Finnsailer hinged mast question

[Chrissy2]

I am wondering if anyone has instructions for raising and lowering a Finnsailer 35 hinged mast. I know they are designed so this can be done easily on the water to go under low bridges. I am just not sure of the exact procedure.

Any help would be welcome!

Thanks

[atoll]

it is a very simple process!
but you will need 2 poles or idealy spinnaker poles,that are the right lenth for the existing rig.

here is how it goes,lay out the mast with the bottom in the gallows and put the thru bolt in,mast top facing aft.

attach all your rigging except forestay,and any shrouds that would be fwd of the mast.

tie your two poles together to form an "A" ,pass the forestay through the V and tie in place about 2ft from from the wire terminal,attach your mainsheet block and tackle to the terminal and the other end to the base of the forestay chain plate.(you may need a longer rope for the block and tackel)

now hold your two poles up and attach the end of each pole to the chain plate of the upper shrouds on either side.

you should now have an "A" frame in the air with the block and tackel ready to pull on.

it also helps to use the topping lift and main halyard to stabalise the mast as it goes up if the boat is not completly level.

pull untill the mast is vertical,and put a rolling hitch on the forestay so you can take off the block and tackel and fit the pin in to the bottlescrew.

easy!

here is a photo of me doing it on my cat a few weeks ago.