Hunter Medina - Dropping the Mast.

[Refueler]

Of course the A frame is the best if not crane ... but even that can allow mast to sway side to side ... unless you create side stays fixed at same height as mast pivot.

The video here ... I had already advised my pal to NOT move once mast starts to lower - no need to move aft .. just stop mast swaying side to side ... but he ignored that - stepped to move aft - boat heeled and mast swung !

 

[rogerthebodger]

Its the mast sideways that is the danger.

One way to control that is to attach sideways lines to the center chain plate or a frame / chain to lift the pivot point lifted to the same level as the mast pivot point

This would control the side sway while lowering the mast

I designed a mast clamp on pivot and use chains connected to a forward and aft deck point in a triangle with the upper point of the triangle in line with the clamp on pivot

 

[ash2020]

Bit of thread drift here.
My brother had a Sonata and thought he would save some money by taking the mast down himself. The yard craned the boat out and put it on his trailer.
With 5 hefty young lads we managed to lower the mast but it was touch and go and nearly a disaster.
When he got the bill, it included "cranage, mast removal and placing on trailer"
When he complained the yard manager apologised, took the bill back and crossed out mast removal, then handed it back.

I should hope so!

I used to do my Snap 23 .. myself and 10yr old son .. without any additions ... the main point being to have one person stand on coachroof and stop the mast swinging side to side .. NOT to move about if boat still in water !!

A single Gin Pole sticking out fwd from mast - I advise against .. as the mast lowers - that pole CAN and often does fall to side trying to find shortest line length.

I figured that would be the case, unless the gin pole is kept central somehow. I planned to use an A frame. See my end post, it all worked.

 

[ash2020]

Does it have a furling Jib? If so that is usually a minimum of 3 people needed, 2 to lower the mast and a third to handle the furler as the mast comes down.

I would say don't do it with just 2 that do not know the setup.

Depending how the shrouds are arranged some may need loosening or even disconnecting before you start lowering the mast. Surely the seller can advise?

Is it on a trailer? We used to lower the mast on a previous 18ft boat on it's trailer by using the trailer winch to lower the mast gently while the second person guided the mast as it came down.

We managed in the end with me holding the furling drum, one yard guy letting it down with the main halyard and another on the coach roof keeping it central.

 

[ash2020]

Its the mast sideways that is the danger.

One way to control that is to attach sideways lines to the center chain plate or a frame / chain to lift the pivot point lifted to the same level as the mast pivot point

This would control the side sway while lowering the mast

I designed a mast clamp on pivot and use chains connected to a forward and aft deck point in a triangle with the upper point of the triangle in line with the clamp on pivot

That's my long term plan.

We regularly lower the masts on many boats up to about 30ft. Generally 5 people, 3 on the rope lowering it, from the top of the harbour wall, 2 guiding the mast down and catching it in a yoke, and 1 handling the furler.

Mast cranage is charged at the same rate as lift out cranage so big saving if we all club together and drop all the masts on one day.

Very surprised to find that the marina, one of the large ones in Poole Harbour doesn't have facilities for stepping masts. But I managed it with two of the yard guys. A few quid changed hands.

 

[ash2020]

Of course the A frame is the best if not crane ... but even that can allow mast to sway side to side ... unless you create side stays fixed at same height as mast pivot.

The video here ... I had already advised my pal to NOT move once mast starts to lower - no need to move aft .. just stop mast swaying side to side ... but he ignored that - stepped to move aft - boat heeled and mast swung !

Yikes! Also, wouldn't you take the spray hood down?

 

[ash2020]

Lowering mast of a 25ft motor sailer ... that mast is heavy and has furling gear as well ....

The 'pole' at the stem - actually bent later !!

It is why that same boat now has a dedicated A frame .....

My main concern is not actually weight of mast - but the form of the mast foot .... if its the Tabernacle with high sides ... not a good photo - but if you look carefully - you can just make out mast pivot bolt about 12" above deck ...

then lowering / raising is more safe .. mast tends to stay more central - it can still sway yo side - but less so.
My previous boat to this Snapdragon 23 was Alacrity 19 ... my wife (small) and myself would raise and lower without any poles / extras etc. But it had that tabernacle affair as well ...

Again not so good a photo - but you can just make it out :

But if you have this 'blade / slot design - then extreme care needed to not let mast sway to side as the mast foot can break as happened to me (it was frozen solid and lowering mast snapped it when it would not pivot) ...

Thanks for the photos. This boat has a slot arrangement but we managed not to have any side sway.

 

[ash2020]

I used to raise and lower my Sonata mast by myself, using the spinnaker pole as a gin pole, with a fairly elaborate arrangement of ropes to keep everything moving in one plane. It took a bit of time to set up but was smooth enough in operation.
The important detail was to unhook the shrouds and attach them to a bridle tied between stanchion bases, so that the attachment point was at the same height as the mast step. That kept the mast supported through most of its range of movement.

How do you stop the gin pole swaying to the side?

 

[ash2020]

Well we did it! Force 6 motoring across Poole Harbour, was really worried it would be very windy in the car park, but we were in the shelter of a building. I took the boom and stackpack off, attached the main halyard to the pulpit and winched it tight. I rigged up a makeshift A frame out of 3x2 timber and I was about to attach the trailer winch to let it down slowly. The main yard guy then said "nah, you don't need that, we'll just let it down between us. I held the furling drum back, one of them let the halyard off and another guy on the coach roof took the weight. It came down nicely controlled, reasonably heavy but not too much.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice and comments. Now I can work on a proper rig to enable me to do it single handed. Cheers.

 

[ProDave]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome and glad it went well.

Now we see the boat, i see it has the "blade" type mast pivot so as already mentioned it is important to keep the mast central while raising and lowering. Press ahead with the A frame and you should be good to go.

Are you planning to use it as a trailer sailor or just annual winter mast down?

 

[ash2020]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome and glad it went well.

Now we see the boat, i see it has the "blade" type mast pivot so as already mentioned it is important to keep the mast central while raising and lowering. Press ahead with the A frame and you should be good to go.

Are you planning to use it as a trailer sailor or just annual winter mast down?

Thanks. Yes, A frame all the way, and bridles on the pivot line for side to side. We're moving to Fowey in a week so it will have to be a trailer sailor. There's a 10-20 year waiting list for moorings evidently! Looking forward to next year's rally in Fowey if there is one.

 

[greeny]

Well we did it! Force 6 motoring across Poole Harbour, was really worried it would be very windy in the car park, but we were in the shelter of a building. I took the boom and stackpack off, attached the main halyard to the pulpit and winched it tight. I rigged up a makeshift A frame out of 3x2 timber and I was about to attach the trailer winch to let it down slowly. The main yard guy then said "nah, you don't need that, we'll just let it down between us. I held the furling drum back, one of them let the halyard off and another guy on the coach roof took the weight. It came down nicely controlled, reasonably heavy but not too much.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice and comments. Now I can work on a proper rig to enable me to do it single handed. Cheers.

Well done. Pleased it went well. Thanks for letting us know.

 

[greeny]

Thanks. Yes, A frame all the way, and bridles on the pivot line for side to side. We're moving to Fowey in a week so it will have to be a trailer sailor. There's a 10-20 year waiting list for moorings evidently! Looking forward to next year's rally in Fowey if there is one.

Maybe look at dry storing her in a yard with mast up and just launch for sailing in the season.

 

[ash2020]

Maybe look at dry storing her in a yard with mast up and just launch for sailing in the season.

That's the plan, but there's a 1-2 year waiting list for that.

 

[Refueler]

That's the plan, but there's a 1-2 year waiting list for that.

Look around various marinas / yards ... often they jump at someone 'Dry-Sailing' ... that is you agree an annual contract that boat is kept ashore and you have X number of lifts IN and then OUT when you finish your sail trip. The yards love this as it frees up number of water berths ...

 

[Mudisox]

Look in the Hunter Association website. The fees for membership is low £15, and has a wealth of information.

 

[ash2020]

Look around various marinas / yards ... often they jump at someone 'Dry-Sailing' ... that is you agree an annual contract that boat is kept ashore and you have X number of lifts IN and then OUT when you finish your sail trip. The yards love this as it frees up number of water berths ...

Good idea. I'll start looking around when we get down there, from next week.

 

[ash2020]

Look in the Hunter Association website. The fees for membership is low £15, and has a wealth of information.

Just joined. It looks very active. Great.