Got the stepper III to work with FX. Tiger should be similar.
There were several problems/issues that must be solved.
1. As Tall Guy says you have to have something to rest the end of the mast on. I built a tripod. 2. Instead of the slug and the ropes attached to the slug, I use the trap lines and tie the trap lines off to the gin pole bridle lines. Obviously you have to modify the ropes that come with the kit or use some different line. 3. I had to work the clamp on. It'll go but it has to flex some to fit around the mast. 4. I got a winch that reverses and that has a ratchet lock for both directions. It was $40 or so. Then put a roller on the trailer tongue for the line to thread around before it goes up to gin pole. Did this to get more angle on the pull. Did this at suggestion of instructions... 5. Here's the kicker: The distance of the trap lines (or lines from the slug) to the ends of the crossbar when the mast is horizontal must be the exact same length as the distance of the trap lines (or lines from the slug) to the ends of the crossbar when the mast is vertical. Unless you choose a point that is equidistant, the lines will be way loose at some point and way too tight at another point. Make sense?
There are a number of ways you can get around this...
What I ended doing was putting two eyes straps on the ends of the crossbar to attach the lines to. I attach the lines from the gin pole to the eye straps. In the gin pole lines, I tied an Alpine Butterfly loop and run the line through the eye strap and back to the Alpine loop and tension the lines with half hitches (like a trucker's hitch). I did not use the metal loops that came with the kit. There is nowhere to bolt them to as there is on the Getaway. Obviously I do not use the continuous rope that came with the kit.
I tied a second Alpine Butterfly in the gin pole lines higher up that I attach the trap lines to. I put a small piece of line with a Bowline on one end through the trap thimble and then back through the Alpine loop and back to the Bowline and tension the trap lines with half hitches (like a trucker's hitch).
Everything has to be centered and equally tensioned or as you raise the mast it will drift to the side and scare the hell out of you. Also, unless everything is centered and equally tensioned, drifting to the side will cause the mast post threads to dig into the mast base and scuff it up bad.
It's goes like this... Put the clamp on. Attach the forestay to the gin pole. Attach the winch line to the gin pole. Put the gin pole on the clamp. Tension the gin pole lines to the eye straps. Tension the trap lines to the loops on the gin pole lines. Check everything for tension. Crank the mast up. Hook the boat bridles to the forestay and take stepper off. I've used it enough to be more comfortable with it.
Just like you, I have a Wave and big boat and I end up having to take the Wave out and it's frustrating. I give Hobie an A+ for giving me something to exercise my brain on (that's sarcastic). Frankly, if you don't like all this nonsense, I'd return the kit fast.
Karl has good suggestion using the spin setup. Reason I don't do that is my tramp has bad saggy problems and juggling a mast on that tramp...
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