Bajaman
Hemet, CA
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1990 Wing
Hull No. 15155
Hailing Port: San Diego/Los Angeles, CA |
 12/27/2007 7:40 PM Pacific Time
New 1990 C22 wing keel owner here! Great site and great ideas from you guys!
I am looking at devising a way to raise my mast singlehanded and without doing so from deck (feel safer on ground). I'd like to have something attached to trailer so as not have to take along an A frame or gin pole. I trailer to all sailing locales so I need an easy to use system that is reliable, safe, and effective.
I have a telescoping transom mast raiser that raises the top of mast to nearly 45 degrees. I am now thinking of adding a telescoping set up at bow of trailer just behind bow winch. I have seen these before on boats. I believe it is a 6 foot piece of 3" box tube (galvanized steel) and a 3 foot section of 2 1/2 " box tube that slides in the larger box tube. At top of
2 1/2 " tube would be a 4-5 inch roller. A winch would be mounted to 3" tube (at near same height as bow winch) and from here a strap would be fed up to roller and then back to a halyard. Then you simply crank winch to raise mast. This system would be bolted to trailer, therefore, eliminating the need to take along a gin pole or A frame. I would also be using a bridle baby stays to minimize mast sway during raising/lowering.
Anybody use/have this system and could comment on its effectiveness and ease of use?
Thanks for the assistance! |
Ken G. Brown
Boat Name:
Model/Year: '88 Swing Keel
Hull No. #14764
Hailing Port: Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
12/28/2007 11:01 AM Pacific Time
I have found that baby stays are almost impossible to get adjusted so they are snug when the mast is both low and higher since the geometry changes on the way up unless the pivot points exactly coincide with the mast step pin. I went with a tubing a-frame connected to a slider in the mast and it works great. I think you will find the performance of any cable based system of side to side mast stabilizing to be disappointing in comparison, no matter what method you use for the actual raising, manual or mechanical.
Ken G. Brown |
Dick Reynolds
Lebanon, Oregon
Boat Name: Catnip
Model/Year: Swing Keel / 1974
Hull No. 4570
Hailing Port: Newport, Oregon |
12/28/2007 5:22 PM Pacific Time
I on the other hand feel it would work just fine. My only comment would be that instead of the 3"X3" and 21/2" tubing you use 11/2" and 11/4" tubing. The only thing is that you will be up and down many times. I have not yet managed to raise my mast without something hanging up |
Bajaman
Hemet, CA
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1990 Wing
Hull No. 15155
Hailing Port: San Diego/Los Angeles, CA |
12/30/2007 8:41 PM Pacific Time
Ken, any chance you can email me some pics of your sliding A frame system?
Also, my mast is rigged with CDI furler and adds weight to raising/lowering, hence, the need for a stable, secure, safe way to handle mast raisisng/lowering.
What do you use for the raising/lowering?
Thanks,
my email: [email protected] |
Ken G. Brown
Boat Name:
Model/Year: '88 Swing Keel
Hull No. #14764
Hailing Port: Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
12/31/2007 1:55 PM Pacific Time
The best pics I have so far are here:
I have since removed the cables for the gin pole, along with the little triangular attachment pieces. I then made a tubing a-frame for the gin pole as well that attaches to the forward shroud deck connections and slides on the gin pole. I am not all that happy with the gin pole yet, no doubt it could be just the a-frame if the tubes and attachments to the deck were strong enough. There is hardly any side force on the gin pole so it does not take much to keep it centered, however you do need something otherwise it will flop to one side or the other. On the other hand there is quite a lot of force along the gin pole, especially when the mast is lowest. When I first tried it, I folded the bottom part of the gin pole over like a pretzel and had to reinforce it.
Ken
----
Ken, any chance you can email me some pics of your sliding A frame system?
Also, my mast is rigged with CDI furler and adds weight to raising/lowering, hence, the need for a stable, secure, safe way to handle mast raisisng/lowering.
What do you use for the raising/lowering?
Thanks, |
Ken G. Brown
Boat Name:
Model/Year: '88 Swing Keel
Hull No. #14764
Hailing Port: Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
12/31/2007 1:56 PM Pacific Time
How do you get a link to stay in the message?
Here is the link:
http://homepage.mac.com/kbrown/PhotoAlbum11.html
Ken |
Ken G. Brown
Boat Name:
Model/Year: '88 Swing Keel
Hull No. #14764
Hailing Port: Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
12/31/2007 1:58 PM Pacific Time
Ok, at first I had the link inside angle brackets and it disappeared when I posted.
I THOUGHT I had posted the link when I answered the first time.
Ken |
Bajaman
Hemet, CA
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1990 Wing
Hull No. 15155
Hailing Port: San Diego/Los Angeles, CA |
12/31/2007 6:18 PM Pacific Time
Ken, thanks for the link. Your rigid stays look great. Do they really keep the mast from swaying too much? How long are they?
If I can't find those brackets from CD, what else can be used? I am not sure where else I ca find those angled brackets.
What about using your rigid stay and the raising system I was speking about (tall post mounted to bow of trailer0. This would only require having to bring along the rigid stays, as the mast raising system would be trailer mounted. I am going to contact Trail-Rite trailers, as they make the trailers for the C-250 that have the trailer mounted mast raising system as a factory option. Thoughts???
Thanks! |
Ken G. Brown
Boat Name:
Model/Year: '88 Swing Keel
Hull No. #14764
Hailing Port: Leduc, Alberta, Canada |
01/07/2008 8:35 AM Pacific Time
I believe these are the same deck brackets, used for biminis:
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=33714
Other people have done something similar to my a-frame but run a bit longer tubes down to the base of their life line stanchions, maybe that would avoid making holes in the cabin roof. I only mounted them there because I was following the CD instructions. But now that they are there, I like the position ok and also the quick release. Don't worry about putting the angle wedge under the base, the tube ends can be bent a bit to handle the angle.
My a-frame with slider system will work great no matter how you actually pull the mast up. And yes, it really keeps the mast centered very closely depending on slop in the mast slot mainly I think. The tubes are fairly firmly attached to the mast slider so that helps keep things tight there. You cannot even push the mast to one side or other very much without a lot of force.
My personal opinion is that I would not bother with a trailer mounted post for pulling the mast up, although it would probably work ok. Would not have to be too high either if you have the mast crutch at the transom getting the mast up high enough to give some angle advantage for pulling it up. It takes quite a bit of force to pull the mast up especially at the start when it is low.
Make yourself a good ladder on the trailer at the bow and you will no longer worry about going up on the boat for raising. My ladder was a great addition. Being up on the boat for raising gives the advantage of easily keeping things from catching, and you could even do the stepping while on the water if you want.
My tubes were 6 ft long, just the default length of the first ones I found at the hardware store. I don't think length is too overly critical but you want to be sure the tubes clear everything on the deck when the mast is at its lowest. Too long would make them a bit less resistant to bending while in use, too short might let the slider come out of the mast slot. They do not have to resist a tremendous amount of side force unless you leave the main halyard hooked to the lifeline like I did once :). Someone on another list suggested using telescoping poles like they have for paint roller handles. I think that is a good idea, it would make stowing quite a bit better. I am looking around for some nice telescoping poles somewhere and I may retrofit if I find a nice set. I would prefer positive locking ones, but in my mind's eye, even the ones that twist lock with the plastic squeeze system would do the job. You would want them easily positionable to the same length both sides.
Ken
|
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
01/07/2008 11:01 PM Pacific Time
I can send pictures of my rigid a frame system that is cheap and sturdy. Used it to raise the mast single handed on the C25 as well as the C22. Anyone wanting a photo send me an email to [email protected] |
