Raising the mast

Since our Atomic 4 gasoline engine would not start we got a tow to the area where the crane can hoist the mast onto the boat. Preparation for this maneuver included first getting about seven guys to lift the heavy long mast down off the storage racks. Once down and sitting on four horses spread about twenty feet apart we began hosing down about four years of dust, dirt, bird crap, spider nests and who knows what else. After the initial hosing down we began scrubbing with sponges with an abrasive scrubber side. The slide rail needed an especially thorough cleaning to ensure nothing would cause it to get caught on the sail slides going up but especially when bringing it down. We ran our hands along all of the standing rigging which is made out of steel cable to make sure there were no burrs that might be a sign of damage and potential hazard for the sails to get caught on.

Once everything was thoroughly washed and cleaned we were told to use an acid wash to get the mast even cleaner. Also, all the rope (lines) had to be cleaned as they had accumulated a lot of dirt. At the bottom of all the standing rigging are turnbuckles. Each of these was thoroughly cleaned with water and then WD 40 was used to lubricate them to ensure they would turn easily without jamming. It was important to ensure that the steel rigging did not get bent improperly as this could permanently damage them. The sailboats chainplates and shackles were checked with cotter pins and split rings placed ready in these fittings to which the shrouds will be attached to secure the mast forward and aft (front and back), starboard and port (right and left). We were missing one on the starboard side. Keep spares available. Lubricate all moving parts so halyards are turning pulleys smoothly, check for abrasion and replace as necessary. Check all the clevis pins. They should be secured and ready to be taped so they don't damage the sails.

The boat was positioned close to the crane so that the mast, once raised would be directly under the mast seat and deck hole for the mast. The mast was positioned with the rail side up so that as the mast was lifted and moved over the boat it would be facing the stern (back) of the boat where the main sail will be mounted on that slide rail. A bowline was used to secure a very thick (1/2 inch) line (rope) to the middle of the mast, about eight inches below the spreaders. This was then tied down at the base (bottom) of the mast so that the loop in the middle would not slide up into the spreaders. The spreaders were attached with some screws and then taped with white electrical tape. The upper shrouds were then attached to the spreaders, plastic caps placed over them, and these then taped with white electrical tape on all three side to ensure it stays on and protects the sails. It is very important to ensure that the standing rigging from the top of the mast are all on the right sides and that they are not going to get wrapped up by the rope or crane. All standing rigging required on the port side was placed on the part side and all rigging required on the starboard side were placed on that side. The essential point is to ensure the upper rigging does not get trapped on the wrong side of the rope being used to raise the mast. Be sure the halyards are not entangled with the spreaders. Tape spreaders ends to ensure they won't damage the sails.

DO NOT STAND DIRECTLY BELOW THE SUSPENDED MAST.

We should have tested all the lights with a portable 12 volt batter and labeled the wires. We didn't know this at the time.

The cranes hook was lowered into position and secured on the loop tied with a bowline at the centre of the mast just below the spreaders. The key is not to allow the substantial weight of the mast to be held by the spreaders...so the tied roped at the base of the mast must be secure and no stretch or loosening of the loop in the middle should allow for this.With at least three people, but ideally with four or five, the mast can then be raised.

The crane winch is first used to slowly start lifting the mast with the hook attached to the loop in the middle of the mast. The base of the mast must be held by someone as it will want to swing back towards the crane and lake. Keep the base of the mast down towards the ground and the mast will then start to stand upright as it is lifted higher. Keep an eye on all the shrouds and rigging to ensure it isn't getting caught on any of the horses. The cranes hook cables should also be secured so they don't twist s they will have a tendency to do. The manned positions are an operator of the crane winch, someone strong and heavy to keep the base of the mast down and guided, a crane rotation operator, and someone ready on the deck of the sailboat prepared to guide the mast into the mast base hole and the seat once it goes through the hole in the main cabin. With the mast hanging directly over this mast base hole, get the mast perfectly vertical and position the boat so that the hole is directly under the mast by shifting the boat in the mooring back or forward. Slowly, very slowly, lower the mast into the hole, with the hand on deck guiding it into place, keeping all the electrical wiring (for lighting and radio antenna) well clear of getting caught or pinched. Adjust the boat and crane as required to keep the mast coming straight down into the hole.

Once the mast is in the hole a foot or two the deck hand can go inside the cabin to prepare to lower the mast onto the base plate shoe. Here it is critical to get everything positioned perfectly so that as the mast is lowered it will sit right in the shoe. Move the boat six inches at a time back or forward until the mast appears to be ready to meet the shoe, the mast should be within an inch or two of the shoe to make these adjustments. Check the vertical positioning as well. Once things look like they will meet when lowered, lower away SLOWLY, muscling the mast into the shoe. Once sitting in the shoe, secure the standing rigging, starting with the forestay, then the backstay, then the upper shrouds on both sides of the boat, and then the lower shrouds on both sides of the boat. Secure with codder pines and split rings. Codder pins are pushed through towards the bow of the boat. Insert all clevis pins with heads forward or outboard, and tape over the bent cotter pins to protect the sails.

The hook was then lowered using a pole to ease the loop over the steaming light on the forward side of the mast.

We still need to place the wedges around the mast at the collar where the mast exits the cabin. We also still need to lead running rigging to the appropriate blocks and winches and connect light wires.

Bring the mast down simply reverses this process.