Haul out tips for a 23

[HJ51]

Hello everyone.  I'm getting ready to haul my CP23 out for the first time since purchasing it.   From reading the Com-Pac owner's manual it looks like I have to detach the forward lower shrouds and of course the forestay.  I assume that means I can leave the back stay attached as well as the upper and aft shrouds.   

Does the boom have to come off?    If so I assume the mainsail comes all the way off, too.  Is it ok to leave the jib rolled around the forestay/roller furler or does that have to come off every time it is trailered also?   Let me know if you have any tips or shortcuts.  I don't really mind doing those things for a once a year haul out but I plan to do more trailering this summer and would like to make the process as efficient as possible.   Thanks in advance.

[brackish]

Yes, the forward lowers and the forestay.  You will have to loosen but not remove the backstay to get slack to pull the pin on the forestay.  Some have loosened the bobstay for this purpose but I found it easier to do the backstay.  You can leave all the other standing rigging attached, but strap it to something so it won't bang around in the wind.

Yes the boom has to come off, but I just leave the sail and cover on the boom, drop the slides off the mast and put the boom with sail still on it in the cabin.

You can leave the furled sail on the mast.  You have to be careful when you lower the mast, the furler drum will drag across the foredeck and hang on things. I have a mast raising lowering system that takes care of that.  You also have to make sure that when you get it down you strap the furled sail all the way down the mast so that the furler extrusion will not get bent.  The drum end will end up longer than the mast so it has to be supported for that three feet or so that it will stick out past the bow pulpit.  I built a v groove extension that bolts on the pulpit out of wood that supports the drum out there.

Also good to have a support that bridges the stern rail with a roller built up just a little.  If you drop to the stern rail without a little riser, the mast will hit the weather bump on the sliding hatch before it gets down.

I don't know what system you are using to lower your mast or just a bunch of folks, but make sure you support it laterally as it comes down.  If it swings on you it will ruin the step.  Voice of experience first time (and last time) I used the factory supplied on trailer system.

It's almost become an obsession with me to make this process more efficient.  Keep track of any shortcuts you come up with and report.

[Bob23]

  In addition to removing the forestay and forward lowers and detentioning the backstay, I removed the main from the boom and the headsail from the CDI furler. But I only do this in the fall then the sails get rinsed, dried and stored away. If trailer sailing, I'd do the same- to easy to damage a sail while in transit.
  To support the furler, I stick a 4' length of ABS pipe in the bottom of the mast and lash the furler to that with line or zip ties.
  Back to derigging: I cut a small 45 degree angle in the aft part of the bottom of the mast. As the mast is being lowered, it supplies a somewhat flat area for the mast to ride on while going down. Otherwise you have the oval cross section so the mast then just wants to go sideways. It helps a little but the key is to attach temporary shrouds to support the mast laterally as it comes down.
Adding to the obsession,
Bob23

[Restharrow]

Advice so so is great and accurate. I had a CP23 for a number of years and found raising and lowering the mast fairly easy with a 5 to 1 boom vang and simply guiding the mast up (and down) as my wife hauled 'er up easily.  Here's my question, I now have a CP 25 with a bigger, longer, and heavier mast and am looking for safe ways to raise and lower it.  I had a winch on the trailer, but that was a disaster!  WAY to much pressure on the bow sprint roller. Specifically I'm wondering how to control the side to side movement which seems more excessive than the 23.  SOOOOO, I'd appreciate any and all ideas and solutions you have devised for raising and lowering.

Steve
CP 25
Coast of Maine and Lake Champlain VT

[Shawn]

Steve,

Make baby stays to hold the mast from moving side to side. I used a pair of chains, one per side. Connect the chain to the base of a lifeline stanchion ahead of the mast and behind the mast. The chain should be set to a length that it becomes tight when stretched to a point where the highest point of the chain is inline with the pivot point of the mast. To that chain you attach the baby stays. I used a length of synthetic line (very low stretch) that I had spliced eyes into. You want this length to be maybe a foot or two below the height of your spreaders. Lastly take your main halyard and bring it below the spreaders and make a loop around the mast and clip it to itself. Attach the other end of the baby stays to the loop around the mast.

After you get the mast in position tighten the main halyard to take the slack out of the chain and baby stays. If you have the chain length correct as you raise/lower the mast the tension from the baby stays will be constant and they will keep the mast from moving side to side. After you get the mast up pull the halyard down with the baby stays and disconnect them.

If you set it up properly it works exceptionally well in keeping the mast in position. Really reduces the stress about loosing the mast to either side. You can also stop the mast at any point up or down to clear rigging snags and so on with no worries about the mast moving sideways.

Shawn

[brackish]

Steve, the key to controlling lateral movement is to have either an A-frame system, or a baby stay system to hold the mast amidship as it comes down.  The key to a baby stay system is making sure that the point of support is exactly on the same axis as the pivot bolt on your mast.  My system works like a charm although it may be a little light for a 25, but the concept is the same.  Be sure to go to the original Tropical Boating article, it talks about the baby stays. 

My system:

http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=3823.0

link to the original article I fashioned my system after:

http://www.tropicalboating.com/2010/04/the-perfect-solo-mast-raising-system-for-small-sailboats

[Bob23]

   I noticed on the Tropical Boating site, the baby stays are wire from chain. This is important, me thinks. I used a similar system but chinced out and used line- bad idea- too much stretch. As the mast tried to go sideways, the line stretched and allowed the mast to continue it's sideways journey. No damage but a lesson learned. When raising and lowering, I like to have the stern of the boat into the wind, if possible. It adds to the control. Avoid a crosswind...don't ask me how I know this.
   Helpers are nice but one year before Hurricane Irene, I got my landlubbing brother in law to help me. The mast went sideways, bent the boogers out of the foot and almost lost him overboard. If I'd known that would happen, I'd have taped it!
Bob23

[Shawn]

I had an A frame before the baby stays. Maybe my setup was different than yours but the A frame didn't control lateral movement anywhere near as well as the baby stays. The A frame mainly just helped get the mast movement started from the winch or blocks as it changed the direction of pull from completely horizontal to having a vertical component. I could use it with the baby stays but ended up just lifting the mast up a bit myself to get the winch/blocks started to pulling the mast upright.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Bob,

" I used a similar system but chinced out and used line- bad idea- too much stretch."

I used Amsteel line which really doesn't stretch at all with the amount of force we are talking about here. My initial try raising the mast with the baby stays I had the pivot point off which made the stays tighten while raising the mast. It completely stopped the mast from moving. I had to slacken the halyard a little to get the mast up the rest of the way. It is pretty easy to splice a loop into as well and is a lot cheaper than using wire.

Shawn

[Bob23]

Shawn:
  My problem probably was I used some weak, leftover from who knows what line. I also think having the mast on a temporary crutch would help as well. I do need to experiment and get this down if I'm gonna trailer the boat to HOTCR and CLR.
Bob23

[brackish]

Bob, the work is done for you.  With my system, I have a dozen raisings and lowering's, all single handed, two of them on the water (that is actually easier provided the water state is calm, as you don't have to climb up a ladder to set up) without any mishaps at all.  20 minutes to set up and do the deed.  Of course another hour or better to remove stuff before dropping the mast and then to secure everything and pack for travel.  Going to drop it this spring for travel, and hopefully I can get the Admiral film the process for sharing.

Shawn, I see your point about the A-frame, have never personally used one, but in concept the "A" is generally away from the mast so the mast is free to move laterally.

Theoretically the baby stay support point should be on the same axis as the pivot bolt, but I had to loosen it slightly because as the mast comes over it rides up slightly on the bottom back edge raising the pivot bolt slightly in the slot.  My original setting was too tight to get the mast past that point.

[Restharrow]

THANKS for the replys.  Actually I guess the owner I bought CP 25 Hull#5 from had it right (sort of).  He had baby stays made of 1/4 chain but they were too lose.  Perhaps I rigged the "v" portion at the wrong spot causing the baby stay attachment to not be level with the pivot pin.  So the mast tended to go side to side.  NOW the light has dawned on marble head and I understand.  Pivot point level with the pivot pin and relatively tight baby stays.  Now rather than dreading the spring launch I;m actually looking forward to seeing how easy it will actually be when I'm rigged correctly.
THANKS again!!!!

Steve

[Ron]

The previous owner of my 25 used baby stays made from life line sections-at first I had no idea what they were for. Also part of the mast raising procedure was a steel pipe which fit into a reinforced hole at the forward base of the mast. What happened after that I have no idea. Stepping the mast on my previous boat, a Precision 18 was easy, but the 25 is clearly beyond my 73 years and I had the yard step the mast last season. I believe like bottom painting it is money well spent considering the potential for a nasty outcome.