New Mast Raising Technique

After endless drama raising the mast, I think I have found the ultimate technique, with no need for the mast base pivot hinge.
1. Lay mast on C/L of boat with tip to rear.
2. Attach side stays.
3. Tie (bowline knots) a 12m length of light nylon rope to the front corners of the tramp on each side.
4. Take the centre of the nylon rope and feed it through the shackle on the mast where the stays are attached.
5. Take a long length of heavier nylon rope and feed it through the loop in the light nylon rope.
6. Walk to the front of the boat holding the heavier nylon rope.
7. Engage the lug on the base of the mast in the socket.
8. Pull the heavier rope tight. It will tighten and centre the mast.
9. Have someone at the back of the boat (me) lift the top of mast, as the person in front (my girlfriend - it's quite easy) pulls on the heavier rope.
10. The mast will rise, perfectly stable and centered.
11. Attach the front stay.

Cool, sounds like a really good solution to the never ending mast raising problem. Well done!

I bought a small 12v winch and installed it on my front mast support and power it from the wiring on my trailer. It has a long cord for the controls. I wrap a bungie around the mast and hook to the winch cable. I stand on the tramp to support the mast as it is being raised while operating the winch. When the mast is raised enough, I connect the jib/forstay and then loosen off of the winch. It doesn't get much easier and the winch cost less than a $100 bucks!

dunno how everyone else does this but I raise the mast by myself no problem. Never seen a mast raised before as we have no cats here other than mine, so here is what I devised, probably similar to what most of you do, i dunno...

1. tie the jibline to the shackle above the jib furler (figure 8 stopper knot works ok).
2 run the line down and around the trailer towball handle (handle acts as a block) or whatever else you have on the trailer, perhaps even something on the back of your vehicle.
3. then run it back up and through the port jib block.
4. grab the line at the point before it goes into the jibblock and throw it over your shoulder or hold in teeth.
5. Lift mast and place into mast cup, tighten the rope hanging over ya shoulder, This then holds the mast upright (rope holds it forwards, shrouds hold it sidewards/backward.)
6. Lock the rope off in the jib block teeth (whatever they are called, I dunno!)
The mast is now standing by itself and its just a matter of attaching the bow wires to the bottom of the jib furler. Pretty simple and easy enough when you have no one around to help. Is this how most people raise the mast of not???

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Hobie 14 Turbo, based in Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

I've done this for years... Minimal injury risk... start with the boat in "normal" position - both hulls on the sand - attach one shroud line, and the forestay. Pull the mast as far as it will go in the direction of the attached forestay, with the bottom of the mast just forward of it's mount (lying on one hull). Now, balance the boat on the attached forestay side, it helps to have another person, but with low wind, it's not hard. Pull the mast so both forestay and attached shroud are tight (now the boat is more stable). Place bottom of mast into mount, (don't forget the Delrin or Teflon bearing) and maybe repeat shroud / forestay tightening (now you're really stable). Stand on bottom hull, and attach other shroud, and tip Hobie back up !!!

I've also used the trailer winch to raise the mast, back when I had a trailer... luckily, now I'm on the beach for good...

What - no comments on my technique ???

It doesn't have to be that complicated!! Set the mast on the centerline of the boat. tie a shackle onto a long piece of line, attach the shackle to the bottom of the forestay (or jib luff wire on turbos) Lay the line so that the forestay is above and the line below the bridle. Pin the shrouds at the highest hole, hook up the step link, raise the mast. Pull the line tight ( while holding the mast, of course)and cleat - I use the downhaul cleat . This keeps the mast upright until you can pin or shackle the stay. Remove the line, shorten the shrouds to tighten the rig ( I use my trap harness and rig to keep her from toppling) and you're set. This works best on turbos and 16's- the bridle is kind of high on a uni-rig, and you've gotta be more careful- I put a loop at the mast post on my trailer for that.- Dave

That sounds very much like the way I had done it previously. However, on a couple of occasions, one of the shrouds caught as the mast was raising, pulling the mast down quite dramatically. With my new approach, if a shroud catches, like it did yesterday, the mast stays centered and in place, and the whole boat gets pulled forward ... at which point it became obvious something was amiss ... the pull rope was slackened, shroud cleared, and the mast pulled up perfectly.

turbofan - Except that with my technique, the boat is lying on it's side, and the process is slower, but easier and safer...

JunoJim - interesting. Isn't it difficult to keep the boat balanced on its side at the right angle ?
Anything is better than the method described in the hobie manual I found - lifting the mast vertically and placing it into the mast base - I nearly lost a foot on my first attempt with that method, when the mast slipped and dropped.

That's how you raised the mast on the old 14's-with practice, and the boat on the ground it isn't that hard. 14 masts are pretty light. My first Hobie had no step link-the link makes it waaaaay easier!

Yea - both of those are why I came up with my method. The sand is pretty soft here, and it's pretty easy to balance the boat. Having the mast lying on the lower hull helps, and once you start to tighten up the forestay and shroud, it really comes into shape.

Think about a Hobie lying on it's side with all the lines hooked up - what's the top shroud doing ???

juno jim, that actaully sounds good, and i know the average forces of wind are much more than the forces of gravity as a lever arm on the mast and hulls, but i just cant imagine resting my hobie on the mast in the sand, and pulling everything on the lower side so tight... i mean i know its not that bad, but sailboats are supposed to be vertical to 45 degrees off, not 120.

and ya to put in my 2 cents, i just raise it by walking it up, tying off a 3/8" line feeding from the tang through a block on the trailer mast support, underneath the tramp, and up to a cleat on the mast, walking around, placing in the pin, and tieing the line up on the cleat. i have no problems with that method, and the shrouds never get caught as long as you place them on the inside of the rudders and walk straight up the tramp.

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Peter Scranton
'14 Tandem Island "Awesome"
'03 Windrider Rave "Menage a Trois"

Yea - I don't like the mast in the sand either, but it comes off with a couple whacks as you're walking it up...

My boat was, (I have a Bravo now, but that's another story) old, and the mast support worn, so I had to be extra careful, I've dropped it a couple times, raising it the "regular" way. I never had any step aids (link, etc).

I sold my 14T, after a 20 year long battle (I was there first) cause the condo people said it blocked their view... It's at another condo down the beach, owned by the condo manager - LOL. He says I can sail it any time I want - LOL again...

Anyway, I have a Bravo now, and it's not as fast, but it can carry a lightweight beautiful college girl, and I have a dolly to launch it across A1A, whenever I want. I think the main problem was that too many old ladies saw me giving rides to too many college girls - LOL 3X !!!