MacGregorSailors.com

I was waiting to see who would be the first to comment

Ray

Ray,
Gee I stopped timing myself quite a while ago, but 30 -35 minutes is about it. The detail of what this includes goes as follows.

1. Boat is packed and fueled up ready to go before I leave home.
2. Drive to the ramp - 20 minutes. For a short trip, I use no hold down strap over the cockpit. So, no time wasted undoing this.
3. Arrive at the ramp. I climb the ladder at the bow. My wife goes to the stern and begins removing the trailer light bar (undo 2 butterfly nuts by hand). While she does this I am untying the mast. I use one rope to secure the mast in its V block saddle. No rope at front of mast, just the normal Macgregor bolt (with a quick release pin, no nut).
4. Untie the shrouds - single rope - all gathered and tied at the spreader bar.
5. Undo the port side lifeline pelican clip. Slip the lifeline under the port spreader bar.
6. Go below and get a pair of vice grips and one spanner to attach the forestay. Also take the mast raising pole from its in cabin storage position to the deck. While at the stern, lift the mast from its cradle onto the mast support roller.
7. Wife and daughter are now on board and in the cabin getting organised.
8. Go to the bow.
9. Undo the quick release pin and begin to roll the mast back. The mast needs to be taken toward port to release the starboard spreader from under the lifeline.
10. Continue walking the mast back. Usually I get most of the way and then an extra hand from the wife helps to free any catch points for the rigging. I tried to make the mast support bar as free of catch points as I could. Its not perfect, but is much , much better then the original pogo stick support.
11. Connect up the mast raising gear. I do use quick release shackles for the side support wires. Other connections are standard (no furler). Connection to mast - I did swage an aluminium tube right through the mast. This helps to get that bolt in. I did purchase a longer bolt for the U connection and bent the head end at 90 degree. Retained the standard lock nut. Finger tight and no spanners is all I use for the mast raising job.
12. Wind up the mast. 9 times out of ten - nothing catches and its right first time.
13. Secure the forestay. This takes a few minutes with vice grips to hold the wire from twisting and the spanner to wind the turnbuckle.
14. Disconnect the mast raising gear and restow in the cabin position.

15. Now I'm back on the ground and ready to commence launch. Lets call it 30 minutes at this stage. Boom connection and getting ready to sail is stuff to do on the water. My youngest daughter is 4 years old, so quickly onto the water is what we try to achieve.

16. Reverse down the ramp. Wife at the helm - lowers the motor and fires it up. Yamaha FT60 - starts first time every time ! .....touching the wood as I type.........

17. Unwind the winch to the end of the short rope. I did also add a roller just behind the V bunk on the trailer. So, the boat rolls back easily. Disconnect the winch rope. Check the wife is right to go and push the boat off.

18. Park the car and trailer while the wife is bringing the boat to shore.

Total is about 30 minutes to get the mast up. Add another 10 to 15 to launch, park and step onto the boat. Most ramps we use have no docking wharfs. So, one of the other mods we did was to improve the stern ladder function. This works great and minimises the hassles of trying to get on and off the boat at the shore.

There you have it........works for us.

Demasting is same deal. When possible I like to setup the mast raise/lower gear while on the water. This takes quite a bit of time off at the ramp.

So far, I've not yet trained my wife to either (1) reverse the trailer or (2) drive the boat on. Both these jobs remain with me. We do aim to drive on, using PVC extension poles for goal posts. But, if its a medium crosswind, we concede to using a bow rope and long stern rope to walk the boat on. Most people on this site know what comes with driving it on. An acquired skill, and requires a certain amount of nerve and confidence. .......think I will work on teaching my beloved to reverse the trailer next.....

Cheers
Craig

So many small ways to make a big job easier add up ....

One thing that had always been difficult for me, was pulling the mast back far enough to get it pinned at the step. The baby stays are tight, and the last little bit of push while keeping the mast rotated straight, and lining up the holes was a real PITA, until I did this ....

Use the boom vang, (or main sheet rig) or mast raising tackle, to pull the mast under pressure that last inch to line up the pin (bolt) holes.
Attach the tackle blocks end to one of the aft stanchion gusset rods, and the other end of the tackle with the cam-cleat to the base of the mast at the vang bail, and haul the mast back to its place so it stays put while your other own 2 hands line up the pin or bolt.

Well, there you have it Craig, your wife helps you with the boat. I wonder if that's true for the other "short timers" also. I'll bet I could do mine in 45 mins too if I had a skilled helper...maybe when my son is older (the daughters just like to be served). Cause right now, my wife has to keep all the kids contained while I single hand everything. Plus, you are doing a lot of stuff on the water, some of this stuff takes a good bit of time...like washing off the bird crap, attaching the boom, loading the mainsail, making sure the furler (if you had one) is wound properly, running the lines aft, putting up the bimini, putting up the dodger, putting out the cockpit cushions, emptying the potty (either before or after or both), installing any equipment that you might not leave out (ie. I leave my GPS in the cabin or in the house)..and probably a few more little things that I'm forgetting.

With a family of 7, I have to get all this kind of stuff done ahead of time because it would be too disruptive to do after everyone is on board. So I am pretty much like others who have commented here, even though I've owned the boat close to 5 years and know most of the tricks. I don't do a mast raise or takedown on the same day as the family outing, otherwise, I'd be too grumpy for my own good. In fact, I frequently will go out the first and last day by myself (or maybe with just 1 or 2 kids with me) and get the whole family to join me in the middle of the trip. Because they are not really into long trips (kids are still kinda youngish) so if I can get the boat out near a beautiful beach first and they can just join me for that part of the trip, then everyone is much happier to go boating.

yes, the context of each individuals situation is different. Up until recently, we lived just 3 minutes drive to the ramp. So, never used to bother with the trailer light bar either. But, when previously living so close I routinely did also do everything single handed (all except retrieving the boat back onto the trailer - an extra hand is very helpful for this). Without the trailer light bar, the mast up time was still about 30 - 35 minutes single handed.

I think my wifes help currently saves us about 10 minutes from ramp arrival to stepping onto the boat and heading off.

Craig

ALX357 By baby stays I presume the mast rasing stays, why do you connect them prior to stepping the mast.

One thing that had always been difficult for me, was pulling the mast back far enough to get it pinned at the step. The baby stays are tight, and the last little bit of push while keeping the mast rotated straight, and lining up the holes was a real PITA, until I did this ....

I notice a few blokes are using a pelican hook to release the lifeline/lines and this may have helped when the mast was carried lower but it was never thought to be a major problem with just a side step needed and I am at 62 fairly crippled up now with two crook shoulders and both knees wonky.
The biggest problems seem to be all the neccessary paraphenalia like solar panels, aerials, barbeque etc etc catching on the shrouds but at most this just means laying the mast down once or twice to release them, even this woul be neglegible with an extra set of hands.
Must try this walking the boat on the trailer one day like Edurbin but think practising driving on is fairly important to, for when you are caught out and just have to do it.
We had to trailer the boat on a ramp surrounded by rocks, with minimum 25 knot cross winds and an incoming tide of probably 3-4 knots last year and without the practice and confidence it could have been a disaster as there was only a chance for one attempt.
Incidently we store the boom in the cover on the port foredeck and tied to the staunchions for travel and all mast raising equipment including tools in a bag made for the job and stored in it's permanent place on the v berth.

Boblee, umm, considering the options on taking them off and on ....

They have been left "permanently" attached all the time .....

One thing .... I do not like using a wrench on nutted bolts for the mast raising, or any frequent off and on usage .... have everything set up with smooth quick-pins and washers and ring-dings .... only the baby stays have to be attached to the mast with the bolt and nut, to keep them from pulling outward ....

But I am considering options on the baby stays ..... especially now that I am docked in the water again and not doing the mast up and down stuff.

Having the mast ready for a fast convenient temporary lowering is some-what useful when encountering bridges and for maintenance of lights, radio and radar type stuff, but .....

Well you learn something everyday, have left the whole raising kit there a few times when bridges were a problem but it was a PITA as is any extra on the foredeck with wonky knees, just never thought to leave them there and have never seen anyone else leave them.
The stays themselves probably wouldn't be in the way so will have to experiment, it would certainly save time not having to untangle them or at least remember which way they go when getting them out of the bag.
Was hoping to put the boat in next week after the main tourist rush here is over, so will try it then, thanks for that.

I think we played this thread out, so Ill remind everyone to see your doctor if your mast stays up for more than 4 hours....

yes, have been on the water last couple of days. 25 minutes from ramp arrival to boat on the water and away. My wife appreciates the short mast up time in this context........maybe even all contexts, who can tell these days.....