# Solo Mast Stepping System



## Kielanders (Dec 8, 2011)

I've been talking with a local machinist about putting together a solo stepping system.

I'm doing a full refit on my small boat, and still assembling the project list, prices, timing, etc; which is why I'm asking for input now.

Here's a link to a video of someone that has what appears to be a very slick self contained setup for the raising assembly, both on and off the water:






The big difference between my boat and hers, is that mine is more heavily rigged: 28' LOA, a 33' ~140 lb mast, 5/16" standing rigging.

I've a cache of bookmarks on various systems and setups I've found, but would like to get your thoughts.

Note:
I do try and search for previous threads on the subjects I post, but the advanced search function on Sailnet tends to give me non-relevant returns. So apologies if this subject was approached - just post a link to the other threads.

Thanks


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

Have you seen this one?





Dave posted lots of details of it over on the Catalina 25 owner's association. I made my own version of the A-frame and it worked great.


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## SailingJackson (Jan 1, 2011)

The system shown only addresses the most simple of the issues and should not be used in any sort of wind or with a larger mast. It looks fine, but might be a lot of gizmo for the problem. I used nothing more than a gin pole and a block that took a line back to the cockpit winch for that part. Avoids the need for a winch on the gin pole. Let's call this problem #1.

Problem #2 is that the mast has no lateral stability once it starts to come down. On a large mast the hinge at the base of the mast cannot possibly hold it against the forces of the wind or, worse yet, rolling of the boat if done while floating. The standard solution for #2 is to create a hinge point for side stays that is at the same altitude as the mast hinge point. That keeps tension on the side stays while the mast is being lowered. There are two common ways to do that. One is to cut the side stay and add a ring or other junction at the hinge point. Another is to create a turning block with a large radius, so the side stay can wrap around the turning block without kinking the stainless wire. In either case, the turning point needs to be tensioned forward as the mast tips back.

Problem #3 is where the mast ends up after it's down. Unless you have a really stubby mast or a catboat rig, the mast will normally end up resting on the back rail at a point forward of the center of gravity. That means that when the hinge at the base of the mast is disconnected, the step of the mast will want to go up, with the tip of the mast going down to the water or the pavement. The solution to this is to build a rest point further astern than the end of the boat. The mast will come down on that, resting at a point that is behind the center of gravity. On my mast support I put a rubber roller, like those used on boat trailers, on the frame at the point where the mast would come down on it. Once the mast was on it, I would disconnect the hinge at the base of the mast and walk it forward. The top part (now astern) was sitting on that rubber roller and made it easy to walk the mast forward to it's winter resting cradle rigged on the bow.

It took me a weekend to fabricate my single handed raise/lower system and few sessions to perfect it, but it really helped. I could to the complete job in less than a couple hours totally single handed and worked irrespective of whether it was windy or the boat was floating in a chop. Going up and going down was all totally controlled.

Before I built that system I followed the standard procedure of calling a few guys over to the marina and having several people who didn't really understand the dynamics pulling on lines and pulling off wires. They all had other things to do on the weekend and were in a hurry. I created my system after having a few near incidents, and watching others at the marina drop their masts on the pavement due to confusion and missed communications.


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## Rhys05 (Aug 22, 2012)

I would like to hear some good solutions as well. Currently using our spinnaker pole and mainsheet block and tackle to raise and lower our mast (as illustrated here: Mast Raising), but the set up is a pain and it is still a bit scary and can have problems. Going to be lowering the mast for the winter using this set up and two other people, which shouldn't be too bad, but I would like to get to the point where I can do it by myself easily. Looking forward to replies!

Edited to add: At the very least I intend to fabricate a better ginpole and retire the bracket and spinnaker pole part of the procedure.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

I can step a J24 mast keel stepped (70 pounds) with simple stuff and one hand tired behind my back 

The Cal 29 mast is about the same length and it is deck stepped BUT it is so freaking heavy and so much in the way for winter repairs I have the boat yard do it and store the mast there and take the boat home 

It is just the simplest way me to handle that boat


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

Ed and Ellen Zacko have the answer. I purchased their DVD, "Raise Your Mast ...Yourself" and am in the process of adapting it to our Islander 28.

An informative DVD about how to raise a deck stepped tabernacle mast

Down


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

My hunter 260 has a 35' mast that I can raise and lower myself.

The mast has struts on either side which run to the deck to keep it from twisting or swinging. 
It uses a gin pole which attaches into a hole on the mast. The jib halyard attaches to one side, the mainsheet attaches to the other and is run down to an attachment point in the anchor locker. You use the mainsheet to raise or lower the mast. Some people have modified things to use an electric winch.

Some diagrams:

The mast struts
descrip_47d.jpg

The system with gin pole
general_17c.jpg


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## Kielanders (Dec 8, 2011)

Sublime said:


> My hunter 260 has a 35' mast that I can raise and lower myself.
> 
> The mast has struts on either side which run to the deck to keep it from twisting or swinging.
> It uses a gin pole which attaches into a hole on the mast. The jib halyard attaches to one side, the mainsheet attaches to the other and is run down to an attachment point in the anchor locker. You use the mainsheet to raise or lower the mast. Some people have modified things to use an electric winch.
> ...


Looking at your engineering drawings; this is a Hunter designed system? Was the entire system sold by Hunter? Do the struts need to dynamically lengthen as they travel the raising arc? How heavy is your mast? Perhaps my 140 lbs isn't heavy for a 33' mast, but it was beefier than I expected when first lifting. Do you have any photos available of your install?

Thanks.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

You'll be amazed the first time you do it. According to a quick search, the tall rig mast on a Catalina 25 is 150 lbs. I didn't have the tall rig, so maybe lop off 15-20 lbs. When I used the A-frame, I had 3 wraps around the winch, and even when the mast was most of the way down (i.e., when I should have had most of the weight on the line) I had total control over it.

A few threads:
Association Forum - lowering the mast

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=24207&SearchTerms=a,frame









In hindsight, I probably could have use dyneema to attach the a frame to the chainplate.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

The Corsair 750 has the easiest rig stepping system I have used. Basically it is a hinge that slides into place that the mast is pinned into. Then you attach a gin pole to the mast, and crank the whole mess up with the trailer winch. It also uses two side stays to hold the mast center lined as it goes up.

All in all it takes about 20 minutes up or down.

Similar to 



 but somewhat refined.


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

I wish I could find the owner's manual that came with my Rhodes 22. It says, "After attaching the lowers and the back stay, using both hands heave the mast up with all your force." I did it successfully when I was in my late 20's. I used a high pully hanging from a tree branch as time went on. Ha!

Down


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

Kielanders said:


> Looking at your engineering drawings; this is a Hunter designed system? Was the entire system sold by Hunter? Do the struts need to dynamically lengthen as they travel the raising arc? How heavy is your mast? Perhaps my 140 lbs isn't heavy for a 33' mast, but it was beefier than I expected when first lifting. Do you have any photos available of your install?
> 
> Thanks.


First, I should make a correction. The mast is about 30 feet and some change per the manuals. I always remember the mast height from the water is 40' and figure the boat from waterline to deck is 5' but I'm wrong. I've looked to find the weight of the mast without luck. It's a B&R rig which generally uses a lighter mast than what is conventional. I'm not sure by how much though.

Anyway, it's a good system and you could use a beefier gin pole or reinforce the one used on the 260. The gin pole only bears the load of holding the lines out far enough that you get leverage. Even the one made for the 260 will collapse if you balance the loads incorrectly, but it's easy to tell if you are.

The jib halyard and the mainsheet are what take the weight of hoisting. If they are not balanced correctly, the gin pole will bend. You just watch it as the lines start to take on the weight of the mast. If the pole is at 90 degrees from the mast when the mast starts to raise, you're good. I start mine with the gin pole leaning aft a bit to account for the stretch of the jib halyard. If you've got the jib halyard tension wrong, it's easy to adjust.

The system is what Hunter designed. The drawings I posted are from the manual. Those struts are permanently mounted but I'm sure you could make something you could take off when not in use. Honestly they don't get in the way. It's just two more pieces of deck hardware to scrub around.

More about the struts-
The struts do not lengthen. They are able to pivot. They're a big help since they act like another person holding the mast. They pivot forward (lifting the mast as they do) and allow the foot of the mast to go forward to the bow for mast storage. They pivot backwards for stepping the mast and hold it midline so one person can pin the mast. They have nothing to do with holding the mast when the mast is up. I have read an account of having a forestay failure and those struts held the mast to the middle of the boat as it came down. The owner said it helped to prevent injuries.

You can see how they mount to the deck here by those two upside down V-shaped brackets.









Here you can see how they are forward for mast storage.









This is the labeled drawing of the struts and hardware
descrip_47d.jpg

You can buy the whole system in pieces here:
260 Hunter 260 Rigging & Spars, Parts and Accessories

I would talk to one of the guys there who can help you identify all of the parts. I would but I'm afraid I'd forget something. :laugher

The mast foot pins with just a pin and uses that to pivot as the mast goes up. There's a picture of the mast foot and mast pin on the site for parts.

Also, a mast crutch (which is removable) at the stern holds the mast off the deck a ways at about the height of where a bimini would be as the mast crosses the stern rails. I'm not sure you'd get enough leverage without that bit of height but you might. It's grunt work, but tolerable, to get it a few feet off that mast crutch. I use a winch.

One of the things I really like about the system is I can stop at any point while raising the mast, tie off to a cleat, and check to make sure nothing is kinked since it holds the mast steady.

Here's a link to a post where someone uses an electric winch for the system
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=812934
Hope this helps.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

downeast450 said:


> Ed and Ellen Zacko have the answer. I purchased their DVD, "Raise Your Mast ...Yourself" and am in the process of adapting it to our Islander 28.
> 
> An informative DVD about how to raise a deck stepped tabernacle mast
> 
> Down


We also have a Nor'Sea 27 and use the boom to raise & lower our mast. We towed it back to Az. in the US from Guaymas, Mexico and Ed & Ellen helped us. There DVD is a GREAT place to start. You don't need all kinds of extra stuff to do it! Nor'Sea owners have been doing this for quite some time.

You can see us lower our mast in Mexico in our Youtube video at;





at about 3 min 40 seconds into the video. NOTE, the video is in 3D, but you can just turn that off using the settings.

You can see raising a mast on another Nor'Sea 27 on our Youtube at;




 At the Havasu Pocket Cruisers Convention on Lake Havasu. Raising starts about 7 min in. This video is NOT 3D

Greg


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## Smier (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks for all the great info! We are planning on cruising a portion of the Rideau Canal and lake system in Ontario next summer on my Starwind 22, which currently uses the boom as a gin pole to raise and lower the mast. I'm really interested in a stable system that could be used on the water, because we would like to go thru a couple locks just for the experience of it with the kids. I like the idea of keeping the shrouds tensioned to keep the mast stable, and I'm definitely not concerned with modifying/adding hardware to this boat.


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## manatee (Feb 27, 2013)

F.Y.I.
To search sailnet forums for a specific phrase, google it like this:

"mast stepping" /site:http://www.sailnet.com/forums/

Without the double-quotes, the search finds *any* of the words (even parts of words, e.g. 'step' from 'stepping') in your phrase; with them, the search looks for the *exact phrase*. You can fine tune the results once you see how broad-meshed your original phrase is. Basically, the more words in your search-phrase, the fewer results you get.

I've always admired the old Norfolk Wherry* mast rig. Counterweight at base of mast, beefy tabernacle setup, one man on a manual winch. They aim at the channel under the bridge, drop the mast as they get to the bridge, raise the mast as soon as they clear it, all without losing any time or tide, or inconveniencing vehicular traffic, or paying bridge tolls. Clever folk, those English.

*See  this thread, good discussion of mast stepping,post #17 for the wherry.


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## fred1diver (Aug 17, 2013)

hey Smier, if you need help, I'm a stone's throw from the rideau locks


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

A frame stays put, mainsheet tackle to raise the mast... it's so easy, that you stand, by the mast, pull with 1 hand, and steer with the other..... by the way works better if you put the mainsheet side AT the mast. Stupid simple, and fast. 4:1 works fine for my 31ft mast that weighs in a 70lbs.


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## Sternik (Oct 8, 2010)

I am 100% with those who prefer an A-frame system. Look at two videos below for ideas...the devil is always in the details - ideally you want your baby stays in the centre of rotation of the mast base. This way, the spar will always have lateral support. I have similar system on my boat and I love it.

TES 28 Magnam





Bingo 930


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## Rhys05 (Aug 22, 2012)

SHNOOL said:


> A frame stays put, mainsheet tackle to raise the mast... it's so easy, that you stand, by the mast, pull with 1 hand, and steer with the other..... by the way works better if you put the mainsheet side AT the mast. Stupid simple, and fast. 4:1 works fine for my 31ft mast that weighs in a 70lbs.


SHNOOL:

I like this system, especially since your boat and mine are nearly the same size, with my mast maybe a bit heavier. A couple questions: Do you have the bottom of the A-frame secured to the boat? I'd be concerned with it slipping out under load, but perhaps the cross member just pushes up against the cabin? Are you just attaching the tackle to the spinnaker bracket on the mast? Do you have any lateral support for the mast, or are you just relying on the fact that the A-frame won't swing side to side to keep the mast centered as it goes up/down?

Thanks!

Brandon


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

Delezynski said:


> We also have a Nor'Sea 27 and use the boom to raise & lower our mast. We towed it back to Az. in the US from Guaymas, Mexico and Ed & Ellen helped us. There DVD is a GREAT place to start. You don't need all kinds of extra stuff to do it! Nor'Sea owners have been doing this for quite some time.
> 
> You can see us lower our mast in Mexico in our Youtube video at;
> Towing Guenevere, our Nor'Sea 27, Guaymas Mexico to Az. USA - YouTube
> ...


Greg,

Yup! That is what I am up to for my I-28. It looks simple enough. I have the tabernacle scale mockup ready to take to the fabricator. The boat is stored adjacent to the fabricator's and they think it a great idea! Ha! They have offered to hand carry the mast across the lot and weld on the cheek plates on for me. They want to see it work. Me too! I am a little anxious about doing it the first time but what can go wrong if I measure everything correctly and follow Ed's instructions. If things go as planned the "first time" will be a stepping. We will lift the mast onto the boat and start with it down. I am designing a crutch to support the bow rail and the mast when it gets lowered (and raised). I don't have the bow pulpit "extension the Nor'd Sea 27 does so the weight distribution I need to plan for is a concern. I am working on a roller that will make bringing the mast aft easier. Perhaps a roller that captures the base, too. When you remove the pin at the tabernacle, what kind of upward force do you experience at the base of your mast while it is sitting on the bow rail? I am expecting to have to "capture" the base of mine. Calculations next. I should be able to build a simple aluminum crutch with a couple of struts intersecting the bow rail and extending a couple of feet forward and a little higher. I like the idea of carrying it a bit higher than you do.

Thanks for the videos. How did you get the boat back on the trailer?

Down


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

downeast450 said:


> Greg,
> 
> Yup! That is what I am up to for my I-28. It looks simple enough. I have the tabernacle scale mockup ready to take to the fabricator. The boat is stored adjacent to the fabricator's and they think it a great idea! Ha! They have offered to hand carry the mast across the lot and weld on the cheek plates on for me. They want to see it work. Me too! I am a little anxious about doing it the first time but what can go wrong if I measure everything correctly and follow Ed's instructions. If things go as planned the "first time" will be a stepping. We will lift the mast onto the boat and start with it down. I am designing a crutch to support the bow rail and the mast when it gets lowered (and raised). I don't have the bow pulpit "extension the Nor'd Sea 27 does so the weight distribution I need to plan for is a concern. I am working on a roller that will make bringing the mast aft easier. Perhaps a roller that captures the base, too. When you remove the pin at the tabernacle, what kind of upward force do you experience at the base of your mast while it is sitting on the bow rail? I am expecting to have to "capture" the base of mine. Calculations next. I should be able to build a simple aluminum crutch with a couple of struts intersecting the bow rail and extending a couple of feet forward and a little higher. I like the idea of carrying it a bit higher than you do.
> 
> ...


Down,

When you get down to it, it is simple. Like a LOT of the jobs I learned on our boat, the work up to it, metal & physical, is harder than the job itself. At least it seems that way to me.

Our mast does not have a foot welded to it. The mast step on deck has an elongated hole on each side in it for the bolt. As the mast goes forward, the loosened bolt slides up a bit in the mount. The forward bottom of the mast also has a rounded area to it. One thing that we have to watch out for is that once the mast is lowered, (or as you prep for raising) is that as it's base is ready for the bolt to go in, the top of the mast is far forward and tends to drop, so I have to hold the base down. Sit on it and then put the bolt through the sides of the mount and the mast base.

I made a board that fits across our bow pulpit with a large trailer roller in it. Once the mast is down sitting on it' it's easy to just allow the base to rise up a bit (under control) and roll it back. I then support it on the bow pulpit (without the roller) forward, on the boom gallows aft and I use one of the wood 4x4s trailer chucks, that I special cut to to mount where the mast step is and it supports the middle of the mast for transport.

As chicken as I am, I had the mast raised for me the first time to make sure everything fits and is secure. Lowering is then easy and setting up the 4 part bridal is easy, and if not taken apart, the correct size for the raising.

If you need any close up photos, just ask and the next time I go to the boat I will snap a couple.

Greg


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Rhys05 said:


> SHNOOL:
> 
> I like this system, especially since your boat and mine are nearly the same size, with my mast maybe a bit heavier. A couple questions: Do you have the bottom of the A-frame secured to the boat? I'd be concerned with it slipping out under load, but perhaps the cross member just pushes up against the cabin? Are you just attaching the tackle to the spinnaker bracket on the mast? Do you have any lateral support for the mast, or are you just relying on the fact that the A-frame won't swing side to side to keep the mast centered as it goes up/down?
> 
> ...


I used the exact same system on the S2 7.9, got my buddy to do it with his... He and his father modified the support behind the boat to use the gudgeons to put a mast-upper on them.... the key is to get the mast raised a bit at the stern. Catalina direct sells a "mast-upper" that has pins that drop right into your gudgeons.... and the device extends from road height to I believe 6-8 feet above the gudgeons.. I used that device on my Capri 22, but a friend of mine has used it on his Oday 26 (MUCH heavier than the S2).

if you look close I tied off the bottom corners of the A-frame to the stanchions. since the A-frame remains fixed, I tilt it a bit towards the stern, so the tendency is to kick out forward, so tying off to the stanchions (from behind), stabilizes it right away... and there is NO slipping then. If you worry about the deck scratching (and you should), you can put carpet on the bottom corners of the A-frame. Mine is a 3 stay rig, 2 lowers, 1 upper... and i leave the aft lowers connected, and the upper.. but the forward lowers are free (as per catalina 25 suggested manual).. You have to be a LITTLE more careful with the S2 rig, because the spreaders are swept more, and there are only 1 set of lowers nearly in line with the uppers.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

I use a gin pole with ratchet straps for baby stays. Aluminum tubing was expensive and trickier to mount, so I went with a 2x4. Not sure this would work as well with a boat of your size, but maybe you can get some ideas from my pictures:





































Some later upgrades:

If you want something to mount in gudgeons, I found some gate hinges that fit perfectly, so I upgraded my homemade mast-stepper with them. But I didn't want to be stressing the gudgeons all winter, so for longer-term storage I use a sawhorse in the cockpit and remove the mast-stepper. Also, I found that the rubber trailer roller was depositing black rubber along my sail track, so I replaced it with a polyurethane one. And I glued/screwed a 2x3 stiffening stud to the mast stepper to minimize vibration:





































Here's some video of it all in action (looks like Facebook won't let you embed stuff any more):

2012 Video

2011 Video


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## Rhys05 (Aug 22, 2012)

SHNOOL said:


> I used the exact same system on the S2 7.9, got my buddy to do it with his... He and his father modified the support behind the boat to use the gudgeons to put a mast-upper on them.... the key is to get the mast raised a bit at the stern. Catalina direct sells a "mast-upper" that has pins that drop right into your gudgeons.... and the device extends from road height to I believe 6-8 feet above the gudgeons.. I used that device on my Capri 22, but a friend of mine has used it on his Oday 26 (MUCH heavier than the S2).
> 
> if you look close I tied off the bottom corners of the A-frame to the stanchions. since the A-frame remains fixed, I tilt it a bit towards the stern, so the tendency is to kick out forward, so tying off to the stanchions (from behind), stabilizes it right away... and there is NO slipping then. If you worry about the deck scratching (and you should), you can put carpet on the bottom corners of the A-frame. Mine is a 3 stay rig, 2 lowers, 1 upper... and i leave the aft lowers connected, and the upper.. but the forward lowers are free (as per catalina 25 suggested manual).. You have to be a LITTLE more careful with the S2 rig, because the spreaders are swept more, and there are only 1 set of lowers nearly in line with the uppers.


Awesome, Thanks! You used the spinnaker pole bracket on the S2's mast as the lift point as well? I may modify the design just a bit, but I think that this is the direction I'm going to go, I like it a LOT better than the jerry-rigged spinnaker pole method I've used up to now, and it seems like it is easier and safer.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Rhys05, yes used the spin pole ring on the S2 to raise the mast.. the key is to get the ring as high up as possible.... My buddy has a T-track on his mast, so we put it at like 6 feet high (highest point).... it worked fine. 

You could also attach above the spreaders with a bridle, however you must make the bridle large enough so that once the mast is up, you can untie the bridle from the ground. This doesn't help much for lowering though... an alternative might be to install a fixed ring at a reachable height when the mast is up... but I guess you could swag a line around and above the spreaders with a little effort too.

By the way, TakeFive's system was what my fellow club-mate used (almost identical) for his Oday 26 mast, the gin pole and some temporary baby stays. The Oday 26 mast is about 100lbs. He used a light trailer winch for the crank, and frankly I was impressed by it's ease of use, and functionality... He prefers it's use because of the requirement for connecting his roller furler drum (which requires a fairly forward leaning mast to get connected apparently).


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## Rhys05 (Aug 22, 2012)

SHNOOL:

My mast is the class mast, so the spinnaker ring is in a fixed position, I'll have to look and see how high is is above the step, but it appears to be in about the same (relative) position as on your boat. Am I correct in assuming that the S2 mast is ~30 lbs heavier than yours? About the same as that Oday, at ~100 lbs? We'll see what I end up with, I was originally going to go with something like TakeFive's system, but then I was intrigued by the A-frame designs. We shall see. Right now I have been using the spinnaker topping lift halyard as the lift point, it seems to work okay, but it is a bit high so the tension in the line has to be pretty high before the lifting component is enough to move the mast, I'd like to try to minimize the line tensions as much as possible. ...off to do some trig and engineering!


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Rhys05 said:


> ...Right now I have been using the spinnaker topping lift halyard as the lift point, it seems to work okay, but it is a bit high so the tension in the line has to be pretty high before the lifting component is enough to move the mast, I'd like to try to minimize the line tensions as much as possible. ...off to do some trig and engineering!


You might not see it in the pics or videos, but I have two connection points to hold the mast up. I have a spare jib halyard that connects the top of the mast to the end of the gin pole, and a second line that connects to a homemade harness that goes halfway up the mast (just under the spreaders) and down to the end of the gin pole. On my boat, some people use the former and some people use the latter. (Catalina changed their instructions on how to do this at some point.) I chose to use both for redundancy, and also to minimize flexing and vibration of the mast.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Rhys05, yes the fixed ring is high enough I believe it's about 6 feet from the deck or about 4 from the base of the mast... Yes the S2 mast is about 30lbs heavier than the Capri 25... yet about the same height (which is really where all the "problem" is)... It may be 100lbs, but it takes roughly 300-400lbs of force to get it started in lifting, an extra set of hands to get it started in the upward direction is helpful, but ideally the A-frame has to handle the weight, so you're better off not letting slack occur in the raising process, or it could BOUNCE and induce excess stress 2-3 times the load... the amount of initial "grunt" goes down substantially depending on how high up the aft end of the mast starts. Therefore the "initial" setting for the mast should be well above horizontal... Ideally it'd be the maximum comfortable height for one person standing on the cockpit seats to lift the mast and set it down into the support... therefore mine is about 6-7 feet off the cockpit seat... Lifting just the 1 end too, is not a lot of effort... as you put the pin into the bottom of the mast first THEN lift the mast up to the highest setting on the aft mast support (which ideally is at or behind the center of grav, which if you note in my picture, the support angles OUT off the stern to well behind the boat, I've tied it off to the stern cleats, and locked it into my stern pulpit, it never moves).

I should note that I've raised and lowered the mast 2 times myself now... if you look at the pictures closely, you'll see some are from spring some are from fall, both from this year.

This is a good investment... but building your own (like TakeFive)... works too! Catalina Direct: Mastup Mast Stepper CP-14.2, C-15, C-16.5, CP-18, C-22, CP-22, C-25, C-250


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## Rhys05 (Aug 22, 2012)

SHNOOL said:


> This is a good investment... but building your own (like TakeFive)... works too! Catalina Direct: Mastup Mast Stepper CP-14.2, C-15, C-16.5, CP-18, C-22, CP-22, C-25, C-250


Yep, I've actually already got something almost exactly like that that the PO made, works okay, except for trying to raise it up while the mast is sitting on it. I end up lifting the mast while my wife lifts the "mast upper" up and tries to get a pin in a hole. Need to figure out a better way to get it working than that.. Yes, definitely know about the initial few degrees of tilt is the hardest, definitely the part that is currently making us feel that it is a three person, rather than one or two person job. (One to pull the mainsheet attached to the spin pole, and two to stand on the cabin top to "hoof" it up. It works..but is less than ideal for if/when the wife and I want to take the boat elsewhere to go cruising, hence my search for a better engineered solution to make it easier and safer to do ourselves without an extra person.


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## wdfunk (Aug 11, 2010)

Hobie 33's all came with a bridle system that has dual sidestays and uses the spin pole as a gin pole..the H33 website has a PDF of the manual with the whole system described. I can raise n lower without assistance..


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

Greg,

It is great to have a source of this information as I am making this modification.



Delezynski said:


> Down,
> 
> Our mast does not have a foot welded to it. The mast step on deck has an elongated hole on each side in it for the bolt. As the mast goes forward, the loosened bolt slides up a bit in the mount. The forward bottom of the mast also has a rounded area to it.


My mast step has (will have) a slot (elongated hole) for the pin to slide up in while the base "rotates" through the arc created by the shape of the base. I will also radius the leading edge of the base of the mast. From looking at the base of Ed's mast in his video it looks like "cheeks" have been added to the outside of the mast to strengthen it where the hole for the pin is drilled. I understand that the only strain on the pin is during raising and lowering. Will it be overkill to add reinforcement at the sides of the base of the mast? I do plan to weld a piece of sch 40 aluminum with an id of the dia of the pin into the mast as reinforcement.



Delezynski said:


> One thing that we have to watch out for is that once the mast is lowered, (or as you prep for raising) is that as it's base is ready for the bolt to go in, the top of the mast is far forward and tends to drop, so I have to hold the base down. Sit on it and then put the bolt through the sides of the mount and the mast base.


Do you know the distance from the step to the bow support on your boat?



Delezynski said:


> I made a board that fits across our bow pulpit with a large trailer roller in it. Once the mast is down sitting on it' it's easy to just allow the base to rise up a bit (under control) and roll it back. I then support it on the bow pulpit (without the roller) forward, on the boom gallows aft and I use one of the wood 4x4s trailer chucks, that I special cut to to mount where the mast step is and it supports the middle of the mast for transport.
> 
> As chicken as I am, I had the mast raised for me the first time to make sure everything fits and is secure. Lowering is then easy and setting up the 4 part bridal is easy, and if not taken apart, the correct size for the raising.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all your help. Pictures of your step and the base of your mast would be great! A measurement of the length of your slot and the height of the pin's hole above the deck would be helpful. I think I have figured out dimensions that will work but confirmation is always good.

Thanks again,

George


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

downeast450 said:


> Greg,
> 
> It is great to have a source of this information as I am making this modification.
> 
> ...


George,

No problem!

My mast does not have any welded support on it's sides. It does have a compression tube welded on the inside where the bolt goes through it.

On my next trip to the boat, may not be till Monday as I am working on the tow truck over the weekend, I will take the measurement and snap a couple of close up photos.

Greg


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

My last boat was a Hunter 26 and used the same gin pole setup as the 260. I raised and lowered the mast routinely by myself. One of the good things about the system is the only "extra" parts you need are the gin pole and side stays, which are easy to keep on the boat.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

downeast450 said:


> Greg,
> 
> Thanks for all your help. Pictures of your step and the base of your mast would be great! A measurement of the length of your slot and the height of the pin's hole above the deck would be helpful. I think I have figured out dimensions that will work but confirmation is always good.
> 
> ...


George,

Here are a couple of photos of the mast step and timber. Sorry I just got to the boat today. I am working on varnish in the garage just now. The base of the mast is harder to get to. But it's just a bolt hole with a pipe welded inside as a compression tube.

My mast is 35 Ft. and the distance from the base to the bow pulpit brace is ABOUT 13.5 foot +/-.

Hope it helps.

Greg


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

I made a simple JinPole for my 23... can do it easy peasy. 40 bucks in hardward plus the cost of the winch.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/104478-jin-pole.html


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## markeschamel (4 mo ago)

tommays said:


> I can step a J24 mast keel stepped (70 pounds) with simple stuff and one hand tired behind my back The Cal 29 mast is about the same length and it is deck stepped BUT it is so freaking heavy and so much in the way for winter repairs I have the boat yard do it and store the mast there and take the boat home It is just the simplest way me to handle that boat


 is a j24 mast only 70 lbs?


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

markeschamel said:


> is a j24 mast only 70 lbs?


I doubt even the boom is that light. This spec I found for a sparcraft mast is rather extreme! A 1000lb mast would capsize a J24!

Strange how hard it is to find that specification considering how mast weight affects performance!










Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

The mast on a Catalina 22 is about 75 lbs.


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