Home Made Mast Raising System!
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Home Made Mast Raising System!
I am not a fabricator by any means. However I made this simple system to raise the M17 mast as it is longer and heavier than the M15's mast. being almost 65, I know if I keep the 17', I will need the help in raising it safely.
Built this system after seeing David's, Sagebrush Dave's, system. I am not a fabricator by any means. But somehow I did it.
This should work on many type of boats. Cost under $125.
I had one of these fine boats for a few years. At age 62, and with pretty much all parts failing, I had no issue at all with just hand raising this 29lb mast. With long experience with trailer sailers, I've found that the fewer gadgets, the better. Gadgets cause some of the problems that were demonstrated here, with the fouled shroud and the ear pain. Doing it by hand allows the raiser to "feel" any fouling before mechanical tension causes a problem.
After stepping the mast, Just attach the headstay to a line and run the line through the stem and back to the cockpit to hand. Go back and just simply shoulder the mast at the aft rail. It can easily be lifted by a twelve year old. Squat under it and just stand up, using a shoulder pad if needed. The mast on an M-17 WILL NOT slew to the side. It cannot because the shrouds are attached at the pivot point of the mast, thus, they needn't be fussed with when raising or lowering and they will, by their tension, keep the mast on center. The only motion will be up and down.
Now with the mast on the shoulder, and the line in hand, walk forward a bit at a time, adjusting the mast on the shoulder as you go. Reel in the line and keep a bit of tension on it so there is no slack. As you approach the cabin, just tilt the mast right on up, and now tension the line in your hand. Keeping tension so the mast does not tilt back (even though it safely can, since at nearly 90 degrees it has no weight), climb up on the cabin and simply walk forward and detach the headstay from the line and attach it to the stem head fitting. Done. A couple times and you'll get it done in about 15 minutes - most of that is making sure there is no fouling. The lift takes about 2 minutes.
I agree. Seems like a very easy mast to raise manually.
But hey, the guy likes building gadgets which I can relate to.
@@Ahorsea You're welcome. Lots of people aren't aware of how easy the M-17 mast can be handled by one person. Scrambling to get on the cabin might be a bit awkward, but as long as you have tension on the line (attached to the head stay) , you can safely let go of the mast and actually pull yourself up onto the cabin just by the line. Or, you can side step and go along the cabin /deck join to get frw'd. The last few degrees of tilt weighs nothing and you just kneel down at the stem, release the line while holding the headstay, and attach the stay to the stem. Your 20 footer is another animal. Ihad a Chrysler 20 for years. Loved the boat, but I got old and sore and ues, downsized for simplicity.
I would have a system like this if I had a 26 foot boat. One hand is enough for my wwp15. I think I would be fine up to a 19 foot boat. As an RN I understand that everyone has reasons for doing things in certain ways to overcome limitations. All it takes is a bad back or worn out rotator cuff to make mast raising an impossible chore without a system like this.
Everyone's Crutch is a different size, and the height of masts vary. I used a steel tube that with the cut I did at the bottom would fit-lock into lower part of crutch. Then a bolt to hold the Pole to the crutch higher up. Pulley size must fit with Pole. The Winch was $65 at Harbor Freight and includes Remote. I attach cable of Winch to the Halyard to raise mast. Then I am free to attach front stay while it is held. 99% of the time I sail solo. So this helps big time. (ps. I sold the 17' and kept my 15') I did use a piece of metal later to bent it like a "U" and drilled hole on each end to fit upside down over the pulley at the top of the pole. I did this in the event the cable somehow came off the pulley. This prevents the cable from falling off and the mast from crashing.
Very cool and Very ingenious, The Previous owner of my boat rigged up something similar but using the trailer winch, they also rigged some guide lines from the front of the mast around where the spinnaker pole would connect... the lines go down to some hoops on the deck through some blocks and then to the bow so i can guide the mast with these lines from the ground while I crank it up. I think it might help if you rig up some similar guide lines to help keep the mast centered while you raise it, instead of running them to the bow like mine you could run them back to the cockpit...then you wouldn't need to leave the cockpit until time to secure the fore stay.
Just a thought. Great idea with the electric winch!
I only left cockpit with first raising. The solo raising I was in the cockpit as I use a wireless remote for the winch. I needed to do a system like this if I keep this boat. Have a 15' Montgomery also. Will decide in about 6 weeks which I sell.
ibcontent I understand, I was just thinking about if there's any cross breeze at all. I know my 17 mast can get a little hard to handle solo in a breeze. I think the 17 will give you a bit of stability if the weather turns while your out. Just my 2 cents.
Hmm, a lot of work to overcome a very simple task. Much more simple to use either a gin pole or a wooden 'A' frame, you can still use the electric winch to do the pulling but it's not really necessary, just look at many examples on YT. I would also position the motor to haul the boat onto the trailer as well and as I do and have done with a 4 ton steel boat on a yard trailer run the wire out to anchor points to move it around the yard. Very useful to have an electric motor that can be utilised on a variety of tasks.
If your shrouds don't attach in line athwartships with the mast pivot then simply rig a rope bridle on each side of the boat between two shroud plates that when lifted taught aligns with the mast pivot point, attach a line port and stbd from the hounds to the bridle, that will keep the mast from slewing.
You really have taken a sledge hammer to crack a walnut with this one, ditch the lot and just do it by hand!
Nice video...well chosen music accompanying the clip...pity bout the shroud accident.(now I know shrouds can be dangerous...)
Thanks, great boat.
Very cool! Do you have a list of materials you used and where you purchased?
How is this video monitized with under 500 subscribers?!
I don’t know, I have never received a dime…