raising mast, CD25, second request

[Tom Foley]

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom



alewifehouse@mainecoast.net

[Dan H]

If all goes according to plan, I'll be launching this weekend. Any advice for a first launch would be appreciated. Tom - if you don't hear from me next week, it means I dropped the mast on my head.

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

djhhan@aol.com

[keith]

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

Tom - its been a couple of years; but, my wife an I had wonderful success using the boom as a gin pole - turned out to be a one handed raising........



aurora@capital.net

[Jim Stull]

We built a bipod from 1" conduit. It is connected to the front chain plates and lays on deck while we trailer the boat. We re-reave our boom vang with longer line for the operation. The vang is connected between the stem head and the bipod. The bipod is connected to the mast with a haylard. The upper and remaining lower shrouds are pre-connected as is the backstay. Set the bipod at an angle of about 15 deg. past vertical toward the stern before raising the mast so that the bipod is not flush to the deck when the mast is vertical. To start the operation, (the mast is pinned to the tabernacle), I stand in the cockpit and lift the top of the mast as far as comfortable to get the process started while my wife hauls in the line on the vang. As the vang has a brake we can stop at any time, check things, clear a foul, have lunch, whatever. When the mast is vertical, hookup the forestay and remove the rig. We usually put up and take down the mast while in the water but we have also done it on the trailer. Our marina has a mast crane but we prefer the bipod because it is a more "controlled" process. (Also when trying to get the miserable wires stuffed up inside the mast and making sure the lights STILL work, you don't have the pressure of holding up the people waiting to use the crane.)
We like the system so well we plan on converting the CD27 we are re-building to a tabernacle.
Jim



jtstull@earthlink.net

[Ken Coit]

Tom,

Having experienced Catalina 22 mast raising on a trailer and trying to invent better ways to do it, I recommend the May/June 2001 issue of Good Old Boat as it has an article (p. 28) by Ron Chappell on what I consider to be the "Worlds Greatest Mast Raising System." I tried to invent it, but someone else beat me to it. It solves the problem of the gin pole initially being anxious to be in any other plane by providing guys for it. It solves the problem of lateral sway of the mast by providing guys for it as well. The key is to have everything pivot on a single axis in line with the tabernacle pivot point so that all guys are operating all the time.

Another point, not made in the article, is to keep the mast-side gin pole fitting very low so as to minimize the initial high bending moment on the mast. Giving the mast a manual boost at the start of the lift also helps.

At Massabesic YC in Manchester, NH we used a line and pulley on a cable strung between two trees on either side of the driveway. It worked well and was cheap, but it was useless except from the trailer.

BTW, the same GOB issue has an article by John Vigor on the Cape Dory 25D. Click on their link and get a free copy if you don't subscribe already.

Good luck, be careful, and please don't drop the mast on anyone's head.

Ken Coit
S/V Parfait
Raleigh, NC

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

parfait@nc.rr.com

[Kurt]

I would be very interested in hearing more about your proposed CD27 tabernacle...in this case a photo would truly be worth a thousand words. My marina charges $85.00 dollars each spring/fall to step/unstep the mast on my CD26



KJLGPW@AOL.COM

[Jim Stull]

I would be very interested in hearing more about your proposed CD27 tabernacle...in this case a photo would truly be worth a thousand words. My marina charges $85.00 dollars each spring/fall to step/unstep the mast on my CD26

Hi Kurt
I have been looking at the tabernacle supplied on the "tall mast" Catalina 27. Take a walk around your marina you might see what I am talking about. I helped a dockmate raise his mast using the tabernacle (on the Catalina 27) but with the crane since he does not have a bipod yet. The trick was to have something to get the top started since it was a good deal heavier than the CD25. Something like a crutch that could be used to set the top of the mast into while the butt was pinned to the pivot.
We will try to put togeather a Mark I version before the rebuild is complete.
Jim



jtstull@earthlink.net

[Dan H]

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

Tom - its been a couple of years; but, my wife an I had wonderful success using the boom as a gin pole - turned out to be a one handed raising........

Keith - can you elaberate a bit? Did you raise fore to aft using the main sheet for hoisting line?



djhhan@aol.com

[Dan H]

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

Tom - its been a couple of years; but, my wife an I had wonderful success using the boom as a gin pole - turned out to be a one handed raising........

Keith - can you elaberate a bit? Did you raise fore to aft using the main sheet for hoisting line?



djhhan@aol.com

[Bruce J]

If all goes according to plan, I'll be launching this weekend. Any advice for a first launch would be appreciated. Tom - if you don't hear from me next week, it means I dropped the mast on my head.

I need helpful hints on stepping a CD25 mast from a slip. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Tom

My 25D came with an simple system. One person can step the mast in light wind, it's an 8 ft 2x4 with a roller on top that mounts in front of the mast, hooks under the head hatch and has four cables that hook to the 4 nearest stanchons. The winch on the trailer is fitted with seat belt webbing, which you hook to the jib halyard, the mast has a nice SS hinge and you could easily use a vang instead of the winch. I'll be taking photos soon when I lower the mast before I launch. Be glad to send photos to someone with a scanner. I also have done a big refit below, a nav station, moved the @#$% sink up and out to where you can use it without back stain, a dishmaster, new folding stairs, cabin heater, cockpit seats and a 2 burner propane range-gimballed with oven and broiler. Am going to launch the 18th unless it's snowing. Put about 1000 hrs. in on this refit this winter have only taken a few photos - waiting till it's in the water for a proper shoot.



bvj@rkymtnhi.com

[Bill]

hi Bruce

i would be very interested in seeing the pics of your re=fit.....

Bill
S/V Rhapsody
CD25D

My 25D came with an simple system. One person can step the mast in light wind, it's an 8 ft 2x4 with a roller on top that mounts in front of the mast, hooks under the head hatch and has four cables that hook to the 4 nearest stanchons. The winch on the trailer is fitted with seat belt webbing, which you hook to the jib halyard, the mast has a nice SS hinge and you could easily use a vang instead of the winch. I'll be taking photos soon when I lower the mast before I launch. Be glad to send photos to someone with a scanner. I also have done a big refit below, a nav station, moved the @#$% sink up and out to where you can use it without back stain, a dishmaster, new folding stairs, cabin heater, cockpit seats and a 2 burner propane range-gimballed with oven and broiler. Am going to launch the 18th unless it's snowing. Put about 1000 hrs. in on this refit this winter have only taken a few photos - waiting till it's in the water for a proper shoot.

cd25d@rhapsodysails.com