Association Forum - Lowering/raising The Mast With A Furler

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

Lowering/raising The Mast With A Furler

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

At Ease
Admiral

Member Avatar

672 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/23/2004 : 11:05:21

I have been wading thru "Search" for a while, and cannot find the thread expaining how to lower and raise the mast that has a furler. If some smart guy or gal would put that in here I would be most grateful. Thanks.

Edited by - on

Ed Montague
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 13:26:02

Last year, at about this time, we added a furler to our C25. The first time raising the mast was without the sail attached and it was a pretty good hump to get the mast up using our traditional method of just muscle and the main sheet at the bow. The next time raising the mast/furler/with sail, was at San Pedro getting ready to sail to Catalina Island. We (my wife and I) huffed and puffed and just barely got the rig up. All the extra weight from the furler and sail makes our old method really impossible. We added an A-frame to our system and now we are once again able to raise the mast. In fact it is even easier now then before the furler was installed. Chech the archives, this issue has been well covered.

As for trailering with the furler and sail left on the mast, I make sure that the sail is well tied, line wrapped around from top to bottom, and for our trip to Portland and beyond in July I intend to cover the leading or underside of the furler drum with some sort of bag to protect it from all the nasty little bugs that get caught/squished on it.

For your search type in A-frame or mast crutch. Also check the tech section.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 19:03:11

I don't know much about trailor sailing, but my furler (old CDI) allows the jib to be hoisted, lowered and/or removed while the mast is up. Raising the mast before hoisting the jib would keep a little of the weight down.

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

Members Avatar

672 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 19:52:56

Thanks for the input. I'm in the process of selling the boat, and want to be able to safely get the mast down for transport...and tell the new owner how to raise it. The boat has been in a wet slip for the four years I have owned her, so this will be a new experience.

Edited by - on

gnorgan
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
563 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 19:57:03

I agree with Richard. The furling headsail is never on when raising or lowering to reduce weight. We have a tall rig so this is a must. Then just make sure the furler drum is on deck and doesn't catch on anything when using an A frame to raise and lower the mast. Using the A frame makes it a very easy job. We use the jib halyard, which is not used for the sail but is used to raise/lower our self-made jib/genoa sock, as a line from the top of the mast to a heavy ring at the top of the A frame. Cleat the halyard off on deck to keep it from "letting go". We then use the trailer cable and winch, led through the anchor roller to the top of the A frame, to raise the mast. Usually my wife cranks on the winch and I steady the mast as it goes up or down. I'm also on the boat so I need to help move the furling system forward toward the bow of the boat as the mast is raised.
When the mast is up, pin the forstay and you're done. Lowering the mast is the reverse except I need to push the mast backwards and steady it all the way down to the extended mast crutch (a Mast Up system on the stern).
Go slow and steady and maybe have someone help steady it and it should go smoothly.
BTW, you can always just stop cranking if you need to stop and free up stays or lines that get caught.
If you raise/lower the mast on the boat then you can use your mainsheet and blocks, led through the bow roller instead. I've done that but since the boat is in the water it can rock back and forth a bit so you really need to hold still as it goes up.

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

Members Avatar

318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 21:01:21

We, Donna and I , do ours with the boat on the trailer before launch or after loading. We use the trailer winch with a strap and a cross bar on the bow pulpit as a turning block( also gets the bow light back to a less vulnerable position). I made a plywood piece with cheeks to stand on the stern rail and the traveler about 5 ft. above the cockpit seats. It has a roller on top. I put the mast on the roller from the travel position( stern rail support, mast step support, and bow rail), walk it back until the pin can be put through the step and mast, hook the winch strap to the furler clevis pin, and then Donna cranks the winch and up it comes. I just steady it particularly at the begining to avoid side movement. Also today while rigging a customers boat with the same set up realized that a small line across from one lifeline to the other at the aft stantions with the shroud wires above it would eliminate the tendency of the wires to get hung up on the winches and the cabins side snaps. In any case we do the whole thing several times a year with no strain on either of us. The stand and roller take most of the work out of stepping the mast because I can move the mast into position by myself and the height of the roller means that there is enough angle between the mast and the headstay/furler(CDI FF-4) that no strut or A-frame is necessary. Less stuff to carry around with us. Dave

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2004 : 23:46:39

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

Members Avatar

318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2004 : 16:25:58

Yes like that, But I don't normally unship the rudder with mine it just clips to the pulpit and traveler. Also that one looks like it would be dificult to reach when putting the mast on it. Too tall maybe. Does the designer/builder of this rig find it springy? The pole looks thin. Dave

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2004 : 19:53:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Laux
 Yes like that, But I don't normally unship the rudder with mine it just clips to the pulpit and traveler. Also that one looks like it would be dificult to reach when putting the mast on it. Too tall maybe. Does the designer/builder of this rig find it springy? The pole looks thin. Dave
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The pole telescopes to the position you see it, we carry the mast in it then raise the unit with the mast in it. I am a believer in unshipping the rudder because of bugs and the possible wind vane effect. AND because I bought the mast-up that goes in the gudgeons.
I use a second one at the bow, with both adjusted I drape my winter tarp over them.

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

Members Avatar

318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2004 : 20:19:30

All right, that looks great, Do you have to deal with snow loads, guess you do that looks like KA for registration. I assume that KA is not in the deep south. I had a thought the other day that pipe insulation slipped over the life lines would reduce chaff on the cover and particularly the tendency of the stantion ends to come through. What are the support tubes made of? Dave

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2004 : 00:25:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Laux
 All right, that looks great, Do you have to deal with snow loads, guess you do that looks like KA for registration. I assume that KA is not in the deep south. I had a thought the other day that pipe insulation slipped over the life lines would reduce chaff on the cover and particularly the tendency of the stantion ends to come through. What are the support tubes made of? Dave
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
KA Kansas
The Mast-ups are steel, I use a 4x4 plastic fence post for a center support.

I take my spreaders off and the slope handles the snow, a black cover helps too. The primary reason for all of it is so I can work on the boat under the tarp.

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

Members Avatar

318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2004 : 18:18:58

Ok , you see where the stantions are on your cover. I think that if you put foam pipe insulation on the life lines that those pressure points will disappear. If the wind really gets up around here they will tear through. Dave

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.