missing mastjack handle?

[spierce666]

Greetings -

Excited new owner of a DSI 1966. From the manual: "You will find a brass rod called the mastjack handle taped to the centerboard handle. Place the mastjack handle in one of the holes in the big screw nut and with a counterclockwise motion, raise the mast just enough to take the slack out of the stays."

My mastjack handle is missing. Not sure what it looked like, was it just a simple brass rod? Brass rod with a handle? Can't seem to find a photo anywhere.

BTW, I don't have turnbuckles on any of the stays.

Advice welcome, thanks!

-Steve

[triathjohn]

Hi Steve
Congratulations on being a Daysailer owner.
I just bought my Daysailer in November and sailed it for the first time about a week ago. Mine is a DS 1 also but it has a keel-stepped mast. I have to pick it striaght up in the air and drop it down through a hole in the cabin top. In other words, it doesn't have any type of jack or jack handle. Do you know your hull number?

[GreenLake]

Congratulations, Steve!

Here's what to do. Get a round "nail punch" which will be about 4" long and have the right diameter to fit (the handle side!) into the holes of the circular bronze nut. It will be sturdy enough for the purpose.

Make sure you lubricate your nut well. Grease will make a mess, so use a wax - I use bicycle chain wax. Without lubrication, you will fight the friction, and won't tension your mast properly. About 4 tuirns from when the slack comes out of the stays should get you into the ball park.

That's what I do on my boat. (If you are prone to losing things, get two, and keep one in your car, so you can always take the mast down when you get back).

PS: if you look around, you can find answers to many of your questions - I just answered the same one yesterday, it seems.

Oh, I see, it's buried a bit. Read from here http://www.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=19343#19343

[GreenLake]

Mine is a DS 1 also but it has a keel-stepped mast. I have to pick it straight up in the air and drop it down through a hole in the cabin top. In other words, it doesn't have any type of jack or jack handle.

The mast jack is typical of older boats from the 60s. I wouldn't be surprised if Spindrift had changed over to some form of turnbuckles instead.

The mast-jack is just a threaded 1" diameter pin in the keelson that fits a round hole in the mast foot. A circular nut rides on the pin and you can raise the mast foot with it until you have the desired tension in your stays. Basic tension would let you strum some low bass note on the stays, more for higher winds.

[spierce666]

Here's what to do. Get a round "nail punch" which will be about 4" long and have the right diameter to fit (the handle side!) into the holes of the circular bronze nut. It will be sturdy enough for the purpose.

Thank you for the great practical advice - I won't worry about finding the original tool.

[GreenLake]

In the thread I linked, the other poster shows a picture of a home-built version of this tool.

[ctenidae]

I use an oil filter wrench on mine. I think the prior owner used something similar, as the "nut" was pretty chewed up around the edges.

[UCanoe_2]

That filter wrench looks like it could bite you!

My DS I came with a 5/16" x 4" stainless steel bolt for the mast jack handle. I keep it stowed when not in use with a plastic cable tie strapped around the mast.

[jpclowes]

I use a pipe wrench. But I also installed turnbuckles on the stays when I upgraded them a few years ago.