Raising a Mast by Hand?

[danscotttrudel]

Can you raise the mast on a thirty foot boat by hand. I was talking with a guy who had i believe a thirty six for boat and he was saying it costs him a few bucks(can't remember the exact price) when he had to have a crane lift his mast in and out. I would like to have a boat that i can do this manually. I assume different boats in the same length category have different mast which are lighter or heavier. Maybe someone can inlighten me on this. Thanks for the help.

[SaucySailoress]

We did. We bought a derelict Eliminator32 which had just a mast and a head, besides the hull, and completely rebuilt her. Luckily found the boom hidden in the corner of the yard. Relaunched her on Valentine's Day 2002. With the help of a load of ropes and half the yacht club, raised the mast by hand, and set it down in the head. Had to buy a new head as well after that.

[Target9000]

If the mast is on a tabernacle base it is doable even with some fairly heavy masts.

[danscotttrudel]

Thanks guys. Target9000 that is exactly what i needed to know.

[Target9000]

Also see:

Westsail Tabernacle Mast Movie - YouTube

[Cheechako]

setup properly it can be done.

[Tar34]

Easy!
Raising Phoenix - YouTube

[Rex Delay]

I have done it on land and seen it done at sea. Raft another similar or larger boat each side and use their halyards to hoist and lower into position. Takes time and patience but works well.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Tar34

Easy!
Raising Phoenix - YouTube

Sometimes a $150 crane job just seems to make a lot of sense!

[danscotttrudel]

Well the only experience i have with raising a mast is with my 27ft luger. It has a tabernacle(excuse me if i spelt that wrong) and it is easy to raise. It only takes about ten min. If i could get a new boat in the thirty foot range with a mast as easy to put up as my current boat i could save 600 bucks a year(at $150 up and down twice as i plan on using it both up north in summer and down south in winter).

[Hudson Force]

'much easier if deck stepped over a compression post than stepped on the keel. Most manage to triangulate a hoist using the boom or a similar long pole to gain an angle for leverage to a winch.

[Tar34]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Sometimes a $150 crane job just seems to make a lot of sense!

Happily, I was behind the camera, quiet as a church mouse.

[boating2go]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Sometimes a $150 crane job just seems to make a lot of sense!

Cheechako your statement makes a lot of sense to me.

[ketchman]

Here are some of my thoughts on raising/lowering the mast. For this is my plan to do when or before entering into erie canal from the west end. Being a carpenter I can do wood, so im going to build with 2x4s a framed hoist that rest on deck and chocked up against toe rail and then tied together/braced @ the bottom just behind the forward of the rear and forward shourds on each side.Then tie together frame from across the boat.The height of the block/hoist should be 3 to 4 feet above spreaders in front or rear of mast or which ever way you wish to swing bottom mast. With this set up after the mast is laid out on boat,tie loop around speaders pull on block/hoist line while the other walks bottom over untill rest on mast step,then attach shourds boom you got it, this can be done with as little of two/three people.Hope this helps.I'm doing this because the marinas @ each end of the erie canal take advantage of sailboaters and thier position. If they were charging a fair price then I would'nt mind paying, but either way I would like to keep my money in my pocket instead of putting it in theirs for being unjust in thier services!

[Cormorant]

Also Google "mast raising gin pole" for a workable system.