After quite a few mast raising experiences, you get good at it. Just when I thought I was an expert Mast raiser, I Launched my boat and when I tried to unfurl the jib, I had attached the headstay/roller furler on backwards.
Question #2;
How mch time is taken from the time you arrive at the launch ramp area until you raise mast, prepare for launch and actually put the boat into the water??
After quite a few mast raising experiences, you get good at it. Just when I thought I was an expert Mast raiser, I Launched my boat and when I tried to unfurl the jib, I had attached the headstay/roller furler on backwards.
AFter six seasons, I was proudly loading my genny onto the CDI furler on the hook at Cuttyhunk Harbor, just as 'Group A' dinhgy lessons sailed by, with my genny upside down...
We've done it in less than a half hour with 3 people. With me and the Admiral we can do it in less than an hour if we don't fool around. Usually we take over an hour. After we started removing the spreaders, things actually sped up because we get the mast into position much faster. Time might be saved by not using the mast raiser. I've lifted our's up by hand but then it's tough to get the furler tight enough to pin it. The M mast is also heavier than the X.
Takes me about 45minutes from the time I leave the kitchen to the time i'm on lake macatawa with the sails up when I trailer it to the boat ramp. I only live a half mile from the boat ramp, so I leave the pin in the base of the mass. The mast sticks out about ten feet, and i don't go more than 25mph. I do ancher her out at the end of our road, but I perfer to pull her in when there's a storm brewing. Never drag her 2 anchors when she is in the water. I just worry about her when she isn't in my back yard. Pat
After our first season the Admiral and I take about 1 1/2 hours from the parking lot to ready to launch. This time seems to be fairly consistant for each occurance. Then to get ready to go, it takes us about 2 hours to hit the road after hauling out of the water. This time seems to be fairly consistant as well.
We could probably do it faster, but why take the chance of doing something wrong and creatinging a safety issue.
I concurr it is best if one can have a slip, but this is not always possible , so the gives one the option to have the best of both worlds with a minimum of compromising. That's why we bought a .
In any event we are retired and have plenty of time on our hands to do all the hard work!
Ray, my experiences with my 2005 M are similar to that of Matt, Harrison, and Capt. Jim. When I reach the public ramp, it takes me 50 minutes to untie everything, raise the mast, attach the boom & mainsail, cushions, GPS, and fenders, and splash it. When I return to the boat after parking the rig, I'm ready to go.
When I return to the dock after a sailing day, it always takes me two hours to haul out, remove the boom, cushions, etc, and button up for washing, which includes flushing the motor for three minutes. I use soft brooms & dish soap and scrub down the deck, hull, rigging, and trailer. And then I drop the mast and tie up all of the rigging.
Yeah, once in a while I wash it at home, but I like to leave the ramp with everything done. So its not really how long it takes to get it in the water, the real rub is at the end of the day, when you're pooped and it's getting dark, and the smell of the upwind restaurants is driving you nuts. And your crew keeps asking "isn't there anything we can do to help?"
That's why there are something like 35 MacGregors at the adjoining mast-up storage area at Marina del Rey. I must be really cheap . . . .
From the time I pull up to the ramp, it takes me about 50-60 minutes to get the boat floating. This assumes that the shrouds are still connected; if I had disconnected the shrouds for some reason then add 30 minutes.
I rig and launch solo. I have a small waist tool belt which I am always careful to keep stocked with all the tools, pins, nuts, bolts, etc. for the entire evolution - this is my single biggest time-saver as without it I spend more time looking for tools than I do actually rigging.
One caveat - I do not attach the boom prior to launch. I find that as I am climbing up over the boat and trying to get underway from the ramp, dock, etc. it is far easier/safer if the boom is not in the way. I store the boom with the mainsail still flaked over it in the cabin; once I have motored clear of the ramp area, I put up the boom and finish rigging for sailing - which may wait until after a drink or a quick dip to cool off and get relaxed.
My Admiral and I are very new to this, but we practiced several times in a dry-land parking lot and can now set everything up in less than an hour. That means we are ready to back the boat down the ramp and the rolling furler main and rolling furler Genoa sails are fully rigged. I think that with a few more ties we'll get it done easily in less than 45 minutes.
We have written extremely detailed, step-by-step, instructions based upon the Owner's Manual, our dealer's instructions, and our own observations. I'll be happy to email these, if anyone's interested.
Thanks for this Post! I've really felt guilty. Maybe I misunderstood the McGregor video, but I was under the impression that a target time was 10 minutes.
gives one the option to have the best of both worlds with a minimum of compromising. That's why we bought a 