Raising the mast on my Folk Boat.

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MasterofHera

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It has taken 4yrs to rebuild my International FB. I saw the mast come down but did not take note of how it was done. It seemed easy at the time. Coachroof fitted mast step that swivels. Help please.
 
Lay the mast down on the coachroof. Connect shrouds and backstay. Slide mast back until the foot is at the pivot and insert bolt. Fasten a rope to the forestay and lead through a block at the stemhead back to a winch. Standing at the back of the cockpit get one person to start raising the mast. At the same time another person takes up the tension on the rope to the forestay. The person in the cockpit gradually walks forward and at some point the tension on the rope pulls the mast upright. Connect the forestay, adjust all the rigging and go for a well deserved beer.
 
An improvement is to add a light scissors-frame, pivoted in the scuppers in line with the foot of the mast, and with the forestay resting in the notch.
This gives a better angle of pull on the forestay.
The risky part of raising a mast that is pivoted but does not have a proper substantial tabernacle is when it is at an angle of about 45 degrees. That is, when it is beyond steadying by the man on the coach roof, but the shrouds are still very slack and unable to offer any sideways steadying.
It might be prudent to extend one shroud each side and have helpers keep these under light tension to stop the mast swaying off centre.
 
Thanks I thought it was a bit like you say. But the mast is not bolted thru it sits in a kind of shoe that pivots. I remember the aft lower shrouds being attached to small ropes to allow for some forward movement and to prevent sideways action. Also thinking to use Tidal fall to slowly ease the mast upwards.
 
I think your mast should be either up or down; using a falling tide to raise a mast seems to me like an accident waiting to happen. Some good advice above re sheer legs or A-frame and having extra people to look after the shrouds is also good. I would say it's important to brief everyone very carefully especially if any of your helpers are not experienced with boats. In particular make sure that while the mast goes up movement on deck is kept to an absolute minimum and is fore and aft on the centreline only as far as possible. The worst thing would be someone 'helping' and making the boat roll with an unstayed mast at 45degrees!

good luck
 
I'm doing this on my Folkboat next week, -after adding a new windvane and lights, the great thing about Folkboats is it is a two people job, but balancing the boat is essential -we nearly lost ours overboard once while de-masting.
 
Lots of good suggestions. I had a Marieholm IF (great boat) for 10 years and always took the mast down each season, in the end I could do it singlehanded. I solved the problem by making a timber leg out of 2" * 2" timber of a length from the hole in the forward part of the mast step (ie not the mast pivot which is aft), to the forestay where it wes notched in such a way that the turnbuckle could not pull through the notch; temporary bulldog clips on the forestay help. Steady lines were secured to the end of the leg and fixed in line with the mast pivot port and starboard. The inner end was pivoted in that hole in the mast step. It can now stand upright and horizontal and be supported throughout its travel - try it. It is then attached to the end of the forestay in its vertical position, al ine is attached to its outboard end, leading under the bow roller and back to a cokpit winch. Set up your mast as already described and winch away. An assistant pushing the mast is a great help.....
 
Once saw a bloke lift a keel mounted dragon mast clean out of the boat - just chucked it in the water ! he was built like the proverbial brick .... though. Don't know how the mast fared either. It was an old boat. Not recommended!
 
I just rememberd about the pivot whcih is a sort of fork arrangement with the bolt in the middle, any sort of sideways action puts a terrific strain on it. I used to clamp across it using a 4" G clamp, for support - hope this helps.
 
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