SOLO STEPPING ONE PIECE MAST?

[THOMAS BONTE]

I just bought a DSII with a Proctor tapered one-piece mast, a lovely thing. I was used to my dad's '76 DSII with a standard two-piece mast which I could step myself for solo launching and sailing. Any ideas here? Has anyone made a two-part mast from one of these? Sounds like an abomination, I know, but this is a reservoir boat and quick launches are important.

[ChrisB]

Thomas,

I have an DSII with a one piece mast and have always stepped it solo. I put the bottom end of the mast into the cuddy and lay the mast over the transom. Then, I get in the boat and lift the mast to vertical using the roof of the cuddy to hold the bottom of the mast down. With the mast vertical, I lean against the cuddy and place my hands on the mast as far apart as I can get them and lift the mast up and over the cuddy and slide it down into the opening in the cuddy roof. The biggest issue I've ever had is "seating" the mast onto the step fitting on the floor of the cuddy when I can't see it.

Some folks on this forum have added the mast tabernacle from DR Marine but I have not been able to bring myself to cut my mast

[Moose]

I have stepped my new mast alone. What I do is lay the mast over the boat athwart ships then stand up on the cuddy and stand the mast straight up with one end on the ground. Then lift (slowly) the mast so the bottom is on the rail and take a minute to rest. Then lift the bottom onto the cuddy top. During this I keep one hand way above my head and one as low as I can, standing with my knees slightly bent. After the top is on the cuddy, i give myself a second and then maneuver it into the partner and then try to line it up with the step. Then do the opposite to demast. Doing the same with two people makes things easier because one person can support the very bottom the whole time.

Keeping it straight up and down is key and holding it from the cuddy top puts you closer to the center and makes handling it easier.

Someone wrote an article on the process that I read once. Maybe someone knows where to find it?

I'm sure you could build some type of wooden mast stepping "machine" you could put on the cuddy top and strap the mast to use it to stand it up and then slide it down onto the mast step.

[THOMAS BONTE]

Thanks, I now see that this is 'doable..' Next question is what is supposed to be in the cuddy? My boat was not sailed by the previous owner so I think there is something missing. There is a stanless steel plate with the edges bent up and holes all along ths sides.... two removable pins also. There is nothing on the bottom of the maist (it's just open) and there are wear marks between the edges of the plate and the pins, which seem to 'box' in the bottom of the mast. But there is no positive connection between the bottom of the mast and the bottom of the cuddy. I do believe in gravity but I would hate to have the mast pop out of there and tear apart the boat, bend the mast, etc... I have thought of putting in a third pin through the mast so it is secured to the plate. Thoughts?

[ChrisB]

It sounds like the mast step casting was broken or lost at some point and the previous owner jury-rigged a mast step fitting. The mast step casting on my boat looks like the one DR Marine sells:

http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DS207

The casting is screwed into the support under the cuddy floor. There is no fastener to hold the mast onto the mast step casting. The casting slips inside the mast about an inch and even if you turned the boat upside down the shrouds would hold the mast in place.

[GreenLake]

Without a picture I cannot really visualize your mast step. But however it's configured, the function of a mast step is to fix the mast horizontally as well as supporting it from below.

You are not relying on gravity to hold the mast down, but on the substantial tension in your shrouds and forestay. That would explain the lack of a "positive connection" you see.

As for raising a mast, there's a very simple contraption that you could add that would allow you to tip the mast. It's a hinged sleeve.



It fixes the foot of the mast while you tip it up and, being a sleeve, lets the mast slide down to the cuddy floor once it's vertical.

The steps to raise the mast are similar to what Moose describes, but instead of pulling the mast up from above, I push it up standing in the cockpit. There's also never the part where the mast is held up only by me, because one end is always contained in the sleeve.

I also experimented with a tripod. That may be overkill, but it gives even more positive control when I'm on awkwardly tilted ground or exhausted after a long cruise.

The link leads to a description that also has drawings of the sleeve and photos of the whole thing in action.

[THOMAS BONTE]

Thanks, Chris, that confirms my suspicion that there's something hinky in my cuddy. I ordered one of those 'feet' from D&R. I just might be that the downard pressure of the mast will keep it in the little 'box' and that the PPO had no problem with it but I don't have any way to find out. This is part of what makes sailing so interesting! Your description of the way it is 'supposed to be' has been very helpful. TB

[THOMAS BONTE]

Attn: Greenlake: Your hinged mast sleeve is a real genius item, go get a patent attorney QUCK and retire to your DS!

[dtrop01]

If you have a proctor mast, the casting from D&R most likely will not work. I believe you need to follow a process something like:

1. Determine which proctor mast section you have
2. Procure the proper mast base for that section

Annapolis Performance Sailing can probably help you out in both of these cases if you give them a call.

Once you have the proper mast base, you should be able to use the existing mast step, locating the pins at the appropriate distance apart to fit the mast base, and to achieve the desired location (that's a discussion for another thread as it all relates mast rake, mast bend, and rig tension).

I use that same channel configuration you describe with my Ballenger Spar.

Given that you might have what could be termed a desirable proctor mast, I would strongly recommend that you not cut the mast to put in a hinge. If you still want to go that route, find a racer that wants to buy that mast, then procure another mast..perhaps a straight section mast.

Getting back to your issue of stepping the mast solo. You'll find with a bit of practice that it really is not a big deal with a proctor mast to step it. It's all about finding the balance point. For example, I generally stand on top of the cuddy and with the mast relatively horizontal, grasp the mast a bit above the spreaders, I then start lifting the mast to bring it to a vertical position...ultimately standing the mast vertical along side the boat (yes, I'm a bit off to one side of the partners) I then lift straight up, move over the partners and drop it in.

Best of Luck,

Don Trop
#2835
Killer Tomato

[jdubes]

Thomas,

The biggest issue I've ever had is "seating" the mast onto the step fitting on the floor of the cuddy when I can't see it.

Some folks on this forum have added the mast tabernacle from DR Marine but I have not been able to bring myself to cut my mast

Hey ChrisB

I have the exact same process. The one thing i've done to a past DSI to get beyond this issue, is to drill 1/4 to 1/2 inch hole in the cuddy to the left of the mast hole. This allows you to look through and down to align the mast to the mast step. I then touched up the rough edges on the hole with epoxy and found a rubber grommet to place in the hole. Works like a charm. Solo raising is no longer a challenge. Comes in REAL handy when you're raising the mast in an area that's not level. I launch my boat in many different locations.

[GreenLake]

Attn: Greenlake: Your hinged mast sleeve is a real genius item, go get a patent attorney QUCK and retire to your DS!

Alas, the invention was by an unknown previous owner!

Only after reading here on the forum about the troubles people had stepping their masts did I appreciate the effectiveness of that rather crude-looking contraption.

[ctenidae]

Attn: Greenlake: Your hinged mast sleeve is a real genius item, go get a patent attorney QUCK and retire to your DS!

I agree- brilliant idea. If I trailered mine, I'd install one.

I did make a fiberglass sleeve that I attached to the cuddy ceiling to help guide the mast straight down to the pin- worked this spring. I'll let you know again next spring if it's helpful...

[GreenLake]

The forces that the mast creates on an aligning sleeve under the cuddy roof should be considerable because it is such a long lever. So I hope you braced it well, for example by having short triangle-like buttresses in all 4 directions...

(The mast raising sleeve on my boat is hinged, and the hinge allows a bit of sideways twisting as well, that's why I haven't been able to shear it off yet).

If I step the mast often enough, I find, I can pinpoint the "pin" which forms my maststep, on the first try by "blindly" lowering the mast at the correct angle.

Usually though, I have crew or a bystander give me pointers.

[Baysailer]

My mast isn't tapered and is no problem with using the lift and drop method, similar to what Chris noted to step it unless it's blowing twenty and there's an expensive SUV next to me.

For a while I was feeling pretty cocky hitting the mast jack (DS 1) right off but lately my blindfolded dart game has gotten worse. Possibly because I'm not always real good at putting it on the trailer level.

I've tried mirrors and moving the mast back and forth to feel for the post and of course the time honored method of flagging down some kid on a bicycle. I was contemplating putting in a tube from the floor to the cuddy roof to help guide it down but I like Jasons viewfinder idea better. Just need to figure where and how big.

Fred

[ctenidae]

Usually though, I have crew or a bystander give me pointers.

And those pointers are always so helpful, aren't they? "In more," "Move over," "You're close" are always so informative...

I didn't butress the sleeve, though frequent stepping would probably make that a good idea. It gave just enough alignment that the mast pretty much slid right on to the pin. It certainly wouldn't keep the mast from going way off center without snapping off or cracking the cuddy top.