BYYB Forums

On my Weekender, I find it a challenge to hoist my mast - no rude comments please ...  

My process is
- make sure the shrouds are loosened and not liable to tangle on anything
- make sure the forestay runs forward
- have the locking pin handy
- clip the jib halyard to the forestay and make sure it's running free
- climb into the cockpit, open the cabin and try to wiggle my frame into the cabin beside the mast while the mast is still resting in the boom crutch
- while keeping tension on the jib halyard, heave mightily on the mast
- find out that I'm tangled in the shrouds and try again
- finally get the mast vertical and try to get the pin to fit (I'll skip parts about threading the pin on)
- attach the forestay and tighten the forestay turnbuckle that isn't in the plans
- tighten the shrouds trying to keep the mast vertical

My issue is - I'm relatively young and fit (my wife would be laughing here) but I find it requires a fair bit of strength and perseverance not to mention sucking in those parts of me that have sagged over the years to fit into the cabin, to get the mast up - does anyone have an easier way?

Andrew I stood on the closed main hatch cover to raise mine.  Jerked it up to shoulder level and walked it up hand over hand til I could get the bottom pin in place.  Once I rigged the top mast this was impossible to do.  The top was light ~7lb but the foot pounds were just too much.  Then I used an A frame.

I'm on a tabernacle so it is pretty straight forward.  It pivots as I raise it standing in the hatch.  I then have someone put a few nuts in place until I can tighten them, or if alone, tighten the pivot nut/bolt from the hatch and then the other two at the base of the mast/tab.  Takes a few minutes tops and I'm sailing.

I have a tabernacle in my mast and 5' of it is never moved. My mast breaks over at the tabernacle and is in a crutch at the stearn. I stand on top of the cabin, raise the mast and pin it attach the fore stay and tighten the turnbucle check the side turnbcles and I am ready to hoist the sail. I usually start the motor and let it run a couple of minuates to make sure the water pump is working. I usually have a drink of rum for courage incase that dreaded locknest monster has moved in my area. Bud

Sounds like my big mistake is trying to do this from inside the cabin rather than on top of it.

Andrew
I stand on the top of the cabin and it is easy to lift the mast if you keep all the lines clear. You can get the pin inn the hinge easily from there.

Greetings Andrew,

So ye been naught tossing the caber fer practice, have ye?

Fer shame.  

Tom

Andrew,

I think you may be right about the problem being your position in the cabin. Peter and I clear lines, shrouds, etc (and tip the shroud turnbuckles so they'll swing up nicely), step on the  cabin, lift the mast, stick in the tabernacle pin, skip forward (or jump down to the ground to zip forward—I don't like leaving the mast hanging on the tabernacle too long), clip the forestay in place (and no, we don't use a forestay t-buckle! Not that one could easily be used.) This is a handy point: We use a strong, fast shackle/clip-thing so that the forestay only needs snapping into place. If the shroud turnbuckles aren't too loose, clipping the forestay means everything is then "safe" (relatively speaking—one then needs to tighten shrouds, etc.)

Practice and patience shows up the sticking points of lines which snag, turnbuckles which bind, etc. Even so, one-in-a-few hoists of the mast result in something happening; either the halyards somehow got wrapped around the mast or who knows what. One just needs to drop the mast back down, fix the prob, and hoist away again. (says here!)

Caber-tossing comes in handy when using the mast as a boarding plank though... 

Mike

I stand on top of the hatch facing AFT.  Pick up the mast between my legs and walk backwards toward the bow.  This works easily on my weekender, Catalina and Macgregor.

One other tip - I secure all lines to the mast with masking tape wrapped sticky side out - as I raise the mast, the tape breaks and falls clear.

One of the most helpful tips I learned was to clip the jib halyard to the eyebolt that holds the clubfoot.  Once the mast is raised, I tighten and secure the jib halyard to a cleat on the base of the mast.  Then I slip in the hinge pin.  Now the weight of the mast is supported by the jib halyard, and I have time to attach the forestay.  Once the forestay is secure the jib halyard is unclipped and the jib is rigged.

Bill