Cut mast in half???

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by massnspace

NOT in the ICW but coastal when the weather window was good.

When you say "Great Loop" I assumed a trip using the Erie canal and the ICW.
You didn't make yourself clear about your intentions until about post #20 or so.
Had you clearly defined your intended route in the very first post the answers you would have got would have been clearer and better suited to your intended trip.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by massnspace

Please detail how you easily lowered the mast without any help….I’m interested….

It comes down to being rigged to allow it to happen.

I used a set of steel tube poles which were pivoted on the forward chain plates and had eyes on the forward end. I used the inner forestay shackled to the eyes and a six part block system with the running block also shackled to the pole end eyes. The fixed block was shackled to the deck eye for the inner forestay and I ran the hoisting cable forward to the capstan on the anchor winch.

I'd tighten everything up and remove the forestay pin and then allow a little slack on the hoisting line and cleat the end off, then go pull on the backstay to get the mast back over centre then lower it the required amount and tie it off again. To get it back up was a simple matter of a foot on the winch switch and tail the running line out.

A deck stepped mast is required and it is preferable to have the upper and intermediate shrouds so that they and the mast all swivel around the same vertical and horizontal centres.

[deblen]

Many Youtube videos on gin pole mast raising/lowering:


https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...lboat+gin+pole


and the experts in Perth,W. Au: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...st-283818.html