Lowering and raising a mast 37ft prout snow goose catamaran

[Sharkyj]

Anyone done this.
Just bought this boat stuck in Indian lagoon cocoa beach need to get it home to boot key harbor marathon Florida

[UNCIVILIZED]

What specifically is your question, & or, problem? Do you need model specific tips, instructions on how to DIY a "crane", or other?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Sharkyj

Anyone done this.
Just bought this boat stuck in Indian lagoon cocoa beach need to get it home to boot key harbor marathon Florida

best bet would be to use a small mobile crane,(the mast for the snow goose 37ft, fully rigged weighs less than 160kg),so something like a cherry picker,or 10ton truck crane would be suitable for the job as long as the truck or fork lift can get directly alongside.

then transport mast on the deck to next location where your crane can put it back up

[Sharkyj]

Thank you guys
Yes we have heard many options on whether or not you can drop it and raise it using blocks and tackle or so sort of winch setup.
The mast is 36ft and from the mast to the water is estimated 8 ft. So a total of 44ft is what we need.
The bridge is 42ft clearance at Pineda causeway 404 satalite beach Florida.
We were exploring so sort of lean option.

We are also willing to use some professional assistance if there is a way to avoid a crane as we are looking at estimated $1000 to dap that
Any advice thanks
J

[seaclone]

We are in Melbourne and have seen many lean the mast with anchors or barrels to claer but the water levels are currently very low due to drought you can see the true clearance height on the bridge at the entrance run down and look the indian river which shows 65 feet at high water level is at 70 feet today you may have a foot or two to spare

[Dave22q]

Originally Posted by Sharkyj

Thank you guys
Yes we have heard many options on whether or not you can drop it and raise it using blocks and tackle or so sort of winch setup.
The mast is 36ft and from the mast to the water is estimated 8 ft. So a total of 44ft is what we need.
The bridge is 42ft clearance at Pineda causeway 404 satalite beach Florida.
We were exploring so sort of lean option.

We are also willing to use some professional assistance if there is a way to avoid a crane as we are looking at estimated $1000 to dap that
Any advice thanks
J

My trig is a little rusty but it looks like a 22 deg heel will drop your mast head from 44' to 41' above water. At the center of your boat the height of the mast base above water will drop about 6" which should leave your rail dry. If I'm right all you need to do is figure how to get the desired heel and to maintain it. I suspect you will need a partner boat to stay along side and maintain downward pressure on a halyard extension. Good luck and you might get a smart 10-th grader to verify my math.

[TrentePieds]

Think it through. It sounds like you are going to motor, and you problem is to get rid of a few feet of height to get under a bridge. Your boat is a catamaran.

A couple of lumberyard 2x4s lashed together into a crutch can be mounted to straddle the boat with the "heels" of the crutch stepped, one on each hull near the transoms, and secured there with a lashing. Line already aboard will do the job. A third 2x4 leading forward will make the arrangement into a stable tripod. The mast will - by and by - lie in the crutch.

If the boat hasn't a tabernacle as such, you can, again with lashings, rig a tabernacle of sorts. The trick will be to do it in a manner that prevents the heel of the mast from moving away from the step while still acting as a hinge.

A sheerleg of 2 x 4s, made like crutch, must be stepped at the sheer opposite the mast step. an existing halyard is taken to the top of the sheerleg and secured. 4-part tackles are taken to the apex of the sheerleg from each of the bows. At the beginning of the lowering procedure the sheerleg should be about 30º off the horizontal, leaning forward. As the mast is lowered aft by easing away on the tackles, the sheerleg will rise up, and the triangulation of the setup will enable you to retain control of the mast. If necessary attach guys to the mast to control any thwartships whipping about occasion by any slop where you are lying.

To raise the mast you haul on the tackles and the triangulation furnishes the vectoring you need to get the mast up off the horizontal the first few feet. After that, it's a piecacake.

There is nothing new in this. This was how replacing lower masts was handled in the sailing ships of yore if a mast crane was not available, and that was the case under most circumstances. I've adapted the procedure to suit a catamaran, but the physics of the procedure is what it has always been. It takes lots of string and effort, but hardly any money :-)!

I'll be happy to draw you a picture of the set-up. Unfortunately my antique Manual of Seamanship, where the procedure is illustrated and explained, is stored where I cannot get at it at the moment.

TP

[meirriba]

Excuse my ignorance - how do you make a cat heel?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

My trig is a little rusty but it looks like a 22 deg heel will drop your mast head from 44' to 41' above water. At the center of your boat the height of the mast base above water will drop about 6" which should leave your rail dry. If I'm right all you need to do is figure how to get the desired heel and to maintain it. I suspect you will need a partner boat to stay along side and maintain downward pressure on a halyard extension. Good luck and you might get a smart 10-th grader to verify my math.

on my catamaran i can only get about 2 degrees of heel

using the fulcrum system is an option but you need to get it right the first time .
my advice find a crane and do it in a controlled way,a broken mast is going to cost a lot more than 1k to replace,assuming you are not standing under it ,beside it ,or next to it if it slides ,swivels or falls and kills you or one of your crew.

you really need to look into more crane options as you dont need a big one,a 5ton crane would be more than sufficent! can't belive you would pay more than $75-150 an hr for that,a container truck with its own lift would work.

[Boatguy30]

Here is NE Florida the minimum charge for most cranes is $350. That travel and an hour of operation. Some yards quote $450 plus labor to unstep a mast. Makes it hard on us riggers.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Here is NE Florida the minimum charge for most cranes is $350. That travel and an hour of operation. Some yards quote $450 plus labor to unstep a mast. Makes it hard on us riggers.

eeek! we use an old british telecom telegraph pole truck round here he even lifts small yachts with his 4ton crane,normal charge is about £50 per boat or mast.

i would contact a container trucking company and see if they have somthing suitable,the mast only weighs 300lbs soaking wet

[atoll]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Excuse my ignorance - how do you make a cat heel?

50 knots and full sails should do it.............

[john2445]

I have a Prout Event 34 in Tampa Bay. Lowered the mast partially to get under a bridge. Does the Snowgoose have a tabernackle? If so it can be done with the boom and lines. Be careful, it's a lot of weight.

A yard here charges $250 each way to remove/replace a mast.

Prout owners association -http://www.michaelbriant.com/prout_owners_association.htm has some info.

[Time2Go]

Also try a Tree Service
With a cherry picker
Cheers
Neil

[Cavalier MK2]

If your mast isn't set up with a pivot at the step I'd skip lowering it with blocks as you need to be sure the heel won't kick out. If you do have to pull it with a crane I'd suggest modifying the mast step and mast while it is out then you are set for the future.

On a Prout with the mast aft you will lower the mast forward using the mainsheet tackle if it is strong enough with the boom set up as a gin pole. Blocks and lines have to be run for adjustable side stays to keep the right tension going up and down. Basically you pull up or let down a bit, adjust everything then do it again. You'll need to lead the end of the mainsheet tackle to a winch and do the math on the line length you'll need a lot. Times how many parts in the tackle by the length of the pull point to the masthead. Picking up you need to remember to have the forestay connected to keep the mast from dropping aft once it is up. Going up and down you have to constantly check for hangups. I can do this solo but a helper can speed it up. It is a slow, very controlled process.

As mentioned there are other ways depending on what is on hand. This is the Searunner method.

You'll notice the diagonal lines with tackle to the end of the gin pole to keep it centered as it goes up and down. The halyard to it's end keeps it at right angles.