Adding a mast raising system to a 1993 26S

[rgillies]

I am about to add the mast raising system to my 1993 26S which involves replacing the fixed mast step with the hinged mast step and adding the side stays. Has anyone who has done this before got any suggestions, thoughts or best practices before I start?

[technicalman]

I ordered the whole kit from BWyachts. I followed their instructions and it all worked well. I don't have any of the documents anymore.

[Sumner]

I have pictures that might help you here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ing-2.html

...of what came with our and that I assume came from the factory.

There is nothing high tech about it and could easily be made. You only attach the........



................... side stays (baby stays--two center arrows in the picture above) while actually raising the mast, but you probably know that,

Sum

Our Trips to ..

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[flynfol]

An option would be to make some bridles that would not require holes in the deck. They easily remove so as not to be in the way while underway. I used galvanized garage door cable(cheap), my spinnaker pole, and my mainsheet blocks to raise.....no extra components to store while underway.

John

http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners. ... ureid=9075
http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners. ... ureid=9076
http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners. ... ureid=9078

[rgillies]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I had actually purchased the system from BW Yachts last year but had just not installed it yet. The fear of drilling holes in the deck I guess as well as how to plug the holes from the existing mast step that I would be removing so that there were no leaks. Also looking to see where exactly people had placed the straps on the deck to hold the baby stays (in relation to where the mast is).

[Corsair II]

There is nothing high tech about it and could easily be made. You only attach the........



................... side stays (baby stays--two center arrows in the picture above) while actually raising the mast, but you probably know that,

Hey Sum,
Do your 'baby stays' remain taught and secure through the entire raising process or do you have to keep tightening them? The couple of times I've used the my mast raising system, my baby stays have not seemed impressive nor very capable of keeping the mast from going sideways if it so inclined to do so.

[Sumner]

....Hey Sum,
Do your 'baby stays' remain taught and secure through the entire raising process or do you have to keep tightening them? The couple of times I've used the my mast raising system, my baby stays have not seemed impressive nor very capable of keeping the mast from going sideways if it so inclined to do so.

Where they attach to the cabin top is very close to the hinge center-line of the mast, so they work fine. They might loosen or tighten slightly, but I've had no problems stepping the mast even by myself. If I have a problem at any point while raising (for example, rigging not in the right place) I just snap the line from the blocks into the cam cleat behind the winch and then cleat it off also to a second cleat along the side of the cockpit as a safety measure and correct the problem.

So far I have never adjusted the baby stays while raising or lowering the mast,

Sum

Our Trips to...

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links