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mast raising reassurance

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dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/06/2004 : 11:59:26

i was looking thru the "sail" magazine,dec 04 and found on page 51 the answer to the dreaded question that has been appearing on this site.

it is the new boatnews and shows a Viva 32 using a mast up system with roller furling for a headsail.

having a harken rigid furler foil i can see that this could work and i am going to try next year when i raise the mast.

this boat owner used the same process of an "a" frame.
he took it further and added a powered winch for control.

i will be happy with the manual winch.

i will not use the light weight emt conduit.
going with the rigid but reducing to 3/4"dia.
i have studied this carefully and am ready to go.

whoever controls the outside thremostat could turn it up and fast forward to 4/1/05 and i would be happy. even though our forcast calls for a high of 68 today.

the photo was just what i needed to convince myself that you can fasten the furler to the "a" frame and lift.
one less problem to worry about.
once the mast is erect i will use another halyard to tie off to place the furler in place

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
waiting for spring 05 on the hard
carlyle lake in southern illinois

Edited by - on

TRogers
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 12/06/2004 : 13:16:03

Why not just attach the halyard to the a-frame in the first place to use for lifting? Seems like one less steps to me while mast is in an awkward unsecured position.

If you attach the forestay/furler to the a-frame it seems the process would then be:

1. Attach furler to a-frame.
2. Raise mast
3. Tie off with halyard
4. Disconnect furler from a-frame.
5. Re-attach furler to bow.
6. Disconnect halyard (after attaching all other shrouds of course).

Raising with halyard steps would be:

1. Attach halyard to a-frame (make sure it is tied off on other end).
2. Raise mast
3. Attach furler/forestay to bow.
4. Disconnect halyard (after attaching all other shrouds of course).

Am I forgetting something important?

I lowered my mast this fall for the first time using the halyard and A-frame. Other than typical first-time jitters, it went fairly smooth.

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 00:22:31

Hey, I don't have a roller furler, making things a triffle easier. I raised the mast and set the lights by myself. One thing though I nearly lost my life in the drive way. I thought I'm not sailing no need for the froward shrouds. I lost my step and grabbed guess what. Almost went overboard before catching myself.

no reef points in, but I do have the storm jib set.

Edited by - MattL on 12/07/2004 00:27:31

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 12:40:14

hey trodgers
the intent is to sturdy the furler.
otherwise someone has to keep the furler straight so i don't get kinks in the foil joints.
this is a task all on it's own.

i thought by having the furler tensioned i eliminate that risk.
i don't think it's that bad considering i don't have probable damage to the furler.

if you disagree, convince me there is a better way to handle the furler without adding another person.
that's what this board is about.

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tre
hard and dry
carlyle lake in southern illinois

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 17:38:13

We do our with a CDI furler this way. Will work with any furler. I have a cross bar on the pupit about 6 inches behind the forward end. The winch strap comes up through that and attaches to the furler( headstay) lower pin. The mast is pinned to the step and resting on a roller that is supported on the stern about head high standing on the seats. Donna cranks the trailer winch. I steady the mast to prevent side ways movement at the start. The mast goes up no strain, no A-frame, furler supported. I clip in one forward lower or attach a halyard to the pulpit and its all over. The latest inovation is a shock cord from one lifeline stantion to the other at the back of the cabin with all the stays and halyards above it. This keeps stuff from hanging up on the snaps and all on the cabin side. Dave

Edited by - on

Jack Heaston
1st Mate

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48 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2004 : 19:10:30

Hi Dave
IMHO, one might reconsider using the 3/4" HD galvanized electrical conduit. Our A-frame uses the 1" size and for no more than it costs or weighs, it does offer additional assurance that the conduit won't collapse if something goes amiss. The 1" conduit ignored my attempts to flatten it, so the local machine shop flattened and bent the ends and drilled the holes. I have singlehanded the mast up and down several times with the A-frame and it works great. However, I do not have a furler to worry about.
Regardless of your choice, best of luck with the boat.
Jack '83 SR/FK 3944 "Ragact"

Edited by - on

TRogers
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 17:58:11

Hi Dave,

Interesting, had not considered the issue of "kinking" the foil as the mast is raised.

The foil on my CDI furler seems to be at least semi-rigid (or semi flexible depending on how you look at it) so I haven't thought about this. Maybe I should? Are some of the foils on furlers more flexible?

Edited by - on

TRogers
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 18:10:34

Dave,

Just reread your original post and noticed you indicated something about "joints" in your furler's foil? Is the Harken foil made of multiple pieces?

The foil on my CDI furler is one long continues piece that is fairly rigid/supportive although I could see how it could get in the way during raising if I used the halyard to lift.

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 19:12:20

Tom,
Most furlers other than CDI and some new Schaefer furlers are made of aluminum and very subject to kinking at the joints between the sections. Its particularly a problem during mast raising cause anything that causes the furler to catch on the deck acts to compress its length and kink the joints. Its not a good arrangement but thats the way they are. I took one of these off our boat and sold it and put a CDI FF-4 in its place. Dave

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2004 : 19:42:28

Dave, I owned a Harken for years on my Merit 25 and never even gave the foil a second thought. Of course you are careful with it but I trailed my Merit every season and to several out of state races and it just wasn't a factor. Harkens are strong. It might be a bigger issue with a longer forestay on a bigger boat. Here is the same furler 17 years later and It still gets pulled at least annually, look'n pretty good.

Edited by - on

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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.