Chrysler Sailors Forum

So we have all seen the "stepping the mast alone" tips etc. I have a new one for you...

This week the Annemarie is comming home with me from the marina and will be in my neighbors driveway for a few weeks so i can finish up a few projects (rebedding the deck hardware) and get her in the water... So i need to take the mast down from the deck, any thoughts on how best to take the mast off of the deck and then get it back on board ?

I presume you have to do this alone?
If you have a roller on the stern or stern rail can you roll it off the aft until the mast balance is such that you can gently set the far end on the ground? Then get off the boat, go to the end and lift and roll until the base of the mast is left on the roller. Then tie a line to it and lower the last little bit by rope and hand?


Just thinking. See my 22's sit end to end in the driveway so I can just slide a mast onto the other boat as necessary! LOL!

Scott

Is there a tree of some overhang that you could back the boat under, lift the mast up/off the boat, then pull the boat out from under the hanging mast. Leaving the mast hanging untill your done.
Just a thought

Mariner I used the method Scott described to remove EE's mast. I also tied a slack line from toe rail over the mast to the other toe rail in a few places so it had to keep coming back to the stern and couldn't 'get away' from me and fall overboard before I was ready to put the first end on the ground.

To move the mast around on the ground I took an old tire rim, stood it up under the mast at one, picked the other end up, and away I went. Had to stop and move the wheel back to the end a couple times but it helped a lot.

FWIW, I lower the mast using the jin pole. I have also made up a total hack support, a couple of crossed 2x4s, an 8' 2x4 raising up from the cross, and two small pieces of wood making a 'v' at the end. The idea is to lower the mast so that it comes down into the 'v'. Once the support has the weight, I move to the cockpit, and move the mast off of its base, and lay it on the deck. Clear the shrouds from the spreaders, and remove the spreaders. Go forward again, and disconnect the shrouds/stays from the hull and tie them to the mast ( I just use half a dozen pieces of rope ).

Once the mast is disconnected from the boat, I can go to the step ladder, and shimmy the mast forward till its balanced in your arms, clear the end from the support, and you can, carefully, lift it off and move around with it.

It can be helpful to have a second person to keep a hand on the support, to keep it from going to the sides, and helping you clear the mast from it when you go to lift.

To replace the mast, simply reverse the above.

I made a wood "mast carrier" that spans the pushpit and holds the mast up a bit higher to clear my main hatch mounted solar panel during mast stepping. After a couple of outtings and having some trouble, I added a keel roller from a trailer parts place. Now it just rolls happily along.

I do things the hard way - alone and by muscle power. After untying the mast from both pulpit & pushpit I, because the pushpit is wider, lift the masthead end over the lifeline so it straddles between the stantions. I thne move back to that location and lift it high over my head to clear the spreaders of the lifeline and the base raises enough for me to lift the whole thing off and onto my shoulder. I carry it where I want to work on it, put it down and then go and take a nap.

Hay Paul I've this large stump in my back yard I need removed and I'm too cheap to rent a stump grinder. Any chance of you stopping by and pulling it out by hand?

Terrence
Wilmington N C
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandroa (for now)

I believe you're thinking of my friends in Arkansas who can get it out with their dineymight.

Thanks for the tips, had a bitbofbhelp from my 11 year old we, just picked it up and carried it away! Now I hope I can get it back on board and get the standing rigging right!