A Mast Raising Question From A Beginner

[Guest]

Since buying my 81 Spindrift Daysailor I, I have raised my deck mounted mast in the following manner. If this is wrong or backward, please someone set me
straight. I had no instructions or example to follow.
1. I have the mast horitzontal, with the base of the
mast toward the bow.
2. I walk the mast backward, and line it up with the
tabernacle.
3. My wife puts in the rear pin and secures it
4. I raise the mast, by standing in the bottom of
the boat straddling the centerboard housing
5. My wife secures the front pin
6. I then continue holding the mast steady
7. The port stay is then secuerd.
8. The bow stay is secured
9. The starboard stay is secured
10. I then release my hold on the mast.
Is this the correct sequence, I am very left-handed
and tend to do everything butt-backward. Thanks in
advance.


David Riley (driley-at-ngc.edu)

[Guest]

Essentially you have it right. Attach the port and starboard shrouds before you raise the mast. This will help staedy the mast as you raise it. Do not put the forward pin in. Just hold the mast upright while your wife attaches the head stay. Putting the front pin in puts stress on the fitting and deck as the mast moves forward and aft.

Roger Livingston (rnlivingston-at-tccsecure.com)

[Guest]

Thank you Roger, one further question, are the port
and starboard stays long enough to attach ahead of time to allow the mast to be raised with them? And
then, according to the method you prescribe, the last
thing you would do would be to attach the forward pin
on the tabernacle, is that correct?

David Riley (driley-at-ngc.edu)

[Guest]

I have had my boat (with a deck-stepped mast) for 3 years and I have never detached the port and starboard stays! You should be able to move the mast forward for trailering and backward for raising with these attached. My sequence is similar to yours, with one exception: standing in the cockpit (boat on trailer) I move the mast backward until the base is lined up with the tabernacle on the deck. Then I secure the rear pin in the tabernacle. Then I lift the mast and my partner secures the forestay. Good Luck and good sailing!

Heike Saynisch (heikes-at-tds.net)

[Guest]

May I add that I have found it really important to launch the boat before stepping the mast and unstepping it before I haul the boat. This is assuming that a sandy beach is in the proximity. I stumbled upon this method as my club entails a sandy beach with an overhead hoist. You back the vehicle to the edge of the concfrete pad and hoist the boat and pivot the hoist. You never get the trailer tires wet or risk getting stuck in the sand. I may have a substandard strailer setup....but I found that mast handeling while the boat was on the trailer entailed soo much movement from me walking around on the boat. I had real close calls of nearly loosing the mast sideways. I pull the bow of the boat up on the sand just enough to prevent any movement. HAving the boat rowck solid.......and not having to worry about falling off from a height makes it 10 times easier. If a sandy beach isnt at the ramp..........I would suggest motoring or paddling a distance to use one in the correct condition. Remeber, the guys giving advice here are usually acomplished, you dont hear about the guy who drops the mast overboard or has a fall. I know I have come close.

Harris (hg-at-myhost.com)

[Roger]

You can actually remove some of the aforementioned steps and replace them with good planning. My wife is not a sailor, and she has never volunteered, nor have I successfully coerced her into helping me raise the past. This is a task that I have done alone in about 15 to 20 minutes. As indicated, with the shrouds port and starboard always attached, slide the mast back so that the rear pin lines up in the tabernacle, and insert it. This task is easier if you can rest the back of the mast in a mast support through the gudgeons. Attach a 6 foot line between the head end of the jib halyard (where it usually attaches to the sail) and the stemhead, and grasp the other end of the halyard tail in one hand taking up the slack, as you walk the mast up with the other hand. When it is upright, cleat the halyard, (which will hold the mast in place), insert the forward tabernacle pin, and go to the bow and attach the forestay to the stemhead. Release the halyard and remove the short bit of line you used to extend it. (Reverse the process to walk the mast down into the rear mast support before trailering, then taking the mast off the tabernacle, I slide it forward to rest it in a crutch above the trailer winch. I tie it down in both crutches if trailering any distance, but over winter, I use the mast as a ridge pole for a tarp that covers everything. I, unlike the immediately previous writer, raise the mast while the boat is still on the trailer, but my situation allows me to keep the mast up all season as there are no overhead wires between the boat compound and the ramp area. I do keep the tiedown strap tightly cinched amidship during this operation, even though it is a tripping hazard. I also suspect that a side wind may hamper the above steps when working alone, but surprisingly, it is easier to do than it sounds, and the shrouds do keep the mast fairly well in line the higher it is raised, when it matters most. The trickiest part of using this method, is making sure no lines end up on the wrong side of any rigging aloft. Spinnaker and main halyards are particularly tricky if wound around each other or the wrong side of the spreaders higher than you can reach.

Hope this helps.

[Guest]

I sincerely appreciate all the advice you guys have given thus far. My wife, wants to learn everything, so she is a very willing helper. We only put up the mast just prior to backing up to the ramp. We keep the main strap extra tight, and thus far it keeps the boat from moving while raising the mast. After the trailer is back down the ramp, yet not hitting water, then we take off the strap. On Lake Jocasse, there aren't any trees or powerlines to worry about while raising the mast which helps. Thanks again.

David Riley (driley-at-ngc.edu)

[Bob Hunkins]

The boat ought to be stable enough on it's trailer to let you walk around on it to raise the mast. If it's not, I'd seriously consider looking at the trailer setup, it may not be balanced correctly and not have the correct tongue weight. If there is some side to side rocking that goes on, make sure that the tie down straps are secured; that should keep the boat stable. With a deck stepped mast, it's simple to raise it. as has been describe on this site often. It's actually pretty simple to step a keep stepped mast as well, the key is to keep it in column, which two people can easily do, and don't let the mast act as a big lever on your arms.

[Guest]

Thanks Bob, good advice. I only raise the mast while
on the trailer, before backing down the ramp. I keep the tie strap real tight, and the boat never wiggles or moves.

David Riley (driley-at-ngc.edu)