Anybdy tried to go up in the mast of a M26x

m26roy · Post by **m26roy** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:50 am

What is the maximum weight to don't put the mast in the water for a M26x? 150, 200 pounds or more?
Anybody tried to go up to repair something on the top?

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:31 am

For what reason would someone have to go up the mast on an X? The smallest boat I have seen where someone did this is like a 30' boat with a whole lot more weight than ours! Why can't you just destep it to work on it, or are you just asking this as a general question? Mathmatically it can be solved, but also what about unknowns such as wakes or wind would you be willing to take a chance? Then again, someone may have already done this with no adverse affects. You just won't catch me, or see me allow anyone to do it on an X I was on! The rigging is way too light for that IMHO, along with mast that is made light for a reason, and it's cross section is made to bend. I hope no one ever has the zaney idea to put a crow's nest on an X!

Tony D-26X_SusieQ · Post by **Tony D-26X_SusieQ** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:42 am

Crow's nest ....... Hmmmmm!

Chip Hindes · Post by **Chip Hindes** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:49 am

As long as it's only big enough for a real crow...

But most people don't want birds crapping on their boat.

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 9:49 am

Hello:
I think Roger says it takes 100lbs at the tip of the mast to hold the boat on it's side (ballast in). I could just see someone up there and a wake rocks the boat. Kerplunk.........he is wet and the boat is capsized.

Actually I have had to do mast repairs on trips. Once we tied up to the walk at Reid Harbor at low tide. I had the wife and a freind stand on the port rail so the mast came right over to me (standing on the top of the walk). Worked great. Another time at Friday Harbor I just put it in the slip aft first and dropped the mast. I stood on the dock and made repairs (antenna). My forstay pin and ringding are secured by a lanyard.

Tom Root · Post by **Tom Root** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 12:13 pm

[quote="Don T"]Hello:
I think Roger says it takes 100lbs at the tip of the mast to hold the boat on it's side (ballast in). I could just see someone up there and a wake rocks the boat. Kerplunk.........he is wet and the boat is capsized.

...would make a great catapult for mighty big water balloons, now wouldn't it!

Watch the video, it sure does pop back up with alot of gusto, I wouldn't want to be on the boat when someone let her fly when they let go, or couldn't imagine the mess left down below!

mike · Post by **mike** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 12:31 pm

Tom Root wrote:Watch the video, it sure does pop back up with alot of gusto, I wouldn't want to be on the boat when someone let her fly when they let go, or couldn't imagine the mess left down below!

Yeah, especially if the Sanipotty was full and the seals weren't tight.

--Mike

mike · Post by **mike** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 1:16 pm

Took this picture last weekend. One of the benefits to having a relatively small boat... you don't have to do what this guy is doing!

--Mike

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 1:23 pm

Don T wrote:Hello:
Actually I have had to do mast repairs on trips. Once we tied up to the walk at Reid Harbor at low tide. I had the wife and a freind stand on the port rail so the mast came right over to me (standing on the top of the walk). Worked great.

I might be missing the image here. Was the boat supported by the ocean bottom?

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:44 pm

Hello:
The boat was afloat at low tide. The walkway is a long ways up. The shore, if you want to call it that, is near verticle. I have video of it taken from my brothers boat. The whole time he is making comments like "so what happens if they walk over to the other side" and "hope there's no wake coming."

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:58 pm

If she were just a little smaller, she could be pulled sideways with the jib haylard at a pier to fix the mast. Roger/Frank proved this can't be done. He's hanging on the side stay in his brochure. It says: "180 lbs on the rail with the water ballast tank empty." Other boats would show some serious tipping." I used to do this with a much smaller 20' boat for mast repairs as well as getting under a bridge. It balanced very well and saved some work taking down the mast. Come to think of it though, you might be able to do this on a Mac by pulling on the jib halyard and tipping it sideways while at a pier.

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:54 pm

I once hired a guy to go up the mast of my 27 ft O'day (to replace the anchor light), I pulled him up by winching the main halyard. That boat had a mast and rigging probably twice as thick as the Mac, 5500# displacement with a 1500# lead keel. I wouldn't do it on a Mac....but if you are so inclined, you better be a small person, fill the ballast, and drop all the boards.

Besides, its so easy to drop the mast down into the crutch, dock the boat stern-to and work on the mast-top with a step ladder (maybe not even required if the tide is just low enough). I recently did this to replace the antenae.

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL · Sat May 01, 2004 5:15 am

Why would you want, or need to?
I've been up a mast , once, on a larger boat. I won't do it again.
I lost a jib halyard up a mast, on my 26X, after flying the spinnaker. I lowered the mast (on the water), and got the halyard shackle.
This is one, of the many, good points of the Mac. I always carry my mast-raiser, when I'm on the water, in case this happens again.

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:12 am

Ozy Pilgrim wrote: Subsequently, now when I barge up to other yachts, I make sure we are "off set" so as to ensure the rigs do not get entangled.

The sea keep teaching us, doesn't she?

Cheers

Rick

Thanks for the valuable lesson!

TonyHouk · Post by **TonyHouk** » Mon May 03, 2004 10:55 am

I want to THANK Ya'll,
This past weekend I put my boat "Finally" back into the water. I took the headsail down last year to think about working on it. I bought a new genoa and converted it to roller furling. Well to make a long story even longer I was smart enough to run a tail for the genoa furler halyard. While raising the mast it got stuck in the rigging. I was looking at it sitting up there wondering if I could climb up the mast. Since my oh so caring boat was sitting on the trailer I figured it was somewhat stable. Luckily I had a breif moment of inspiration of knowledge from somewhere and I thought I have an idea. I went below and got out the boat hook pole. I managed to grab the tail line and pull it down. I was so close to shimming up the mast. Happy sails for me and a great day of sailing. Tony

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Anybdy tried to go up in the mast of a M26x

Anybdy tried to go up in the mast of a M26x

A little smaller

Re: Climbing the mast