Motoring Without Mast

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I'm thinking about taking the boat out next weekend without the mast. With the only "hard connections" to the boat being the furler line and the stays I figure it can't be that hard to "re-rig". I have an easy block and tackle solution for handling the mast removal process. What concerns me is re-rigging the stays. I don't want to twist the rigging or tangle the upper and lower stays. For those that do this on a regular or semi-regular basis am I sweating this too much?

Thanks,
Bob

[fouz]

We have done it a few times. No big deal. Now we just leave it off till I get the feeling I want to start sailing.

Hardest part is getting the mast from boat-to-ground or vice versa. Wife is really short.

[pmmcderm]

I helped a local sailor re-install his mast a month back or so. Shouldn't sweat it too much; just need to take your time, and be prepared to raise the mast 1/2 way, see that the shrouds aren't right, and lower back to straighten them out.
Definitely a plus with two people - one to raise/lower, and one to stay on the ground and work the shroud connections. Overall, not hard.

[mastreb]

Lower the mast normally onto the mast cradle. Bungie the furler & headsail to the mast with small 6" bungies. Unbolt/unpin the spreaders. Remove each stay one at a time, using masking tape to ID each stay adjuster, and put them inside the bungies. You'll need an extra bungie or two to hold the spreaders against the mast. Collect up the jib sheets and wrap the entire assembly with the sheets, tying them off at the end. At this point, everything is disconnected except the mast bolted at the pulpit.

Loop a dock-line around the head of the mast down about six feet, and at the foot of the mast up about six feet about with a through-eye slipknot. Unpin the mast, and with one person at each end, lift the mast by the dock-lines. Walk it aft and to the port and starboard gunnel until both people can clear the curve of the deck, and lower it to the ground hand-over-hand with the the docklines. Once on the ground, you can two-person carry it wherever you want.

Reverse the process to re-rig. The assembly will weight about 100 lbs. total, so be sure each person can lift 50 lbs.

Pretty simple, but a two person operation.

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Thanks folks... Appreciate the tips. I already remove the spreaders. I think as long as I pay attention to the spreaders I should be okay.

Bob

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Update... Thought I would share with you my solution to removing the mast...
I bought 2 sets of $10 hoists from Northern Tool and Equipment each rated at 2000 lbs with a 7:1 ratio. Yes, a bit of an overkill.


Here's the hoist installed.


Next the Admiral and I hoisted the mast and jib/furler high enough the clear the mast crutch and I pulled the boat from under the mast


The Admiral was able to hold the mast herself

And then we lowered the mast to the ground on some wooden blocks, ready for our return.

Bob

[Obelix]

We just recently took the mast off the boat to install the anchor light. No big deal for two people, we were unbolting it on the bow pulpit and lowered it down while sliding it forward. The rear end was still on the mast carrier and one person on the boat and one person on the ground picked it up and moved it forward, with a fender tied to the bow to prevent scratching. After moving the mast all the way forward, we rested the back end of the mast on this fender, while the ground person was holding the front end and the second person got off the boat and finally lifted the rear end off the bow.

Obelix

[beene]

Update... Thought I would share with you my solution to removing the mast...
I bought 2 sets of $10 hoists from Northern Tool and Equipment each rated at 2000 lbs with a 7:1 ratio. Yes, a bit of an overkill.
The Admiral was able to hold the mast herself

And then we lowered the mast to the ground on some wooden blocks, ready for our return.

Bob

I am so jealous
Where you live
What you have to store it under
Your lifting system
Your mast support at the foot
Name it!!
You got it all going on...

Love it

G

[Tomfoolery]

Update... Thought I would share with you my solution to removing the mast...
I bought 2 sets of $10 hoists from Northern Tool and Equipment each rated at 2000 lbs with a 7:1 ratio. Yes, a bit of an overkill.

That's a great idea, and it gives me an idea for storing mine. I plan to do a bit of travelling to locations where we'll only motor (like for wakeboarding, or the Erie Canal), and the mast stored outside will get in the way. I'll likely leave it off for weeks at a time.

My 2-car garage has one big door, and I could conceivably hoist the mast to the ceiling without getting in the way of anything, or fouling with the overhead door or tracks. A couple of cheap block and fall setups, and I'll be good to go. There's even room enough that I wouldn't have to fold the VHF antenna.

Thanks for the tip.

[DaveB]

I take the Mast off during summer here due to low winds and temps are to high for overnighters.
I just mark each standing wire with blue tape and say Right front starboard etc.than bungie the stays to mast and take it off to set on two saw horses. Takes 15-20 min.
We remove the pins on all stays and put them back in the chain plates once stay is released.
We just roll the mast aft with one person on deck and other on ground, I on boat just move the mast aft until my better half takes hold and I go to ground and walk it to saw horses, very easy.
I leave everything attached to mast including spreaders, roller furling and once on saw horses I cover it with a old sail I shaped to intire length on mast.
I do put small blocks under end of spreaders for temp. support.
That way we do day trips to the beach and quick launch and retrival, just like a power boat.
I get a Lot of comments....isn't that a sailboat I tell them it's a Motor Sailor.
Dave

I'm thinking about taking the boat out next weekend without the mast. With the only "hard connections" to the boat being the furler line and the stays I figure it can't be that hard to "re-rig". I have an easy block and tackle solution for handling the mast removal process. What concerns me is re-rigging the stays. I don't want to twist the rigging or tangle the upper and lower stays. For those that do this on a regular or semi-regular basis am I sweating this too much?

Thanks,
Bob

[bartmac]

I guess another solution already discussed is the storage of the mast on the boat at a higher point so as to not interfere with the cockpit and forward hatch...we've done this which also allows on land usage as a travelling solution ie like a camper. The raising of the mast storage at both ends also makes for a really good tarp carrier...we find a 25 ft or so square tarp fitted diagonally covers the Mac well with minimum tie down points just either end of mast and the 2 points near the trailer wheels.....however this weekend our shed is getting a "lean to" tailored to suit the Mac and our slide on camper...keeping this stuff out of the weather is important even without the extremes some Mac owners get....our temp differences are just below 0 (frost) to about high 30's Celsius and lately a bucket...NO!! 2 buckets of rain

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Thanks G, don't sell yourself short up there in the Great White North! 2 of my favorite ports of call while in the Navy was Vancouver and Halifax.

Bob

[BOAT]

That shure is a cool shed captain fish head!! And that PVC mast carrier is the bomb! I built one too just like you told me to do and it works GREAT. There are not a lot of times to go without a sail over here as I am right on the ocean and not really close to any lakess that I think would be large enough to mess around on for more than a day or two, but I still think your mast hoist is great. I would build one of those sheds too but I never though they were stong enough to support a hoist in the rafters! That's GREAT!

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Thanks BOAT. Here's a link to the shelter details in the mods section. http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1421

Bob

[BOAT]

That is very nice - I think I might makes one of those. Thanks for the picture.