First sail problems

I've just had my first sail in my new hobie 14 ... trying to reverse the trailer was as much fun as expected but I have 2 problems:

1. What is the best way to step and unstep the mast. I had the mast on the ground, under the boat with only the two side shrouds attached. Should I also attach the front stay before raising the mast ? I assume it's important to keep the mast base out of the sand ? What's the best way to take the mast down?

2. What is the best way to get the boat in the water ? We lifted it from the trailer on a boat ramp to the water, to avoid getting the trailer wheel bearings and electrics wet ... this might be difficult with my g/f or alone. Is it better to take it off the trailer onto sand, then use rollers or to slide it on the sand to the water ?

Many thanks,

Tony

Tony,

Mast Stepping
How old is your boat? do you have the "old style" mast base (no hole in the little nub that extends down) or the new style (hole in the nub).

The new style is much easier to deal with (and safer), since the mast is attached to the step with a hinge link. It's easy to retrofit. In either case, you lay the mast along the trampoline, hook up the side-stays, then lift the mast up and attach the forestay. There are ways to do this by yourself - you can search this site for them.

Trailer to Water
Most Hobie sailors avoid launching ramps if there's a way to get to a beach without dealing with a ramp. Beach wheels (Cat Trax, Euro Trax) are almost a must:



If the beach is soft sand (not a lot of rocks), dragging the boat around will not hurt it significantly.

Thanks for the advice. The mast is an old style ... the base of the mast has a lug, without any sort of hook. I'll try your suggested technique next time and check out conversion kits. I'll also try launching at Clontaff with a sand drag.