Gin Pole or Help Please

[Joie De Vivre]

Okay you all know I bought Joie a few months ago, and the learning curve has gone really well this far. I ordered a new Owners book and read it cover to cover but really didn't get much out of lowering and raising the Mast. I looked on the web and have seen many using a GINPOLE. Some look homemade others not sure of. I need to lower the mast to do a few things, (tighten the spreader arms, my anchor light is not working, weather vane stuck, etc) Is there a inexpensive way to get this done? I don't have a trailer and don't feel that I will be raising and lowering the mast alot as she sits in the water behind the house. Anyway, can anyone help out, or does anyone have something I can use stuck in the garage somewhere? Better yet anyone in the Florida Keys want to give me a hand in exchange for a few days sailing around here and a few beers??

Any help would be great.

[hockeyfool]

Look up in the search bar here and type in gin pole ; there you will see 2 or 3 examples shown and described, mine is in there . Not very expensive, maybe $100, if you have extra blocks for running a halyard and extra rope for the mast raising or lowering.

[NateD]

Here's the one I built: http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=5096.0

If you don't plan on doing it often, brute strength might be the way to go. Lowering it actually doesn't take much strength, just attach the jib halyard to the bow cleat, then cleat off the halyard, loosen the shrouds, unpin the lower forward shrouds, then the fore stay. Go back to the cockpit and take a couple wraps of the jib halyard on the halyard winch, and slowly start to let it out as the mast comes down. It can wobble side-to-side, so have someone else help stabilize it, or make sure you're pointed into the wind.

Raising it without mechanic help is possible too, just requires brute strength. I'm fairly young (29) and in good shape, it's about 50/50 whether I could get the mast up single handed without a gin pole. I know I can get it about 80% of the way up, but the sucker is very heavy, prone to swaying side-to-side, and you have to make a big step up onto the cabin while shouldering the thing. With two able body guys you've probably got a 95% chance of getting it up without hurting or breaking anything.

But if you plan to keep the boat for a while and to do all of the work on it yourself, then making a gin pole is probably the better way to go. It's safer and easier on both the body and mind.

[Greene]

I don't use a gin pole, but I do use my cheap homemade bridle to hold the mast on plane as it goes up and down.  It is made out of a few hardware fittings and some old line.

Here is a link to the video showing the bridle.

http://youtu.be/CSnwOlAawww

My buddy and lowered my mast when I bought Wrinkles (before I made the raising system) in Dunedin, FL.  I stayed on the deck to stabilize the mast side to side while my helper held an extended jib halyard out in front of the trailer.  He didn't wrap the line around anything to create resistance and while the mast came down he was quickly being overpowered by the weight.  So, if you do muscle it down make sure the line is wrapped around something for a little mechanical advantage.

Mike

[Joie De Vivre]

I don't use a gin pole, but I do use my cheap homemade bridle to hold the mast on plane as it goes up and down.  It is made out of a few hardware fittings and some old line.

Here is a link to the video showing the bridle.

http://youtu.be/CSnwOlAawww

My buddy and lowered my mast when I bought Wrinkles (before I made the raising system) in Dunedin, FL.  I stayed on the deck to stabilize the mast side to side while my helper held an extended jib halyard out in front of the trailer.  He didn't wrap the line around anything to create resistance and while the mast came down he was quickly being overpowered by the weight.  So, if you do muscle it down make sure the line is wrapped around something for a little mechanical advantage.

Mike

How much do you think it weights???

[Joie De Vivre]

I don't use a gin pole, but I do use my cheap homemade bridle to hold the mast on plane as it goes up and down.  It is made out of a few hardware fittings and some old line.

Here is a link to the video showing the bridle.

http://youtu.be/CSnwOlAawww

My buddy and lowered my mast when I bought Wrinkles (before I made the raising system) in Dunedin, FL.  I stayed on the deck to stabilize the mast side to side while my helper held an extended jib halyard out in front of the trailer.  He didn't wrap the line around anything to create resistance and while the mast came down he was quickly being overpowered by the weight.  So, if you do muscle it down make sure the line is wrapped around something for a little mechanical advantage.

Mike

How much do you think it weights???

I watched your video last night before you sent it to me, found it on a youtube search. I like the idea, just don't have a trailer and it's in the water.

[Greene]

I was suggesting you consider using the bridle system portion to keep the mast from swaying sideways.  This in combination with a gin pole will make the mast lowering a safe proposition.

Good luck!

Mike

[hockeyfool]

Joie,
   when you use 2 sailboat blocks , one under the end of ginpole, run a rope through it, take that line forward to a second block, run the rope thru that also, then run the rope to a winch on the gin pole or a winch on the cabin deck, or cockpit winch; put 3 wraps of rope on it
  and cleat it ; on top side of end of gin pole you tie/shackle end of halyard, then pull slack on halyard and cleat/clutch lock it.
At this point the gin pole is attached to mast and hanging horizontal -- the force of weight of the mast is reduced so much that when you
   ease the rope to winch - you will be able to lower mast( when detaching forestay )with very  little effort or power required !!

[Bob23]

I've looked at a number of bridle systems both on this site and others. I'd have to say, that Admiral Brenda Greenes system is by far the simplest and probably the cheapest that I've seen. I like the way she utilizes a halyard to keep tension on the bridle. Even if I continue to lower and raise my mast using the caveman method (1 man in pickup truck bed holding a halyard. Other man in sailboat cockpit to catch the mast as man number 1 looses grip) I'll borrow Brenda's Bridal method. Thanks, B. Mike is sure a lucky guy!
Bob23

[Greene]

I've looked at a number of bridle systems both on this site and others. I'd have to say, that Admiral Brenda Greenes system is by far the simplest and probably the cheapest that I've seen. I like the way she utilizes a halyard to keep tension on the bridle. Even if I continue to lower and raise my mast using the caveman method (1 man in pickup truck bed holding a halyard. Other man in sailboat cockpit to catch the mast as man number 1 looses grip) I'll borrow Brenda's Bridal method. Thanks, B. Mike is sure a lucky guy!
Bob23

Yes I am Bob.  Here is the Admiral getting walked down the aisle by her two boys.  The boys obviously get their good looks from Brenda, not me.



Mike  (OK Bob, I am back in the lead for worst thread drift offender)

[Harrier]

These designs, and use of a gin pole in general, require a hinged mast step, correct?  My CP27 is not hinged. 

[brackish]

I have a complete write up on mine with very specific details about how to construct it in the "articles" section of this forum titled Mast Raising system.  However, if you are not regularly trailering and only doing this for a specific maintenance session, I would get some friends and use the caveman method, never pulling the pivot bolt.  Mine is set up for single hand operation either on the trailer or on the water and it works pefectly in both of those cases (water at the dock in the calm not in a pitching sea state) as I have done it many times by myself.  takes about 20-30 minutes to set up and either drop or raise.

[NateD]

How much do you think it weights???

It's not so much about the weight, but the leverage and unwieldiness. I'm terrible at guessing weights, but I think the mast is only 60 pounds. Once it is down one person can pick it up (in the middle) and move it around. As you walk forward to raise the mast, you are acting as a fulcrum, and as you move closer to the mast step, you have less and less leverage.