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BravoVita · 30-11-2015, 17:51

I need to lift my mast a few inches to bassically replace the bolts holding the shoe in place. Anyone have a solution for this? Can I remove the fold down steps (black arrow) and use the bolt holes to attach a lifting point to somehow make use of a bottle jack? The yellow arrow is what I need to lift and the red arrow is what I will be working on.

**JPA Cate** · 30-11-2015, 17:59

If you do not have those "few inches" extra on your rigging screws, you're going to need too hire a crane to lift it for you, and possibly a rigger to go aloft to attach the lifting strop the crane will use.

I, Personally, would feel extremely nervous about a totally unsupported mast.

Ann

model 10 · 30-11-2015, 18:28

You are going to need a friend with a bigger boat and a taller mast to help. Even if I were your friend I would not help you do this, hire a lift of some sort.

**Don C L** · 30-11-2015, 19:00

By far the easiest and safest way is to have the hoist at the local yard lift it and let it hang for an hour. In my case that would cost $200. How much time do you need to get the work done? If you are lucky and have a public hoist nearby, it might not cost much at all. I'd lash the mast below your steps and run the hoisting line up through a loop, like a bowline, pulled up with a halyard, to just below the spreaders (best not to pull up on the spreaders and/or tangs!) the hoist pulls up the loop. I can imagine, but would not recommend, rigging a hoist to lift the mast (yours appears to be light enough) and add a foot or so of temporary line on each shroud and stay so it can be lifted and still be supported. But you have to be pulling from high up the mast so the bottom doesn't kick out on you of course. I'd just talk to the local yard first.

BravoVita · 30-11-2015, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

If you do not have those "few inches" extra on your rigging screws, you're going to need too hire a crane to lift it for you, and possibly a rigger to go aloft to attach the lifting strop the crane will use.

I, Personally, would feel extremely nervous about a totally unsupported mast.

Ann

yes there is room in the standing rigging.. I would imagine it would be a.. "lift a little with a bottle jack.. unscrew the rigging" type of situation so the mast would never be unsupported.

BravoVita · 30-11-2015, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don C L

By far the easiest and safest way is to have the hoist at the local yard lift it and let it hang for an hour. In my case that would cost $200. How much time do you need to get the work done? If you are lucky and have a public hoist nearby, it might not cost much at all. I'd lash the mast below your steps and run the hoisting line up through a loop, like a bowline, pulled up with a halyard, to just below the spreaders (best not to pull up on the spreaders and/or tangs!) the hoist pulls up the loop. I can imagine, but would not recommend, rigging a hoist to lift the mast (yours appears to be light enough) and add a foot or so of temporary line on each shroud and stay so it can be lifted and still be supported. But you have to be pulling from high up the mast so the bottom doesn't kick out on you of course. I'd just talk to the local yard first.

Thanks, having the yard pull it is an option, I was just wondering if it was a necessary one since the mast does not necessarily need to come down, just up for a few minutes while i change some hardware.

FSMike · 30-11-2015, 20:58

You might want to tell everybody what size and make of boat you have.

BravoVita · 30-11-2015, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSMike

You might want to tell everybody what size and make of boat you have.

Its a sovereign 28' center cockpit

SOVEREIGN 28 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

valhalla360 · 01-12-2015, 03:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by BravoVita

yes there is room in the standing rigging.. I would imagine it would be a.. "lift a little with a bottle jack.. unscrew the rigging" type of situation so the mast would never be unsupported.

Yep, it all sounds good until a wake in the marina causes the base to shift to the side and the rigging plunges it thru the deck like a bow and arrow or it finds some other way that you didn't think of to fail.

I believe penny wise, pound foolish is the saying.

ausnp84 · 01-12-2015, 04:18

+1 for having a crane do the lift. The mast base takes a lot of load and you don't want that unsupported if wake comes through / a slight gust of wind / etc etc. If you're insured, they'd not be too happy if the mast came down and caused damage.

From the sounds of it you have steps so no need to have a rigger involved and incur additional $$ - climb up and fit the strop where the crane operator suggests (normally about 2/3 of the way up) or where you'd normally fit it, lift it up, do the work, drop it back down. Simples!

n