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Setting mast and rigging by ourselves

1188 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by UnionPacific, Sep 17, 2014

71Seafer34

Discussion Starter · Sep 17, 2014

Hello again everyone! We are two weeks away from setting off on our journey south and are preparing our vessel. I would like some input from you all concerning our mast stepping procedure. We have all new rigging, the original rigging is of limited use for dimensions because the mast has been modified and raised up. Long story short part of the mast base was removed by a previous owner due to corrosion, and rigging was re-sized or moved accordingly. I raised mast back up and also replaced masthead, so cannot rely at all of original specs. So, I plan on cutting all stays a foot long and attaching them to the masthead and shroud anchor point, will also have halyards run through sheaves. We will be using a gin pole crane at the Castleton Boat Club in Castleton NY, we will be in the water. This pole can handle a 70' mast I am told, ours is 45' roughly. My plan is to choke the masthead with a tail to release it and hold the mast vertical while I measure and cut my stays. I know that this will be tricky but I have confidence that my girlfriend and I can do it. So my questions are perhaps simple but I do not want to assume anything here. Here is my order of operations for setting the mast:

1.) start with the forestay because this has no turnbuckle, this is the critical measurement so I am a little concerned over the mast rake. I have read 7 degrees? I have the original specs for the boats forestay but do not trust it given the mods to this rig

SEAFARER 34 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

2. ) cut backstay with turnbuckle 2/3 of the way out to leave room for tensioning

3.) use level at mast and self leveling laser (assuring vessle is level from side to side) and plumb mast, then cut masthead shrounds to length, turnbuckles 2/3 way out

4.) Place some tension on all main stays and then cut lower shroud stay with turnbuckles at about half or so depending on other turnbuckles positons

5.) use my newly aquired Loos shroud tension guage to set tension on rig according to working limit for wire diameters per instructions.

The forestay is the only question mark and its length. It has a furlex furler and no turnbuckle as I stated earlier. We are using Hayn mechanical terminals so all swaging is done by hand Does anyone have input on this? ANY advice or suggestions from those of you who have done this or worked on your rig are greatly appreciated. THANKS

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knuterikt

· #2 · Sep 17, 2014 (Edited)

I would not like to do a job like that with the mast hanging of the crane..
Any small shift of weight or waves from a passing boat make this unpleasant.

If you have a keel stepped mast I would just have dropped the mast in place and slacked off the hoist. Using the halyards to position the masthead while measuring the wires.

I you have a deck stepped mast you need enough ropes to stay the mast temporarily.
fore and aft and side ways (4 in total) if you don't have 4 halyards you could tie some temporary stays to the mast head before raising the mast.
step the mast, put the temporary stays/shrouds in place, remove crane.

I have linked this before http://www.seldenmast.com/files/595-540-E.pdf

Edit:
You must raise the mast without the furlex installed
As for the sequence:
Cap shrouds (top shrouds)
Lower shrouds
Backstay
Forestay (headstay), take the stay down and assemble furler and install stay.

You must take the furling assembly into account when measuring the forestay

You can find the furlex documentation here
Assembly and operation : Seldén Mast AB

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71Seafer34

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 17, 2014

good advice and excellent link. I will look at the original rigging again and see if I can do the math to my satisfaction, maybe at least get the forestay length and furler assembled. I will follow all of your advice, the halyards are a very good idea! I revised my approach and will set the mast, make all measurement to seat of the upper turnbuckle terminals then unstep the mast and do all cutting and swaging on the ground. I have gotten some good advice on this. Still open to more suggestions

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Vasco

· #4 · Sep 17, 2014

I would not do this at Castleton. The few bucks you save at the DIY crane is just not worth it. I was helping a fellow cruiser do his mast there once when we got badly waked (happens often here) and the mast fell down. In addition I do not know if they will allow you the time you need to do what you want. It is difficult for two people to rig a mast here as one has to be up on the bluff cranking the hand crane and you need at least another two folks down on the dock. Your best bet is Riverview at Catskill. Might cost a bit more but it is sheltered with no chance of being bounced around.

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UnionPacific

· #5 · Sep 17, 2014

you can do riverview, but hop-o-nose has a better price. He is slightly farther up the Catskill creek, but only 1/3 mile. We stayed there, and loved the place, good food too. price was half that of riverview.

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Vasco

· #6 · Sep 17, 2014

UnionPacific said:
you can do riverview, but hop-o-nose has a better price. He is slightly farther up the Catskill creek, but only 1/3 mile. We stayed there, and loved the place, good food too. price was half that of riverview.

I'm surprised that Riverview is now more than Hop-o-nose. It used to be the other way around. I see that they have a new hydraulic crane at Riverview. Mike, the owner was always very helpful to cruisers.

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UnionPacific

· #7 · Sep 17, 2014

Vasco said:
I'm surprised that Riverview is now more than Hop-o-nose. It used to be the other way around. I see that they have a new hydraulic crane at Riverview. Mike, the owner was always very helpful to cruisers.

I will not say anything bad about the people there, they are nice. His parts, and work, are a bit pricy. He charged me $80 to retrieve my halyard that went up the mast. took less then 10 min, and also charged me to stay the night on top of that.
S/V Union Pacific : Every day, a little bit closer

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