Mast stepping

[keithgdg]

Dear all

We are planning the great escape for departure next year. We are currently looking at the cost of stepping the mast upon arrival in the sein to facilitate our canal trip to port st louis. Anyone any idea of cost to have this done. All the required trees etc will be built in England prior to departure.

 

[Angelica]

I think it is a good plan. are you interested to call up more candidates from other countries as well.

 

[vyv_cox]

Not exactly the information that you are looking for but it might give you an idea. In 2005 we paid €32 for demasting at Royan and €14 for stepping at Cap d'Agde.

 

[Cardo]

Not exactly the information that you are looking for but it might give you an idea. In 2005 we paid €32 for demasting at Royan and €14 for stepping at Cap d'Agde.

Certainly puts the fees on the Hamble to shame.

 

[Davegriff]

One of the advantages of a smaller boat. We raise/lower our own mast in about 15 minutes for free.

 

[Sandyman]

One of the advantages of a smaller boat. We raise/lower our own mast in about 15 minutes for free.

That was really helpful to the OP wasn't it.

We were in Royan last year where some friends has their mast steeped and I seem to recall it cost them 65E for a 12m boat.
Best I can do for you

 

[Tranona]

Taking the mast out at Rouen seems to be the way to go. Not a lot of money - think there are details on Grehan's website. You can then have it taken by road or carry it with you . If the latter then make sure you have the supports with you to avoid panicky trips to the Bricolage when you get there!

 

[Chris_Robb]

Dear all

We are planning the great escape for departure next year. We are currently looking at the cost of stepping the mast upon arrival in the sein to facilitate our canal trip to port st louis. Anyone any idea of cost to have this done. All the required trees etc will be built in England prior to departure.

There has been another thread running here in which you might get some useful info.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?353914-Canals-Le-Havre-to-Paris

If you are carrying your mast on board, you must make sure it is very secure, as the wash of passing barges turns it into a battering ram. Get 6 good cargo straps (on ebay) so that they can be tensioned and tightened again if necessary easily under way. For and aft tensioning is very important.

Also have your X frames etc designed and built before you leave the UK and carry as deck cargo.

We did not find the mast a problem. We protected the mast head with 2 stout pieces of 2 x 2 lashed into place and hanging over the stern - we didn't even need to remove the nav lights. A bias to more overhang at the stern worked for us.

Its a great trip, but we certainly were happy to reach the end as I am happier on salt water and had withdrawal symptoms!

 

[Andy and Lyn]

suggest you read my other post - but de-masting at Rouen in the next week or so! Prices have gone up considerably (prob due to the lack of facilties in Le Havre now Stephen Reiset's yard has closed! I was quoted euros plus tax 225 for my ketch. So, I'll use the main mast to lower the mizzen and then they can do the main - euros 185 plus TVA.

Question Chris - how did you tension fore /aft?

 

[Cardo]

So, I'll use the main mast to lower the mizzen and then they can do the main - euros 185 plus TVA.

Oof! That's around 3 times the cost someone paid a couple of years ago! Certainly has gone up. Does that come with more assistance or is it still just the crane guy and you do everything else yourself?

 

[Andy and Lyn]

just asking the same question - there seems to the suggestion that its just for the crane. Either the mast goes on the boat and then seured or it gets left for transportaion? there seems to be some confusion!! Give me a day or so and I will clarify!!!!

 

[distant shores]

We used the excellent yard at Tancarville up a few miles from Honfleur. Our mast is 19 meters long (Southerly 49) and they did a great job. I think it was 95Euro. They charge by the hour and we had everything ready to go. We lifted the mast up, put it on trestles in the yard so we could work on it (tidy up and remove spreaders etc) and then he came back and lifted it onto the boat. They were most accommodating!

We also filmed the process as part of our television series - showing the french canals. Just getting the shows up online in the next few days!

Paul Shard
SV Distant Shores II
www.distantshores.ca

 

[Davegriff]

That was really helpful to the OP wasn't it.

Well it may have been - OP doesn't mention the size of his boat.......

In future I'll bear in mind that I must only post comments that will meet with your personal approval. Sorry I can't find a suitable icon.

 

[Cardo]

just asking the same question - there seems to the suggestion that its just for the crane. Either the mast goes on the boat and then seured or it gets left for transportaion? there seems to be some confusion!! Give me a day or so and I will clarify!!!!

Well those are the two options! I'm wondering whether there's more than one guy to help disconnect the various shrouds, tidy them up, then assist in securing the mast onto the supports; or whether there's just one guy sat in the crane controlling up and down and you have to do everything else?

 

[Chris_Robb]

Question Chris - how did you tension fore /aft?

Andy - see attached photo. Hope its clear enough. I would not use ropes to tension as you will find they need tensioning to start with just when you have hit a big wash! Cargo straps are because they are so easy to tighten. So using suitable deck fittings, i e the baby stay, take one strap to the foot if the mast over the bows, and another strap the opposite way perhaps using the spreaders as an anchor point.

The lateral ones are easy - but I would use a single strap for each point.

eg
2 straps fore and aft
4 straps - 2 for each lateral set, although our stern one was a strap straight down to the main sheet, and not 2 laterals - ran out of straps!

Remember to have in mind your air height! We actually cleared easily and there was only one bridge down to the limit.

Its obviously going to be more problem to deal with the mizzen as well, but if you get that to one side, you may be able to get the crane guys to lift on top of the other mast once that is in position.

We managed quite happily with the spreaders in place, as the Oceanlord has enough beam to walk out side them.

 

[Andy and Lyn]

to clarify,

for my 11 metre mast on a 9.9m boat, price all in is 109.75 euros. Christophe is your man at a company called LAMANAGE (they operate from within the marina and own the crane.) Sorry if yesterdays info was mis-leading; that was a price for boat lift out!! (my French was the limitation there).

 

[Andy and Lyn]

thanks Chris - all noted and makes sense thanks. Wish I had an Oceanlord- never mind!! Will take the spreaders off as its difficult to move around the deck and the mizzen is not a big issue; it just sits on the coach roof with a small overhang into the cockpit which you just get used to. I will be doing all this in the last few days of April so if anyone is doing the same I am quite happy to help out with yours. I've done it before now a few times and all straightforward as long as you get organised a day or so beforehand.

My tips are (because it is largely self-service): 2 days prior disconnect mast electrics and WD40 all the bottle screws / the day before go and chat with the yard and crane driver and put your tressles in position and make sure the bottle screws actually are free/on the day it should all go smoothly. Final tip is plan on departing only when ready. Do it all in a rush (as I did first time) and it all goes wrong!

 

[Mrnotming]

I used Chris Dobbs setup which leaves the mast level,rather than lashed to the pulpit.This allows access to both sides of the foredeck more easily,by ducking under the mast.The battering ram syndrome,as mentioned by the OP is to be taken most seriously,gave me a good fright at sea having left Le Havre to go up the Seine.Circled the boat twice to deaden the oscillation.Tighten straps which you have have tightened already that previous evening!

 

[AuntyRinum]

One of the advantages of a smaller boat. We raise/lower our own mast in about 15 minutes for free.

That might be the only advantage.

 

[Grehan]

Tancarville is indeed, a pretty good yard. However, it does have two disadvantages. Firstly, one has to lock to and from the river itself into the canal (where the yard is located) and this has to be judged according to tides - the lock only operates from roughly half-water to high-water (I can't remember the exact details) and you may share the lock with some quite big barges and push-tows, etc. Hanging around waiting to get in can be difficult since there's nowhere very convenient and currents, flow and ebb, are fierce. (This all from personal experience).
The second disadvantage is that although it enables one to keep the mast up from the sea and up the estuary/river for some distance, it's only a relatively small one compared with getting up to Rouen fully.
I still think Rouen is by far the best solution, although I think there's currently some temporary problem (again, memory not so hot this afternoon ).