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Old 26-11-2022, 09:14   #1
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Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

This is a heavier mast than other for this boat - twice we have torn out the tabernacle - and now I know why - you have to keep the mast high in the slot on the tabernacle while it starts to rotate up so the bottom corner isnt catching on the metal tabernacle surface.

So we want to try a lift or small crane to grab the mast and raise it up so we can position it in the tabernacle. I am worried about all the shrouds that could get in the way but should be doable. My question is whatever strap or rope the operator uses to lift the mast, how do they get it off once the mast is up?. Dont want to climb the mast.

We are thinking of trying to get a tree pruning/cutting bucket like lift and the person in the bucket could just wrap a rope around the mast and the bucket and then easily remove it. Suggestions or thoughts?
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Old 26-11-2022, 10:06   #2
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

On every mast I have been involved in raising, big or small a loop is tied on the lifting line that is a fairly loose fit. The loop is at or slightly above the balance point of the mast so that the mast can be manhandled into alignment. The tail of that lifting line is secured near the base of the mast, in easy reach once the mast is raised. Once the mast is in place pull down on the tail to get the line off.

This is for single spreader rigs where the balance point is below the spreader. For larger masts the same process is used but someone has to go up to untie the loop since it is above the lower spreaders.
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Old 26-11-2022, 13:43   #3
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

thanks for that tip - it seems so simple, the loop you always say I should have thought of that.

However I am not sure I understand why having the loop above the spreader would make a difference - why you couldnt just pull the other part of the line through the loop.

And I think on my mast the balance point might be above the single spreader.

Thanks again
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Old 26-11-2022, 13:46   #4
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

So now I figured it out - because it was loose when the loop was made once the lifting is done the loop pulls it down the mast and so a spreader would be in the way. I am aging, can you tell?
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Old 26-11-2022, 14:08   #5
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

So any idea how the marinas lift a big mast up and get the rope or strap off when mast is up?
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Old 26-11-2022, 14:24   #6
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

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Originally Posted by Chimera96 View Post
So any idea how the marinas lift a big mast up and get the rope or strap off when mast is up?
They have someone that goes up the mast to undo the line. Either lifted by the crane or go up on a halyard.
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Old 26-11-2022, 14:37   #7
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

There are many ways to do it.


If the lowest spreaders are above the balance point then it is common to use an endless loop of webbing about 8' long. The webbing goes through the hook, then the doubled webbing goes around the mast, and then goes through the hook again. This makes a sling that will come loose easily rather than tightening onto the mast. Most marinas have the hook and ball on the crane covered with padding so that incidental contact with the mast won't cause surface damage.


In some cases, a line a little shorter than the distance from the spreaders to a structural component near the base of the mast (such as a large cleat or a winch) is run down from the hook, and fastened to one of the structural components, so that once the mast is vertical, the lifting force is on that component and the sling just serves to keep the mast vertical without putting the lifting force on the spreaders.


Be careful lifting from a bucket. Loss of control of the load can lead to someone being thrown out of the bucket, like a catapult.
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Old 26-11-2022, 14:40   #8
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

Try this



https://imgur.com/V1aSfTo
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Old 26-11-2022, 15:13   #9
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

This is a 23 ft trailer-sailer we are talking about? You shouldn’t need big boat methods to raise the mast. Seems like fixing the mast catching on the edge of the step/tabernacle would be an easier and cheaper solution than renting equipment.

A gin pole, some baby-stays, and a line on the forstay or jib halyard led back to a winch should be all you need. If the mast is catching on an edge, why not put a rub plate in front that is level or a little taller than the problem edge?
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Old 26-11-2022, 15:37   #10
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chimera96 View Post
This is a heavier mast than other for this boat - twice we have torn out the tabernacle - and now I know why - you have to keep the mast high in the slot on the tabernacle while it starts to rotate up so the bottom corner isnt catching on the metal mast step Suggestions or thoughts?
I have a nimble 26. It's mast is heavier than my west Wight potter.
It has a larger tabernacle than a compact 23. I discovered something that might help. If I don't attach the stays until after the mast is up. The mast doesn't come into contact with the mast step at all. It can be easily raised if you have sufficient strength to lift it.
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Old 26-11-2022, 16:16   #11
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

Thanks - the base of the gin pole - are those lines running to the side of the boat? What is on the deck under the base of it? Some cushioning? How is the lifting line released when done?
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Old 26-11-2022, 18:00   #12
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

Three people and about 1 minute to 'plant the flag' on this Compac 23
Two on the mast and one on the forestay

Just after the 4 minute mark the guy does a little lift, assuming he's clearing the catch you are seeing on yours.

https://youtu.be/20PJzQGla_w

I raise the mast on my 21' alone. I have baby stays to keep the mast centered and use the red 4:1 mainsheet hooked to a gin pole. The gin pole forms a triangle with the mast and forestay and the mainsheet goes on the gin pole opposite the mast. Once the mast is in the step there are no obstructions to its arc of being raised. I do have to undo the baby stays to get the mast base into the step. I also raise/lower the mast with an extended crutch in the gudgeons.
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Old 26-11-2022, 19:33   #13
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

To clarify, when I said gin pole, I’m referring to what Spot shows in his picture: a pole that attaches near the base of the mast and functions to redirect the pulling line, so you aren’t pulling against some vanishingly small angle at the bottom. An independently supported gin pole that lifts the weight of the mast is only needed you have no good pivot mechanism at the step.

My gin pole on my Macgregor 25 is literally an old broom handle that I notched at one end for the forstay to sit in, and filed down at the other to fit in the mounting hole in the mast. Presumably there was a ‘real’ gin pole at some point in the boat’s life as there is the mounting hole for it. The broomstick works just fine so far.
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Old 26-11-2022, 19:48   #14
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chimera96 View Post
Thanks - the base of the gin pole - are those lines running to the side of the boat? What is on the deck under the base of it? Some cushioning? How is the lifting line released when done?

My Morgan 25 came with a fairly ambitious gin pole provided by the previous owner. It had a 12" square plywood base with a cutout for the mast step, that was covered with carpet. The pole was made out of three pieces of EMT conduit with hose clamps as stoppers. It had four guy wires with turnbuckles. It had a winch from a boat trailer bolted onto it with u-bolts, and galvanized wire loaded on, and a block for that at the top of the pole. The whole thing was big and heavy and a nuisance to set up, but it worked well. I scrapped it after the first year in favor of a much simpler setup.
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Old 27-11-2022, 03:59   #15
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Re: Trouble raising mast on Compac 23 sailboat

I always thought this guys method was really good. Worth a watch !



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