How To Lower The Mast!

[delmarrey]

Had a strange sight today. Heard this grinding sound from out on the estuary. Here's this boat anchored out in the middle. I see the roller furling go slack and then the mast started leaning aft. So, I grab the binoculars and I see a small line from the mast head to the winch.

Apparently, this guy, all by himself, was lowering the mast away from the marina, good thing too! After a bit the mast started taking a sideways position, and then splash! In the water it goes. and the roller furling sinks to the bottom.

This is a hell of a way to save money. Anyway he managed to drag it back up on the boat, pulled anchor and motored away wiping the sweat from his brow.

Sorry about the quality of pictures. The wind was blowing the dock around pretty good.


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[roverhi]

Westsails with LeFiel masts often had a tabernacle base. Supposed to allow you to drop the mast using the boom, topping lift, and mainsheet to control the lowering and raising. Didn't have much sideways support so wouldn't have attempted it except in a very quiet marina with a lot of help. There is a video somewhere of someone actually lowering their W32 mast this way. Originally spec'd for a boat in the inner harbor at Santa Cruz because of a low bridge but worked really well to just change the rake of the mast.

Tabernacles that allowed easy mast lowering were quite common in the Low Countries because of the numerous bridges in the canals. Those tabernacle bases usually had tall sides to support the mast athwartship. The LeFiel set up didn't have the high sides and would have been prone to the mast going over the side without manned guy lines. Apparently this guy didn't have a proper tabernacle or the help needed to keep the mast on center line. Amazed he would try it at anchor by himself. Masts are heavy buggers to try and haul back aboard by one person.

[thinwater]

Lowered the mast many times on my Stiletto. However...

1. Only someplace dead calm. No waves or wakes.
2. The jib halyard goes to one beam and the spin halyard to the other. Tight. This works better on a cat, since the beam is wide and gives an attachment point.
3. Good gin pole engineering is required.

Otherwise....

[Neeltje]

I've read stories about Tjalk owners lowering their mast while running, but I certainly wouldn't try this at home, and definitely not solo. It's enough of a chore for three to do it at dock, and even with a relatively stocky tabernacle, I'd hate to see the boat get rocked at any time during the 5 minute process.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Westsails with LeFiel masts often had a tabernacle base. Supposed to allow you to drop the mast using the boom, topping lift, and mainsheet to control the lowering and raising. Didn't have much sideways support so wouldn't have attempted it except in a very quiet marina with a lot of help. There is a video somewhere of someone actually lowering their W32 mast this way. Originally spec'd for a boat in the inner harbor at Santa Cruz because of a low bridge but worked really well to just change the rake of the mast.

Tabernacles that allowed easy mast lowering were quite common in the Low Countries because of the numerous bridges in the canals. Those tabernacle bases usually had tall sides to support the mast athwartship. The LeFiel set up didn't have the high sides and would have been prone to the mast going over the side without manned guy lines. Apparently this guy didn't have a proper tabernacle or the help needed to keep the mast on center line. Amazed he would try it at anchor by himself. Masts are heavy buggers to try and haul back aboard by one person.

Hard to tell at the distance, but could very well be a Nor'Sea27 by Lyle Hess. My arrangement has upper shrouds 'hinged' in line with the tabernacle bolt. Provided at each hinge are two shackles, one wider so one pin fits through both and longer than the other. Two lengths of safety wire with small shackles at each end permit attachment to the boom bail from the smaller of the two shackles. These keep the boom aligned during lowering or raising the mast. From the larger shackle on each side runs a heavier stainless wire with track cars that are affixed to tracks on both sides of the cockpit. These supposedly keep the mast centered while being raised or lowered. Proper tensional adjustment of these wires is critical. Otherwise one may be under more tension than the other as the mast comes down, actually pulling the mast excessively to one side. Been there, done that and seeing the mast bend as it occurs is a gut wrenching experience.

[crazyoldboatguy]

I do it the "wrong" way as well. Wrong uses a wire bridle to connect the aft end of the boom to the upper shroud hinge/turnbuckle. I use a 3/8" 3 strand rope. The reason is I can tighten the line to put tension into the rig. As tight as I make that line (I use a truckers hitch) it still has some give. This is important because the geometry of the imaginary line that goes from one shroud hinge, thru the mast hinge and out the other shroud hinge, isn't perfect. I have raised and lowered the 35' aluminum mast (4"X6" cross section) on my fractional rigged east coast Triton for many years with no trouble.