Unstepping Typhoon mast

[Steven_Shore]

This is my first season with Typhoon carla. I'm an avid reader (and occasional poster) of this board. It's been great fun becoming a member of the community.

Sadly, next week we'll have to haul carla and I must take the mast down. I would love some advice as to the proper sequence for doing this.

[RLW]

Steven,
I have stepped, but not unstepped yet. My plan though is to loosen the standing rigging (leaving all attached); tie a line to the headstay at the stem, have a helper disconnect the headstay and ease the line as I lower the mast by hand in the cockpit to a step ladder (8') behind the trailer. This is the reverse of how I stepped the mast for the first time not long ago, and it went very well. Feel free to pm if you have specific questions. If your boat will be in the water when you unstep you will obviously have to modify accordingly.

[Dick Villamil]

I generally cleat the bitter end of jib halyard to the mast leaving most of the halyard free and lower the mast with the jib halyard after undoing the forestay. I use the same procedure as described above but have one person watching all the turnbuckles so that they done "kink"as the mast is lowered. Use a cushion on the stern to rest the mast onto as well as place a cushion under the mast on the cabin top after you remove it from the mast step. Easy task but just don't walk around on the deck too much as the boat rocking will make it difficult to keep the mast straight as is comes down. For the first time enlist 2 extra people (making sure that you have enough traditional beverage on hand for AFTER the mast is down!

[rjnale]

All of the above is sound advice. Make sure the sliding hatch is closed. As the mast angles down it will pinch the forward edge of the hatch before it is horizontal. Also I had a wooden mast cradle set up in the cockpit to rest the mast on. It was high enough so the mast was a few degrees above horizontal to keep from laying on the teak edge on the hatch. Then all the stays can be unpinned and while 2 or 3 people support the mast it can be moved out of the hinged step and removed.
I sold my Weekender this summer and bought a Typhoon Daysailer w/ Cuddy. The mast steps through the cuddy and to the floor of the cockpit. I hired a boom crane to help step the mast and will do the same next week to take it down.
I'm going to research a gin pole arrangement over the winter for next season. If anyone has experience with a gin pole I'd be interested in ideas.

[Steven_Shore]

Thanks all for this advice. Much appreciated.

I was planning to use two old throwable life preservers to protect the companionway hatch which should leave the mast slightly above horizontal. Has anyone come across a good plan for a mast cradle or are these generally improvised designs?

Interesting info about stepping/unstepping the Daysailer with a cuddy. That's the boat I was looking for (and still am) but obviously there are few to be found. That issue may modify my thinking. I'll be interested to track how you do with the gin pole concept.

Thanks again everybody!

[Megunticook]

I just unstepped my TyS mast last week, had 2 friends and a third unexpectedly joined, which was actually helpful.

First loosen everything up--not drastically, just take most of the tension out of things.

Second, make sure you have a clear plan and everyone helping is on board with it. Keep in mind that the operation has the potential to turn dangerous if things go awry. Have everything ready beforehand and rehearse the steps in your mind and verbally with your crew.

Cleat jib halyard and tie a line to the end. Person 1 in front of bow takes a turn around something and holds the line taut.

Set stepladder behind stern.

We didn't do the cushion on the companionway hatch, but that's a good idea (we used a board). Close the sliding hatch.

Set board abeam over top of pulpit.

Person 2 stands behind mast. Task is to guide the mast down as it pivots on the hinged step. Person 1 can remove then forward pin in the mast plate when the crew is ready.

Person 3 kneels by the bow chainplate, ready to detach the forestay. After forestay is detached person 3 will go stand in the cockpit, behind person 2, and prepare to help support the mast as it's lowered.

Procedure:
1)when crew in position and ready, person 2 removes forward mast step pin; person 3 detaches forestay from bow chainplate then moves to cockpit

2)when person 2 calls ready, person 1 begins paying out line and easing back the mast. Person 2 holds the mast as high as practical, standing behind the mast step, making sure it lowers straight back and taking the weight of it as soon as possible; be careful stepping down into the cockpit (the helper is great here); I found once in the cockpit I could place the mast on my shoulder.

3)when person 2 and 3 are supporting the mast, person 1 moves to the stepladder and takes some of the weight; person 3 then moves to step and removes the remaining pin

4)the crew slowly walks the mast forward, balancing it on a board athwart the pulpit top and a cushion on the companionway hatch, or a sawhorse in the cockpit or a crutch.

Good luck, and go slow and safe. I think 2 could probably do it, but 3 is definitely better.

[grluecke]

We just got a Ty this past summer (my son, actually). The stepping and un-stepping instructions given are just about what we followed, get the strongest one to wrassle with the mast--it is not too heavy, and the hooking system at the base works really well.

We have a couple of Hobie cats and Thistles, too, and I always include these instructions, especially if there are new helpers around, "It's best to work according to the plan so that the mast does not fall. if the mast **does** happen to fall---RUN! You can't stop it."

[ariasis]

http://bristol-blue.blogspot.com/2015/0 ... mment-form

[rjnale]

Steven I just fabricated a new mast crutch/support out of PVC pipe this past week. I'll take some pictures when I'm at the boat Tuesday and post. Pretty inexpensive and easy once you get the measurements down.

[rjnale]

This past Tuesday evening I motored Typhoon Mary to the marina to be hauled out on the travel lift and wrapped for the winter.
In the process I forgot to take pictures of the newly fabricated mast crutch I fabricated out of PVC pipe the week before as I promised. I will post pictures in the spring for those interested in a fairly simple to build sturdy mast crutch.

[Steve Laume]

Be very careful when using PVC pipe, as it has very little structural strength once it veers from a direct compression load. I don't know what size or schedule you used but this stuff is not meant for supporting heavy weight. It also degrades in sunlight so make sure to store it inside, if you plan to continue to use it. I would have a lot more faith in wood or steel, Steve.

[rjnale]

I agree with those comments on PVC if used year round in the sun and for a much heavier load I wouldn't have considered. I looked at wood and metal but settled on PVC for it's very low cost, ease of building and compact storage at the end of winter.
These supports are for a Typhoon mast on the boat for winter storage under shrink wrap only. I built them with angle supporting braces into snap on tee brackets. All joints have a SS screw locking it and will disassemble and fold flat for storage in less than 3 minutes. It held 225lbs load and a lot of lateral force without flex.
I wish I would have gotten pictures before it was wrapped. I'll will post pictures in the spring.
There is some mast support pictures in an old article on Typhoons in Good Old Boat or Small Craft magazine. But couldn't quite figure out how to build it to fit deck curve and other issues. But that one very neat looking.