De-stepping De Mast

[Richard Stanley]

I am moving to San Francisco with Nepenthes my CD33.

I will be transporting the boat, not sailing, and therefore mast removal is in my near future. The only thing I know about stepping and de-stepping is that you need to put a coin under the mast for good luck.

Does any one have a checklist type deal that they could share. I used someone's checklist for winterizing this year, and it was great!

This list is the best!

TIA, Richard



rlstanley@mindspring.com

[Warren Kaplan]

I am moving to San Francisco with Nepenthes my CD33.

I will be transporting the boat, not sailing, and therefore mast removal is in my near future. The only thing I know about stepping and de-stepping is that you need to put a coin under the mast for good luck.

Does any one have a checklist type deal that they could share. I used someone's checklist for winterizing this year, and it was great!

This list is the best!

TIA, Richard

Richard,
Make sure you use a boatyard that is VERY EXPERIENCED in working with sailboats. Make sure they have a crane for removing the mast. There are other ways it can be done but using experienced people with proper equipment will go a long way in getting the job done without "mishaps". Secondly, make sure the boat mover is experienced in transporting sailboats AND sailboat spars. His rig has got to be set up to support the mast securely so it won't bend in transit and won't snap should he hit one of those early spring potholes in the road on the trip. I've watched boatyards step and unstep masts in years past when they didn't know what they were doing and didn't have the right equipment. It ain't pretty!



Setsail728@aol.com

[Ken Cave]

Warren:

Your words should be set in stone!!

If you are not sure about who to use for transportation, or what yard to use, get references!

I was lucky when I had my boat transported from Long Beach Ca to Anacortes WA. The engineer that had worked on the boat for years had all the local knowledge needed for the right boat yard to do the work.

To be sure of a successful de-masting and getting the boat ready for the long haul, I paid him to oversee the course of events.

The yard was not cheap, but worth every penny!!

Ken Cave
Cape Dory 28
Dragon Tale



bcave@whidbey.net

[Russ Campbell]

Richard, I have stepped dozens of masts in a boatyard including my own Cd28 several times. It really isn't hard but if you are at all unsure of what you are doing the previous advise is best. Find a good yard and pay them.
As far as checklists; If you like the shroud tensions you have now the best way to come close is to only loosen one side when you take the mast off. That way you only have to fiddle with one side. Make sure all your mast wires are disconnected and marked so you can get them back together correctly. The more things you can take off so the yard doesn't have to the better. Sometimes when stepping masts we have to take down sails and booms which we charge extra for. You might want to check on the furler after its down. If those extrusions get bent they are pretty useless so make sure the trucker knows how to handle them. Well good luck any questions don't hesitate to ask,

Russ

I am moving to San Francisco with Nepenthes my CD33.

I will be transporting the boat, not sailing, and therefore mast removal is in my near future. The only thing I know about stepping and de-stepping is that you need to put a coin under the mast for good luck.

Does any one have a checklist type deal that they could share. I used someone's checklist for winterizing this year, and it was great!

This list is the best!

TIA, Richard

camroll@together.net

[Richard Stanley]

I am moving to San Francisco with Nepenthes my CD33.

I will be transporting the boat, not sailing, and therefore mast removal is in my near future. The only thing I know about stepping and de-stepping is that you need to put a coin under the mast for good luck.

Does any one have a checklist type deal that they could share. I used someone's checklist for winterizing this year, and it was great!

This list is the best!

TIA, Richard

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Fortunately, I have great confidence in the yard I'm using. The transport company seems equally capable, although I have no firsthand experience with them. They have good gear, and a lot of experience.

Thanks for the specific tips, as in loosen only one side and be super careful with the Profurl extrusions.

I like my mast, and don't particularly want to buy another one!

Richard



rlstanley@mindspring.com