Association Forum - Dropping 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

Dropping the mast....

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

parmitage
Deckhand

Member Avatar

6 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/07/2004 : 10:38:35

Hi, I'm a new Catalina 25 owner. Yesterday, while replacing the main and jib halyards, I lost the main halyard and had to go up the mast to rerun it through the sheaves. It wasn't the most enjoyable experience as I only had the jib halyard and I really didn't trust my newly swaged fitting (not to mention high wind and my wife stepping to the side of boat). I was wondering if anyone could explain the easiest way to drop and step the mast. Can I do it myself or will I need to take it to a boatyard?

Thanks,
Paul

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2004 : 11:15:39

Welcome to the group, Paul. You'll find a whole bunch of information on this topic if you to a search on A-Frame, or mast raising and lowering. I use the A-Frame system myself, found in the Technical Tips section of this website. Without a doubt you will also get lots of great advice from the folks on this board. I know I do! :o)

Edited by - on

falco_esq
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2004 : 12:52:16

I have raised and lowered the mast with as little as two people. If you have four, it goes up easy as pie. If you read the owners manual locared here: http://www.catalina25-250.org/manbro/om79.html then you can just follw the irections under "Stepping the Mast' It is under Brocures and Manuals at the beginning of this sight. The key is not allowing the mast to sway left or right so you don't break it off. Of course, you can also do the A frame thing, which is all over this site.

Good luck.

Jason

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by parmitage
 Hi, I'm a new Catalina 25 owner. Yesterday, while replacing the main and jib halyards, I lost the main halyard and had to go up the mast to rerun it through the sheaves. It wasn't the most enjoyable experience as I only had the jib halyard and I really didn't trust my newly swaged fitting (not to mention high wind and my wife stepping to the side of boat). I was wondering if anyone could explain the easiest way to drop and step the mast. Can I do it myself or will I need to take it to a boatyard?

Thanks,
Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2004 : 13:06:02

I don't use the A frame idea, although it's no doubt useful. I use a gin pole. No photos, sorry. It has a U-shaped plywood end that fits over the front of the mast about 2 feet up from the bottom. I tie it to cleats so it can't slide. The plywood base has an 8' piece of electrical conduit attached to it (embedded/epoxied/sscrewed) so it sticks out perpendicular to the mast...flatten the end, drill, and attach a simple shackle of any kind.

Attach the jib halyard to the shackle and cleat the end to the mast to support the gin pole at a 90 degree angle to the mast. Then, I use a boom vang with a long line....or the main sheet assembly (detached from the boat/boom) to go from the shackle to the stem....probably where your jib hanks on. When it is in position and tightened, it becomes your temporary forestay.

Then, loosen and detach the forward lowers, then the forestay itself. One person can be at the mast base, one on the boom-vang assembly to easily lower it backwards (most easily into a "Mast-up" (see Catalina Direct catalogue) or some kind of crutch on the transom. 6' to 8' up is good for the crutch. You needn't mess with the upper, nor aft lower shrouds; in fact, I wouldn't, as they give some lateral control as the mast comes down. The multi-purchase of the boom vang or main sheet will allow the person on the bow to control the rate of descent, or assent when it goes back up later, as well as most all of the weight.

This has worked very well for me, and is much easier than my old method of manually supporting the weight of the mast and using the vang to the jib halyard without the gin pole....

I have done 3 or 4 mast raisings this spring with various friends. The only time it was tricky was on the last boat with a roller furler. The added weight of the sail aloft had me wondering if the A frame might have been a better option. I use the gin pole because it is simpler and has less hardware to store and move about than the A frame method.....

Hope this makes some sense.....pictures would have helped, I think....Get some experienced help...if it exists, in your area. the first time. It gets easier every time, but do NOT do it alone. Have at least the 2nd person to control the vang, you guide the mast...a third is good (esp. when going UP) to watch for tangles, snags in shrounds, etc.....If you don't catch a nasty twisted turnbuckle and apply too much pressure you can bend or break things. Go slowly and carefully, keep watching, and don't FORCE things.....

Gary B.
Vice Commodore.
s/v Encore! #685

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2004 : 13:28:41

An A Frame is great for raising and lowering the mast short-handed, but, two or three people can just walk the mast up and down without an A Frame. It usually takes three people for a tall rig and two for a standard rig. I just round up a couple sailors on the docks to put it up or take it down. It's quicker than messing with an A Frame.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2004 : 17:40:39

I have never seen a sailor refuse to help someone raise or lower their mast.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2004 : 08:16:57

And it's easier to lower the mast forward using the boom as a gin pole and the mainsheet as your tackle. . .

Brooke

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2004 : 11:33:13

Any technique is preferable to "dropping" the mast.

Val on Calista # 3936
Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2004 : 15:20:06

Val, don't quit your day job.

(for the uninitiated, Val only drops keels . . . )

Brooke

Edited by - Brooke Willson on 06/08/2004 15:20:42

frich
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
418 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2004 : 15:42:19

Paul

Where are you located? I will be raising my mast this comming thursday using the "A" Frame. I am on Long Island, New York. If close by you are welcome to borrow the apparatus.

Frank R

Edited by - on

parmitage
Deckhand

Members Avatar

6 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 14:22:39

Thanks for the offer Frank, but I'm about 2000 miles south of you in Texas.

Paul

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2004 : 23:36:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by parmitage
 Thanks for the offer Frank, but I'm about 2000 miles south of you in Texas.

Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi Paul,

Where are you in Texas?

BTW, welcome to the group!

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.