probs w/mast raising-lowering

[rick retiree]

Thanks to all you Macmen for help with many items in the past, you fellows have been a godsend & a special thanks on this day to all the vererans who have served our great country. Since I singlesail most often (35 times so far this year)and have to trailer my rig to ramps for a daily sail setting her up each time is a real issue. My 2001 is rigged with a genny with uv edging which throws the mast over to one side when the mast is lowered to such a degree that standing rigging loses its guiding capacity. Since I am on the foredeck at the winch I need a second person to guide the mast unto the roller. I understand that the mast can be lowered with the winch but since I bought boat used not sure how that would work. Since I am in 70's and have health issues am thinking along line of an ELECTRIC winch mounted on trailer or temp on rail with a remote control. Any ideas? PS; I sail out of Ft DeSota Park, St Pete, Fla (Jan to June) if anyone would like to crew for a day.

[R Rae]

Rich Keep on truckin' You are an inspiration to us all!!

BTW You don't mention baby stays in your post. Are they installed, and properly adjusted?

All the Very Best

Ron

[K9Kampers]

Rick -

...rigged with a genny with uv edging which throws the mast over to one side when the mast is lowered to such a degree that standing rigging loses its guiding capacity.

The use of the "baby stays", the short 6' stays that install at the bottom of the mast & cabin top, will steady the mast during stepping / unstepping, keeping it centered.

I understand that the mast can be lowered with the winch...

When lowering the mast, wrap the line of the mast raising system once around the winch. By keeping a slight tension on the line in hand, the winch acts as as friction brake allowing you to let the mast lower effortlessly & under control.

[KEVIN'S OWN]

This is the same problem we had 2 weeks ago when trying to lower our mast using the mast raising/lowering system. I was on the deck operating the winch - while holding / guiding the furler so that it didn't move on it's own. The mast almost immediately went to the left and was putting so much tension on the right stays that I was afraid they would snap. Kevin was unable to get onto the hatch area to help guide the mast so we decided that we needed to get one of his kids to help the following weekend - between the 2 of us we were able to get it down yesterday. Don't recall having a problem last year but then again, we had one of Kevin's kids with us.

I noticed in the instructions for the system there are 2 angled metal pieces on either side of the mast to which you attach the system's shackles - well, our mast doesn't have them. Could that have contributed to the mast going to one side - our shackles were dead center on the mast?

They say you can do this single handed - I wonder especially after the "fun" we had 2 weeks ago!

[March]

Kevin:

Yup, the two "ears" are for the baby stays. Unless you have them in place, when you raise or lower the masy, it will veer either right or left, and put a strain on the bottom bracket and bend it badly. The main stays are limp and useless until the mast is in a vertical position.

I leave the baby stays on even while I am sailing

[KEVIN'S OWN]

I'm probably using the wrong terms, March, the strain was on the right shrouds (are they also known as stays?) - the lines that run from the top of the mast to the sides of the boat.

[johnnyonspot]

I echo the above.

There seems to be some confusion about what babystays are exactly. "Stay" is a generic term used to refer to the cables that hold up your mast. You have forestays, backstays and sidestays (also called shrouds). Baby stays are much shorter and have one purpose: to steady the mast from swaying side to side while raising and lowering it. The steadying is present at all points while raising/lowering because the padeyes connecting the stays to the deck are exactly in line with the mast base so they keep the same tension no matter the position of the mast. I don't know if they come with the powersailors from the factory or what. I bought an M mast raising system from another forum member and it came with the stays but not the padeyes. I bought some padeyes but have not installed them yet because I had my boat in a slip all summer. But for a singlehander who trailers, babystays I think are a must-have item. I can't justify the pain of mounting the padeyes properly by drilling holes in my deck and filling with solid epoxy, then drilling smaller holes for the mounting bolts.

[David Clarke]

Hi Rick,
My 03 M has a genny on a furler and we tie a line around it and the mast about 6' up from the deck. It's not perfect but helps keep the extra weight on the center line with the mast as it comes up and down. We raise and lower them with the winch and it works well, but I think you're much safer on the deck. There may be better ways though. I'm all ears when it comes to safer, faster, and easier. Hope this helps. David

[nedmiller]

Rick,
On a previous boat, I put an electric winch on the trailer and that worked grand. A couple of years ago I put a 12 volt atv winch inside the anchor locker on my Mac X and I am very pleased with how it works. I just hook the steel cable to the mast raising system and up she goes! You could make the electric switch line as long as you wanted and then guide the mast where you need to. I put a large plywood plate under the anchor locker for strength with big stainless washers. I used it dozens of times without any issues. I put a 15 amp fuse in the line and if the stays get caught and if I keep pressing the button, the fuse blows before damage. Usually the winch whines so much I notice and quit. Get the smallest winch you can find. My winch is supposed to actually pull 900# and it is perfect for the job.

[nedmiller]

Rick,
I also leave the furler and the 150 attached all the time and the winch pulls it all up together without issue. I did put the winch in a plastic 'box' to make sure water didn't get into it and it has stayed dry.

[marc]

When I raise and lower my mast I have a large 6' bunge running from the drum of my furler to the bow rail. this keeps some tension on the headstay so it doesnt fall from side to side

[KEVIN'S OWN]

Thanks, Johnnyonspot, for the clarification of the baby stays. We are at a mooring all summer so the only time we raise or lower the mast is in spring or fall, twice a year. I like the idea, Marc, of attaching a bungee to the furler and bow rail. Will make a note and remember to try that next year, although make check into the addition of baby stays.

[Divecoz]

Rick I live about 20 minutes from you. Do you want to get together and see what we can work out for a solution? I have the M raising winch and my 60 y.o. 100 lb wife does it 1 2 3 ....
PM me for a phone number . I am retired too so I can do it almost any day.
Richard/Divecoz

[Hardcrab]

One simple solution is to take a 2' x 1/4" piece of line with one end well tied to the furler drum, and then a bowline "loop" tied in the other end around the stationary mast raising line ( the one tied to the bow cleat from the top of the pole). It works just as well starting out mast raised going to lowered, or mast lowered going to raised.
Starting from a mast raised example, the bowline loop will be forced to slide "uphill" along the "forward fixed mast raising pole line", as the mast is cranked more and more down.
The furler drum and foresail will track under this line "up and aft" as it remains under perfect, hands-off, no worry, single-handed control. No flopping around. No dragging across the deck. No falling off to one side. It owns itself, really. Then when you are ready to raise the mast, the whole shebang will now slid "downhill" with the same perfect, hands-off control.
Works as advertised. You can take foresail raising/lowering problems off your plate.
Good Luck.