pacific seacraft 25 - how to unstep mast?

jmoesswilde · #1 (**permalink**) 03-19-2011

i am planning to close on a psc 25 on march 25 and need to take the mast down for transporting boat from vermont to maine. does anyone have any tips on how best to lower the mast - on a tabernacle-?

oceangirl · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2011

Hi James, I had a 25 and loved her. I hope you have as much fun as I did! Here is an article with the basic set up that I used, hope it helps. I could lower or raise my mast by myself (25 y/o 110 lb girl) with grace and nary a curse word.
No Fear Mast Stepping

Cheers,

Erika

jmoesswilde · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2011

oceangirl,
thank you for the article for mast stepping. i had heard about gin poles, but now i am in the know thanks to you.
i am not a james, but a joanne and i sometimes use the name watergirl, so i guess we are sisters. this is my first boat so i have much to learn.
thanks again and happy sailing.
joanne

oceangirl · #4 (**permalink**) 03-21-2011

he he, Hi Watergirl.

You sure picked a winner for your first boat. I had a blast in my PS25. One of the many characteristics that I loved about her was her big boat feel, she may be 25 feet but she sails like a 30+. Also she is a fantastic sailor. I could set the sails and let her tiller go free, marveling in her grace in the light air and pluck in the heavy stuff. Sniff sniff dang I miss that boat! If you need anything or have questions just give me a holler.
your sis

,
Erika

willyd · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011

A bit late for replying, but for the record you can unstep the mast without the gin pole - just run a line from the cockpit through a block at the bow and attach it to the jib halyard. This will serve as a forestay that you can slowly let out as you lower the mast. Then undo the forestay and have your helper(s) support the mast on the way down - lowering it aft, of course. Put a life preserver on the stern pulpit and rest the mast on this while you undo the bolt in the tabernacle, then move the whole thing forward until the base of the mast is at the bow. The tabernacle can be used to hold the mast at mid-section.

I've had good luck completely stopping the mast by using this line attached to the jib halyard to control it - even when the mast was beyond 45 degrees - by using the jib sheet winch and even cleating it off to check how smoothly things were going. Pick a calm day and things should go alright and don't let the windex hit the dock and get broken like I've heard can happen.