in the slack in the line.

The two people who are in the cockpit should lift the mast as high as they can, and walk to the forward end of the cockpit. While one of them holds it up, the other should climb up onto the coach roof. Then, the two people who are on the coach roof should raise the mast, slowly and smoothly. While they are raising the mast, the person at the bow should continue taking in the slack of the safety line. When the mast gets up to about a 45 deg. angle, the people raising it are tempted to push it up quickly the rest of the way. Resist that temptation. Instead, stop briefly and check to see that none of the shrouds or stays are snagged or tangled on anything. When you are sure they are free, push the mast up the rest of the way. While two people are holding the mast in place, the person holding the safety line should cleat the safety line to one of the bow cleats. After the safety line is secured to a bow cleat, the people holding the mast can relax.

Finally, you should attach the headstay to the fitting on the boat’s bow, and attach the forward lower stays and the upper shrouds to the appropriate chainplate fittings, and adjust them snugly enough to keep the mast from swaying excessively, until you can tune them properly. Don’t forget to use lock washers on both ends of each turnbuckle.

Use the reverse of this procedure to lower the mast.

Edited by - on

deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2003 : 21:19:30

Try the following thread:

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4511&SearchTerms=Mast,raising,and,lowering

or do a search for "Mast raising and lowering".

Last week I built the tripod referred to in the thread above. I also built a cradle to receive the mast at the stern. The system worked flawlessly. I had a helper steady the mast as I lowered it, but the help really was not necessary. The mast came down slowly and effortlessly and ended up in the cradle which I had tied to the stern rail.

The system Steve refers to works fine too, but lowers the mast toward the bow. I prefer lowering toward the stern, just a matter of personal choice. Also, with the mast cradled above the stern, two thirds of the mast is still on board, so there's no risk of losing control of the mast overboard when you unbolt it from the tabernacle.

BTW, welcome aboard! You will love your C25--she is a great small boat with large boat pretensions.

Edited by - on

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2003 : 10:26:04

Hi Steve,

First, Congratulations on the "new" boat. You already have some good advice regarding taking the mast down. I have a couple of thoughts regarding the actual transporting of your boat.
First, don't take the shrouds and stays off the mast. In fact, I wouldn't unfasten any more wires than I had to from either the mast or the chainplates. I like to lower over the transom, so I unfasten the two forward lower shrouds and the forestay. Leaving the rest of the standing rigging attached makes raising the mast easier and quicker at the other end of the trip.
Second, I secure the mast to the bow pulpit and to one corner of the stern rail. This angle allows for easier entry to the cabin through the main hatch than if the mast is straight down the centerline.
Third, use duct tape to secure the shrouds and stays to the mast while trailering. Put the tape on stickey side out. This will hold the rigging just fine and not leave stickey stuff on the mast.
Fourth, place a fender or a throwable cushion between the cabin top and the middle of the mast (around the spreaders) to keep the mast from flexing as you drive down the road.
And fifth, of course, secure both ends of the mast to the SS rails (bow pulpit and stern rail) with at least 1/4" line or with duct tape....or both.
Finally, stop and inspect your boat and rig regularly as you drive along. I remember very well arriving at a marina for a weekend regatta 100 miles from home only to discover that my forestay had come loose sometime -dragging on the highway behind the boat- and was completely shredded for about 8 feet up from the stem turnbuckle. Trolling for cars is a bad idea.

And, as to your question regarding towing vehicle. You need to be more specific in describing your "two wheel drive" pickup. If you mean a Ford F350, no problem. If you mean a 15 year old Toyota, NO WAY. You will be towing somewhere around 7,000 lbs. Maybe more than this if there is gear, sails, spare parts, fuel, water, etc in the boat. A towing rating of 10,000 lbs would not be uncalled for. If your two wheel drive pickup doesn't have at least a 7,500 lb tow rating, I'd say rent a bigger one. The rental will be a lot less expensive than replacing a transmission or engine.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2003 : 10:54:03

As always, good thoughts from Bill. Reading his comments reminded me:

Start now to constitute your "spare parts" kit. You should start it out by including spare turnbuckles, cotter pins (I personally find the split ring ones easiest to work with) and clevis pins.

Also, it is not a bad idea to use red nail polish to mark the screw threads where they normally sit on the turnbuckles when all is pretty much set up and tuned. Saves time when raising the mast.

Bill is right on the towing. Who said that about a "hole in the water"? What about a "hole in the ground"? You buy, let's say, a ten thousand dollar boat and end up buying a five thousand dollar trailer and a thirty thousand dollar pickup, and you've not even got the keel wet yet...

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2003 : 11:13:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by deastburn
 Start now to constitute your "spare parts" kit. You should start it out by including spare turnbuckles, cotter pins (I personally find the split ring ones easiest to work with) and clevis pins.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Man are you ever right! I had not had a boat in over 10 years. My nut and bolt chest in my shed had a few SS gems left but most had dissappeared over the years. I am now starting to get a few spares built up. I am very impressed with Lowes SS inventory, (Home Depot's sucks). Bottom line is buy extras anytime you buy anything. I am now looking for the perfect drawer organizer and perfect tool box and perfect parts organizer to keep on the boat. How are people using the space they have to make sure they have what the need and nothing extra?

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2003 : 11:45:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I am now looking for the perfect drawer organizer and perfect tool box and perfect parts organizer to keep on the boat. How are people using the space they have to make sure they have what the need and nothing extra?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I use an old medium sized tackle box on the boat to hold things like tools, spare lamps, fuses, nuts, bolts, washers, clevis pins, shackles,...etc. The small compartments keeps things nicely organized.

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deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 10:40:05

I have a nine-dollar Home Depot tool box with dedicated tools and spares for the boat. It lives right under the companionway steps, so is accessible at a moment's notice. None of the tools ever make it to land (that is an indispensable discipline--otherwise the tool you most need at any given moment is usually back in the garage/tool shed).

One other thought: When I go sailing, I always have in my pocket, attached to my belt by a three-foot long line, a sailor's knife (sharp serrated blade, awl, key for the cleanouts etc.). You never know when you may need to cut a jammed line at a moment's notice, or use the awl to ease a fouled line, etc. etc.

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