1

[dserrell]

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[Steve Ullrich]

Made that look pretty easy...

Ahoy Fellow Sailors,

Take a look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKjUi2h0mX8

Looks too simple, but it apparently works!  Fair weather!

David

[Steve Ullrich]

It is a matter of scale... Stepping the mast on our Hunter 23 was brutal.  A longer/heavier mast equates to more force to overcome when you are essentially the fulcrum... I had to fabricate a system to raise it and it was pretty much still a two man job even then.  I couldn't just stand on the coach roof and lift it up like this guy did, and I'm not a small man.  Maybe with a second crutch in the companionway like this guy used... Don't know.  Anyhow, I gave it a lot of thought before buying my 16 and it sure is a piece of cake to rig/launch/retrieve single handed.  I think I could do it with a 19 as well but no 19's showed up on the local market before I grabbed my 16 off Craig's List.  It was only posted for an hour before I found it.  Boat/motor/trailer/sails/bimini/cockpit grate/spare tire/new battery @ $2,000 was too good of a deal to pass on.  I may yet move up to a 19 so the cabin would be more useable but as I didn't spend any nights on the hook this year that doesn't seem like a big deal.  I might keep the 16 and buy a second boat to leave at a marina at Pepin or on Superior.  Something closer to 36 or 38 feet so I have a really useable cabin and consider that boat my cabin on the lake.  Have to pitch that to the admiral first...

Ahoy Steve,

He made it look too easy, and now I'm wondering if a Compac 23/3 needs to be on our wish list.  The reason we decided on a Compac 19/3 was because of the mast raising issue on a Compac 23, among other issues with a larger sailboat.  The Compac 16/3 like you have is easy to raise the mast on and launch.  The Compac 19/3 like we have takes much more effort to raise the mast, but this guy made it look like a walk in the park!  His support pole was set on the cabin floor!  Never would have thought to do that!  We haven't made a support pole, we do our backwards launching approach, raise the mast, then turn around and back into the water.  That guy reduced me to a "newbie"!  Oh well, I'm still learning every day!  Fair weather!

David

[brackish]

It did look easy, but I can assure you that I could not do that with my 23 mast with standing rigging, mast head stuff, furler and headsail in place.  That was going to be my first approach, walk it up the cockpit deck, brace it, then grab it from the coach roof and finish it off.  No way, particularly with a disk that is always looking for an excuse to slip.  I had trouble lifting it thirty inches to the stern rail crutch.

My system sets up and raises the mast in twenty minutes or less with one person and I feel like I'm always in control.  Cost me about $150 to build and I'm very happy with it.  Nothing permanently mounted on the boat but a bail on the mast.

When I was in the "what size boat to buy" mode, the ComPac 19, Eclipse, and 23 were in the hunt as well as Precision 23 and 21 and a few older out of production trailerable boats.  I had some email correspondence with Tom Ray, of Gulf Island Sails and he very objectively outline the pros and cons by size.  He also wrote the article on the mast raising system I copied.  My biggest pre-purchase concern with the larger boat, raising the mast solo, turned out to be a non issue.

I feel that just like doing a Kaizen on a manufacturing or business process, the process of launch and retrieval can be streamlined.  My current goal is to get highway to water or water to highway to less than forty-five minutes.  I'm a ways from that but think I can get there.

[HideAway]

Wow that does look simple.  Once the mast is part way up it gets easier to lift - I wonder how he lets it down.  On our 23 it takes three people and calm nerves to lower the mast - raising it feels safer.   Since I don't have three people around much I am building the system in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r33VCObNroY

and part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsLxujYRsMQ&feature=channel

I have two eye bolts instead of one so I can clip the lines on.   And I think the little hats over the chain plate is a good idea to prevent strain on the plate.

Haven't been able to try it yet due to illness and now a surgery later this week.  We were not able to sail HideAway for the last couple of months so we are anxious to get back on the water - hopefully by December in time for the Christmas parades.    Matt