Raising and lowering mast

[mikemilt]

I’ve read a lot about diy raising and lowering of the mast. I’ve seen videos of a w32 mast lowering and this encouraged me to give it a try. Short story it was a disaster when I tried to raise and of course haven’t gotten to lowering yet.
Is it reasonable to think a larger boat similar to a w32 old be handled this way.

Feedback welcomed

[psk125]

W32 is a Westsail 32? The deck-stepped mast would make it easier to step/unstep than a keel-stepped mast, but it's still a hefty spar. What videos are you referring to? It would seem that using a gin pole forward of the step might work, along with having the upper and aft shrouds in place to keep the mast centered. Holding the butt of the mast in place might be tricky, but using the boat's winches should make it possible to DIY if you have a couple of friends and liability insurance.

[Jammer]

I think the practical max is somewhere around 25' boat length, maybe more with several able-bodied helpers. The rig has to be set up for it, and unless the shrouds are directly abeam of, and at the same height, as the tabernacle hinge, you'll need some sort of stabilizing rigging to keep the mast centered port-to-starboard or you'll overload the hinge and break it.


Rigs other than sloop rigs have shorter, lighter masts and so you can get away with a somewhat larger boat and still have the ability to step the masts yourself. e.g. schooner, ketch, lug.

[deblen]

Check Perth,WA-for larger boat mast lowerin/raising.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...st-283818.html


https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...-283818-3.html

[MicHughV]

Best advice I can give here is to have two sailboats tied alongside you, one each side.
Use a halyard from each, tied beneath the spreaders using a big loop, so the halyards can slide down once the mast is up (or down).
It helps to have a few extra hands on deck to steady things.
The lift needs to be co-ordinated between halyards, so the tension is equal both sides.
I expect the mast and rigging to be around 400 lbs, so while heavy, it is manageable and relatively easy to maneuver by hand once it is hanging free.

Lowering the mast is the same principle as raising it, but all stays and shrouds need to be loosened and removed once the halyard tension is applied. You can use your own halyards to steady and direct the motion.

Think it thru' first, so that you won't have any last minute hangups. Make sure the lifting halyards are not old and frayed, etc.

Like anything else, make sure you have liability insurance, etc. You don't want you or anyone else to get hurt or boats damaged.

Short of the above, you can rent a small crane, or use travel lift arms to do the heavy lifting.

Good luck.

[wholybee]

I have seen videos of it done on a W32, and I would not attempt it. It looked like there was a lot that could go wrong, and a lot of people and a couple other boats involved.

Some marinas have a crane for launching trailer sailors. That would be an option to DIY and avoid a boat yard. Last time I unstepped my mast, with a riggers help, that is what the rigger choose to use instead of taking my boat to the boatyard.

[Statistical]

It would never even occur to me to lower the mast on a 30+ foot boat and I do 95%+ of the work myself.

Pretty rare to need to lower the mast on a mooring/slipped 30+ foot boat so it isn't a skill you will ever get good at. Lot can go wrong, damage to other vessels nearby can be significant.

I would say have boatyard lower it and do everything you need including all proactive upgrades/replacements for the next decade or so.

[capt jgw]

I no longer have a sailboat but on the last one I had my wife and I raised and lowered the mast by ourselves almost every winter. It was a Columbia 36 with a deck stepped 41 foot single spreader mast that weighed at least 300lb. The yard we stored in has a permanent gin pole which is a hand crank crane about 45 feet high. With the gin pole it's pretty easy, you just tie a strong line around the mast leaving enough tail to reach the deck from the spreaders. Connect the crane to that and lift until it takes the weight of the mast. Then disconnect all the stays and lower it to the deck. Raising is just the opposite. With a keel stepped mast you just have to lift 7 or 8 feet higher to clear the deck. Multiple spreaders do make it more complicated, you have to go aloft and tie the lifting line above the mast's balance point or the whole thing will flip over when it clears the step. That could kill you.

[MicHughV]

For a comparison, when I built my first boat, a ketch, it had a 40' main mast and a 30' mizzen mast.

It took 4 guys to walk the main mast (fully rigged) down to the water, where the crane that launched the boat, also stepped the mast.

The mizzen mast I could pick up by myself, and stand up right and affix to the boat on my own with relative ease.

I think it's easier to put a mast on compared to taking one off.

[capt jgw]

I learned how to do it after watching the yard step my mast. I thought at the time "well that was easy, why am I paying them to do it?" I found the yard with the gin pole they let you use the same year I had some repairs to do up top. I stored there that winter and have been storing there the ten years since. The trick is there's not very many of those gin poles around. Another yard in our area had one but somebody broke it lifting an engine or something. Instead of fixing it they just took it down and now they get to charge you $500 to do it with their crane.