Sadly ........

[GrantD]

Hi All
Well, we bought a boat, Pandemic passions.
It didn't work out for us.
We're retiring moving north and have neither the skills nor the aptitude to fix her up as she deserves. So despite the sound survey when we bought her she's shabby and neglected. Recoverable but needs tlc. Sound hull, rudder, mast, sails, tender (walker bay) etc etc. Engine runs but needs scrub and rewire.
£free to save us paying a fortune to get her scrapped which she does not deserve.

If she has to go we have to lower the deck stepped tabernacled mast to get her on the lorry

Can we just run lines from above the spreaders and through winches, loops to lower it slowly down? Safety first but don't need to worry about damage UTC

Advice appreciated
Cheers
G

 

[penberth3]

.....If she has to go we have to lower the deck stepped tabernacled mast to get her on the lorry

Can we just run lines from above the spreaders and through winches, loops to lower it slowly down? Safety first but don't need to worry about damage UTC...

No you can't do that. Load increases rapidly as you pass 45 degrees. You'll lose control, something will break and someone will get hurt.

 

[OCuea]

Hi All
Well, we bought a boat, Pandemic passions.
It didn't work out for us.
We're retiring moving north and have neither the skills nor the aptitude to fix her up as she deserves. So despite the sound survey when we bought her she's shabby and neglected. Recoverable but needs tlc. Sound hull, rudder, mast, sails, tender (walker bay) etc etc. Engine runs but needs scrub and rewire.
£free to save us paying a fortune to get her scrapped which she does not deserve.

If she has to go we have to lower the deck stepped tabernacled mast to get her on the lorry

Can we just run lines from above the spreaders and through winches, loops to lower it slowly down? Safety first but don't need to worry about damage UTC

Advice appreciated
Cheers
G

I learned from pbo magazine many years ago. If mast is less than 30 foot long it should not be a difficult job if you are strong and agile and even better if you have help. Before typing a long description, try YouTube. I don’t like using the spreaders for anything they were not designed for. A halyard from mast top through stem fitting roller back to cockpit and most stays slackened but still attached to stop mast going to port or starboard too much. Tabernacle helps so much. I used to be able to lower my mast with the halyard to the 45 degree position and then manhandle it by walking backwards along coach roof, tricky step into cockpit and then another walk back aft of cockpit. Making sure the roller furler does not foul up is important too. This is not exactly how the pbo magazine probably described it but the bare essentials are there. Hope YouTube has a full description.

 

[William_H]

No you can't do that. Load increases rapidly as you pass 45 degrees. You'll lose control, something will break and someone will get hurt.

Quite so. You must have a gin pole of some sort mast to improve the angle of the tackle to mast as it goes beyond 45 degrees. Sure with enough strong men on cabin top and in cockpit you may be able to lower it safely but it is risky. A 20 ft boat yes oK 23 ft no too hard. Don't forget to make up an A frame to catch the mast into at the stern for transport and stowage. I use a cradle of rope under the bow rail for base of mast. Use fore stay or halyard for actual lowering using a 4 purchase tackle. (mian sheet might do but it will need to be very long. With care you can keep the mast central on it's way down with a man o the roof guiding. Check out this forum and you tube for how to do it properly /safely. I will be droppping the mast on my 21fter on Saturday but that is piece of cake with right gear and 44 years of practice. ol'will

 

[GrantD]

I learned from pbo magazine many years ago. If mast is less than 30 foot long it should not be a difficult job if you are strong and agile and even better if you have help. Before typing a long description, try YouTube. I don’t like using the spreaders for anything they were not designed for. A halyard from mast top through stem fitting roller back to cockpit and most stays slackened but still attached to stop mast going to port or starboard too much. Tabernacle helps so much. I used to be able to lower my mast with the halyard to the 45 degree position and then manhandle it by walking backwards along coach roof, tricky step into cockpit and then another walk back aft of cockpit. Making sure the roller furler does not foul up is important too. This is not exactly how the pbo magazine probably described it but the bare essentials are there. Hope YouTube has a full description.

So did your mast come down "backwards" and end up sticking out at the stern? Is that common? Or boat dependent I guess.

I think that's potentially easier and I can use the foresail rigging as one of my lowering lines. Mast will be chopped up once it's down with an angle grinder if I have to do this as whole boat will be scrapped.

If I had a few people on lines when the mast gets to 45 degrees or so can I just stand underneath it walk it down. I'm very strong.
Or is that suicide
Cheers

 

[Sea Change]

Sorry to hear the boat didn't work out for you.
For lowering the mast, things can easily get out of hand even on that size of boat.
What you really want is a gin pole- you may be able to use your boom or spinnaker pole for this.

 

[Hermit]

We used to do this a lot on boats of this size but location was the key. Take the boat to a pontoon where she can sit bow to/perpendicular to a higher area (dock wall etc.) to avoid the need for a gin pole. Slacken the shrouds, and take a halyard from the front of the mast to a strong point high on the wall. Release lower bolt in the tabernacle, then the forestay and lower the mast back easing out form the strong point. Needs a cradle (2 bits of wood bolted together about 2/3 of the way along to provide an unequal cross) that sits at the back of the cockpit to lower it into. Helpful to have people either side (not underneath) to guide it down.

Used to do this with just my Dad and me when I was about 10....

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Some tips here Lowering the mast

 

[ylop]

Mast will be chopped up once it's down with an angle grinder if I have to do this as whole boat will be scrapped.

Seems extreme - you are saying the boat is in good condition except a bit scruffy. If you are prepared to go to that effort to dispose of it - a pressure washer and declutter and someone will take it off your hands for £1 - unless it actually has some issues. @wandsworth this could be your new boat!

 

[alahol2]

Put it on ebay, £1 start price, and someone will buy it.

 

[veshengro]

'Tis a pity to scrap it. There's a dodgy bloke in Spain who may have been interested if the boat was closer...

 

[KevinV]

Put it on ebay, £1 start price, and someone will buy it.

My thoughts exactly - a couple of hours with a pressure washer, a few photos and it gets another chance with a new owner - it's too bonny a boat to just scrap

 

[OCuea]

So did your mast come down "backwards" and end up sticking out at the stern? Is that common? Or boat dependent I guess.

I think that's potentially easier and I can use the foresail rigging as one of my lowering lines. Mast will be chopped up once it's down with an angle grinder if I have to do this as whole boat will be scrapped.

If I had a few people on lines when the mast gets to 45 degrees or so can I just stand underneath it walk it down. I'm very strong.
Or is that suicide
Cheers

Don’t do it !!!! More in a moment. Yes it came down backwards and I could work on masthead or move mast so it protruded either end of boat for transport- that was a small boat, mast no more than 30 foot in length. Others have added advice.
But back to DONT DO IT.
You have a stack pack that will sell on its own. The foresail furler looks good. Good rigging terminals. SELL IT or give it away….. either option saves you work and scrapping a boat is a lot of work. Just cutting the mast up will take a lot of work and what a waste of a good mast….. people buy 2nd hand masts. I am sure you could sell that boat on ebay as others have said.

 

[billskip]

'Tis a pity to scrap it. There's a dodgy bloke in Spain who may have been interested if the boat was closer...

If it's free it would be worth Wandsworth trucking it down to Spain

is it in the UK?

 

[toothless]

I think it's in Island Harbour on the Isle of Wight?

 

[andsarkit]

I don't have a tabernacle so I got a couple of aluminium scaffold poles and made a bridge with clamps and a crosspiece. The whole lot was raised using the main halyard and guyed with the stern guys crossed to provide side support. A block and tackle and a loop under the spreaders allowed me to lift the mast and gently lower the mast to the deck. The biggest problem was keeping the furler foil straight. ( 28ft solid masthead mast)

 

[Daydream believer]

If you are going to chop it up why are you bothering with all this. Just undo the forestay & give it a push.
Make sure no one is in the way of course.
Film it & put it on you tube & make out it was a mistake.
Show the wife releasing the stay & you screaming NOOO!!!
Then dance around it crying & going "Oh my lovely boat" & her saying "what? Can't you just bend it straight again"
There will be a zillion stupid comments on how to repair it
People love stuff like that. It could go viral & you may have an earner.