Need Help

[capthb26x]

Hellow all ... Im of course a newby so please over look my dumb guestions, but I need some help. I purchased my boat about a month ago and took down the mast for the first time a couple days ago when I moved it from the marina to the house. The roller fuler connects directly to a plate on the bow, with no turnbuckle under it, and I was unable to get enough slack to simply unpin it. I ended up taping the pin out to lower the mast. Now my question is ... how do I get enough slack to repin it when I reraise the mast ? ... I have the mast raising system ... Did I miss something when I took it down ? ... The only idea I have when I reraise it, is to use the main sail line to allow the mast to go past vertical, pin the roller furling, then hopefuly be able to get slack enough to repin the aft stay ... and yes I losened the aft stay turnbuckle as much as I felt was safe when I took the mast down .... any help or suggestion will be greatly apreaceiated ... and as you can see I am not the best speller either ... lol
Thanks
Harold

[Tomfoolery]

Disconnect the backstay first, then crank down on the gin pole winch to slacken the forestay. The shrouds (side stays) will stretch, but the mast won't go anywhere. Unpin the forestay at the stem fitting, then lower the mast. Do it smoothly, especially the last bit, as the loads on the system increase as the mast gets closer to horizontal - bouncing the mast really loads the hardware. Don't forget to close the sliding hatch over the companionway, or the mast will do a lot of damage to it.

Do the reverse to put it back up - raise the mast, making sure the shrouds are clear and the hardware isn't twisted (watch those thimbles), then crank down on the mast raising winch, make the forestay pin, slacken the MRS, then pin and tension the backstay.

[capthb26x]

Thanks TK ... I thought the mast would fall forward if you disconnected the backstay first .. shows what I know ... Thanks again, I will practice it like that a few times, that should help me ..

[Tomfoolery]

Notice that the shrouds terminate behind the mast, and they tighten as the mast it raised. They'll stop the mast when it's in it's working position, but the leverage is great enough that you can stretch them (elastically) by pulling harder on the mast, as long as the backstay is disconnected. If it's not, you're fighting the backstay, even if you slacken it, which I suspect is what's happening.

Just so you know, some boats don't even have a backstay. I don't believe the has one, and my last boat didn't have a backstay, either (google B&R rig). If the shrouds are backswept, they can take the forward force from the mast to the hull, and of course, they always take the side load to the hull, backswept or not.

When you get the hang of it, it'll go very quickly. If using a cabin roof winch, be sure to cleat off the MRS line and not just rely on the little cam cleat. I always take the tail back to a dock cleat and cleat hitch it there also, just in case.

While you're messing with it, inspect both ends of the forestay for broken strands, usually around the terminations. I just discovered mine has a broken strand or two, so a new one is on the list for this winter. A broken forestay can ruin your day, and your mast, and someone's body if it comes down on it, and unless you have a spinnaker halyard tied to the bow rail, there is no backup system. Just sayin'.

[capthb26x]

I looked the wires over prety close when I took it down, but I will definatly check them again before I stand the mast back up .. and thanks for telling me about cleating the MSR line off ... I will do that too ... Have a great day

[Sea Wind]

make sure that the backstay is not twisted and that there is nothing under the mast plate. Also, once the mast is up give the MRS pole one more pushed down to get some extra tension, that makes the furler get closer to the plate.

I installed the small one of this in the backstay and now it is vey easy to pin the furler:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sNum=50095

Sea Wind

[Azzarac]

If you place the Johnson lever on the forestay under the furler drum it will make the task much easier. This will require raising the attachment point on the mast a bit more than 3" but there are multiple posts on here on how to do this. I think Sumner has one of the most detailed posts on the subject.

[BOAT]

Yup, no backstay on the 2013 boat. (I was always accustomed to snapping the boom to the backstay when the main was down but there was no backstay!).
They made me get a topping lift!
Argh.
I HATE topping lift! They fly in the wind like dirty laundry while your sailing – (looks ugly and un-kept).

Oh well.

[Crikey]

Go BoomKicker!

[Catigale]

harold - if you have the CDI furler on your there is also a turnbuckle under the grey plastic drum..you remove a pin in the drum, push it up, and there it is!!

[kevinnem]

Maybe I have miss read. but you are removing the back stay? Why? I don't do that on mine, should I be? I must admit I did loosen mine off a bit in order to get the forestay to go on easier.

Kevin.

[Catigale]

The tension in the forestay of an is developed in the side shrouds, not the backstay. Important that this right or else your rigging will be Too loose.

[capthb26x]

Catigale .... I think its a CDI furler, but not sure .... I took the mast and all rigging off yesterday ... I have it stored out of the weather for the winter ...
I never stood the mast back up, to much else going on right now ... getting ready to go back offshore ... but I will take a look at the furler to see if
there is a turnbuckle there ... Thanks

[capthb26x]

Sea Wind .... If I put the Johnson lever on the back stay, do I need to get a shorter turnbuckle to take up the slack the lever creates, or do you think the turnbuckle thats on there now will take up the slack ? Thanks

[Tomfoolery]

Without knowing the sizes of both the turnbuckle and the Johnson lever, I'd guess that the Johnson lever will simply replace the turnbuckle. There's no need for both, as there is some adjustment on the Johnson lever.

Or not.

But if the backstay is too long after installation of the Johnson lever, it can be shortened easily enough. It's only wire rope with a thimble and a couple of nicropress fittings.