Stepping down Typhoon Mast ?

[trek47]

Hello Folks!! I hate to admit it, but all the years I have been sailing my TY I always had the boat taken out of the water by crane and professionally step down the mast. Can anyone tell if I could do it myself and what the procedure is and can it be done on the water on a calm day? I also have a bradley trailer for the boat and my other ? is how deep must the trailer sit in the water to get the boat on the trailer? I am tired of doing business with some of these yard owners because they basically have you by you now what. Thnx for any constructive info. Mich Myette

[winthrop fisher]

Hi... the easy way is hook your traveler strap on to the forestay and let it down with your wrench on the traveler and go slow and having some one on board or just walk it down, i did until i was 40.
try it, it works...winthrop

Hello Folks!! I hate to admit it, but all the years I have been sailing my TY I always had the boat taken out of the water by crane and professionally step down the mast. Can anyone tell if I could do it myself and what the procedure is and can it be done on the water on a calm day? I also have a bradley trailer for the boat and my other ? is how deep must the trailer sit in the water to get the boat on the trailer? I am tired of doing business with some of these yard owners because they basically have you by you now what. Thnx for any constructive info. Mich Myette

[Oswego John]

my other ? is how deep must the trailer sit in the water to get the boat on the trailer? Thnx for any constructive info. Mich Myette[/quote][/quote]

Hi Mich,

Measure the distance of the trailer keel bed to the ground at the point where the front of the keel starts to rise toward the bow.

To this measurement add 2' 7"", which is the normal draft of a Ty. The sum of which is the absolute minimum depth of water which is required to load a Ty on your trailer with much urging and winching.

Go a few inches deeper and watch how easily your Ty will float itself into place.

There's a lot more that can be said about loading the boat onto the trailer. Many of the readers have their trailers rigged up in different ways. For instance, extension arms, lengths of chain between the tow vehicle and the trailer tongue, guides along the keel bed to center the boat on the trailer , etc, etc

Some of them should be happy to explain their methods farther .

Good luck,
O J

[bhartley]

Having loaded our new Ty onto a trailer without keel guides on a breezy day -- in a murky lake -- I would highly recommend keel guides or at least white paint to show where the keel board begins and ends. We had trouble with the keel sliding off the side of the keel board which means she couldn't sit square on the pads.

Our SS23 trailer has simple PVC pipe guides but it makes all the difference. I would add that we did use a 10' extension which was needed. The PO had used chains in place of the extension.

Take your time and bring friends and you'll be fine!

Bly

[Mike Wainfeld]

Stepping the mast is actually pretty simple, and can be done with the boat in the water. First, add about 8-10' of line to the jib halyard, and fasten the end to the jib tack fitting at the bow. Cleat the jib halyard and undo the forestay. Then go back to the cockpit and uncleat the halyard. Now holding it tight you can lower the mast and control it by slowly letting out the halyard. For more control you can have the first mate stand forward of the boat and hold the (lenghtened) forestay. I have the boat positioned with the stern about 10' from the bulkhead, with a stepstool and cushion placed so the mast will drop onto it. You do not have to loosen the shrouds. To put the mast back up just walk it up while pulling on the jib halyard. Cleat the halyard and reattach the forestay. You do have to watch the backstay and shrouds when the mast is going up to see that they are not fouled. Can be done easily by two people, and if necessary by one.

[slaume]

I always pulled my TY by myself just because I waited so long and then felt like I had to get it done. It is doable alone but would be easier with two. With the guide boards on the keel rest it helps if the water over the trailer is deep enough to float the boat but shallow enough to guide the keel between the boards. To get to this degree of accuracy you need a good ramp with a steady slope. It also helps to put a float on a string. Make the string 2'-8" or so tie it to the keel support and back in untill it sinks. Now when you pull the boat into the bunk it stays there while you go forward and pull the truck ahead a bit to settle her. Take your time, take two people and it should be a breeze, Steve.

[Appleton68]

It is much easier with 2 people. One person handles the extended jib halyard and the other walks the mast down. Try to have something on the stern to rest the mast on when it is initially down. Also remember, when pulling the mast out of the step plate, its weight & length are going to make it want to "dive" off the stern. Good luck.

[winthrop fisher]

hey...

well when i do it, its so easy by my self in tens mins or less and on the road.

but you have to have the whole picture:

first i have two baby stays that go on and off in a snap.
( that keeps the mast from swaying back and fourth)

i put the babys stays on, when i go sailing and leave them their and when i pull her out or in of the water at the end of the sailing year.

all i have to do is back the trailer until the fenders are just at the top of the water and get out of the truck and hook the trailer strap on to the eye of the boat.

and using the main sheet block and line, unhook the forestay and hook it on to the main sheet and let it down slow until its flat, then drive up the ramp about fifty feet.

then walk to the trailer unhook the main sheet.

then getting on board the boat, take velcro straps 24 inches long,
start at the bow pulling all the lines and wires together put a velcro strap around the mast and the bow rail put two of the straps,
then ever two feet put one strap until you get to the stern and two more around the stern rail.

don't for get to lock the boat then get off the boat and lock the motor in too place then i drive home and wash the boat and put it up for the year.

thats it, i have had people stop me and ask how i did it so fast in under ten mins, i call it the easy way.

but i have a traid trailer that makes it so fast and the baby stays make it so easy for going up or down..

hows that for you.

winthrop

Hello Folks!! I hate to admit it, but all the years I have been sailing my TY I always had the boat taken out of the water by crane and professionally step down the mast. Can anyone tell if I could do it myself and what the procedure is and can it be done on the water on a calm day? I also have a bradley trailer for the boat and my other ? is how deep must the trailer sit in the water to get the boat on the trailer? I am tired of doing business with some of these yard owners because they basically have you by you now what. Thnx for any constructive info. Mich Myette

[winthrop fisher]

Hey, sorry i should of said it right the first time, i have only been doing it this way for the last eight years....winthrop

Hello Folks!! I hate to admit it, but all the years I have been sailing my TY I always had the boat taken out of the water by crane and professionally step down the mast. Can anyone tell if I could do it myself and what the procedure is and can it be done on the water on a calm day? I also have a bradley trailer for the boat and my other ? is how deep must the trailer sit in the water to get the boat on the trailer? I am tired of doing business with some of these yard owners because they basically have you by you now what. Thnx for any constructive info. Mich Myette