sailboat mast crutch

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Mast Crutch- Rear

$ 89.40

Description

Pintle Mounted Mast Crutch.  Mono Hull Sailboats. 

Specifications: 

Aluminum with rubber padded mast holder

Length from Lower pintle pin to mast cradle is 19″ 

Pintle max height spread is 14-7/8 ”

Pintle pin thickness 3/8″- (Interchangeable)

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East Coast Sailboats, Inc: 104 Shores Avenue, Point Harbor, NC 27964

Tel: 252-489-3491

There are many different types of mast supports that people use to hold their mast while trailering. This photo is a very typical support that I have seen on many boats, it is just a piece of square steel with a Y at the top, and a couple of bolts welded on that fit in the gudgeons. It apears to work adequately, but has one major problem: when trailing down the road, all of the road bumps & jarring are transmitted from the weight of the mast, onto the gudgeons. I know they are very strong, but they are one of the key pieces in the steering system and I wanted to make effort to stress them a little less.

This is the mast crutch I prefer (and made for my Oday). The first thing you will notice is that I attached a foot onto the shaft, so the weight of the mast is actually resting on the gunnel, so the gudgeons get less abuse.

A cotter pin in the pintle prevents the crutch from jumping out, incase I hit a big pot hole.

Instead of being made of steel which will rust quickly, I made mine from wood. It probably won't last as long, but during it's life it won't leave rust stains everywhere.

Also since the shaft is 4" wide, I use it as my backup emergency rudder. I have a couple of holes drilled in the lower part which mate up with holes drilled in one of my berth covers. I bolt them together, lash on a makeshift tiller and I have a backup rudder.

When making the crutch, you need to figure how high you want it to be. Some people like very tall ones so they can drape a cover over their boat, and the angle is steep enough to prevent snow from building up. Others make theirs as short as possible so they can roll their boat into their garage. I set mine at the height just high enough so I could open my hatch and get in the cabin, while the mast is lowered.

On the forward end of the boat, many people just rest their mast on top of their bow pulpit and bungee it on. On my Newport 17, I was storing her in the garage and wanted to keep the mast as low as possible, so I made this simple support which attached to the pulpit with U bolts.

My ODay didn't come with a pulpit, so I had to make a crutch for the forward end. My winch post is a fairly large steel tube, so I made one which fits down in there. I drilled a hole at the bottom of the winch post so that if any water gets in there, it will drain out instead of pooling in there & rusting it away.

One last issue, when trailering down the road, the middle of the mast bounced up and down a LOT!!! To support it, I made a simple little crutch that fits on top of the mast step. I even use the masts step bolt & cotter pin to keep it from falling off.

Other articles by David "Shorty" Routh:

• Tough Breaks
• Making Stays/Shrouds
• The "Other" Harbor Freight Trailers
• My Simple Hovercraft
• Pirate Race
• First Time/Newbie Sailor Advice
• My Love Affair with Small Boat Trailers
• Stupid Outboard Tricks
• Making a Polytarp Sail
• My favorite sail, the Leg-o-Mutton Sprit
• How To Sell A Board Boat
• Control Problems In Heavy Winds

The $tingy Sailor

Diy trailerable sailboat restoration and improvement without throwing your budget overboard.

How to Step a Mast Single-Handed With or Without Using the Boom as a Gin Pole

How do you step the mast on your trailerable sailboat? With a gin pole? With the trailer winch? With the help of friends or family? With your fingers crossed? No single system works for every sailboat or for every skipper. If you’re new to mast stepping, you don’t like your current method, or you just want to simplify or speed up the process, this post is for you. I must warn you though, this is a long post, even for me. To make it as short as possible, I’ve included five YouTube videos that show how this system works. By the end of this post, you’ll know everything about how I step the mast on Summer Dance single-handed in minutes, even on the water.

I’ll describe two ways that I step the mast, including one way that doesn’t use a gin pole at all. Both are fast and mostly use the boat’s own rigging and very little extra gear.

I’ll also explain some topics that lead up to and follow mast stepping, like how I:

• Use a DIY telescoping mast crutch for easier stepping and secure trailering.
• Tie down the mast and rigging for trailering.
• Keep my mast in tune without having to loosen and re-tighten the shroud turnbuckles to step the mast.

What do you really need?

When I started trailering Summer Dance years ago, I researched a lot about mast stepping. The Catalina 22 Owner’s Manual and General Handbook is pretty brief on the subject.

Walk the mast aft and drop the mast foot into the mast step on top of the deck, keeping the mast in center line of boat, insert the pivot bolt and locking nut. One crew member should pull on a line tied securely to the forestay while another pushes up on the mast and walks from the cockpit forward. With the mast erect, attach the forestay and forward lower shrouds.

Poorly written but pretty simple, huh? One crew member pulls on the forestay while another pushes on the mast. That’s how the mast was designed to be stepped and it works well if you’re young, strong, and there are two or more of you to do the job.

But what if you don’t normally have a second able crew member? What if you need to step the mast on the water? What if you want to lower the mast to go under a bridge? What if you or your crew have a physical impairment that prevents them from performing one of the tasks? That system may not work for you and you need an alternative. If you believe in the rule that you should have a backup for every critical part and system, then you also need a backup mast stepping plan even if you normally step the mast with the factory recommended method.

I’ve read about lots of different systems. Maybe you have too:

• Factory-built gin poles, braces, guy wires, and mast-ups
• DIY wooden gin poles with winches, bridles, and brace poles
• Blocks attached to the pulpit to reuse the trailer winch cable
• Electric winches on the trailer or in the tow vehicle
• Jumbo bungee cord connected to the forestay
• Assorted Rube Goldberg variations on all the above

They all struck me as overkill for the real problem. What do you really need once you have the mast bolted to the step? What do all of these system have in common? Some mechanical advantage to raise the mast and a way to keep it from swinging too far sideways until the shrouds tighten.

If you’ve read this blog for very long at all, you know that I’m really big on reusing or repurposing things for other uses. It’s something of a prerequisite to be a stingy sailor. If you’re lucky, it’s in your DNA and it comes easily to you. Being an armchair engineer qualifies too.

Let’s see — sailboat design is all about capturing, multiplying, and redirecting forces for mechanical advantage: the hull, keel, rudder, mast, sails, rigging, almost everything. What’s the most compact, portable piece of gear on a sailboat that creates mechanical advantage? The main sheet or the boom vang typically multiplies the force applied to it by three or four times. What are all gin poles in their most basic form? A big stick. Is there already a long, stiff, portable, stick onboard? The boom. Can we raise and lower the mast single-handed with the main sheet and the boom?

As it turns out, it’s really pretty easy to do. But it’s not very easy to describe in words, so rather than write an entire book about it, I’ve made a series of short videos that each show a different aspect of my mast stepping system. I’ll give you an overview of each aspect in the text below but to really get it, you should watch the videos.

Getting it to the water

Besides being simpler, one of the basic principles of this system is to make launching and retrieving the boat as quick as possible while also being safe. That starts with securing the mast and rigging for trailering. For me, it has to be secure enough to tow for a hundred miles over bumpy state highways and county backroads to my favorite cruising spots. This is in north Idaho, mind you, which is relatively remote compared to the Florida coast or southern California.

I use a combination of DIY mast supports, motorcycle straps, and inexpensive ball cords to secure the rig. The mast is supported on both ends and in the middle. This follows closely the Catalina 22 Owner’s Manual and General Handbook  recommendation.

Tie the mast and boom securely to the bow and stern pulpits. The spars should also be supported in the middle by the cabin top. Pad the mast at all contact points to prevent damage.

No tools or knot tying are needed for my system and any one of them works in seconds and stows easily either onboard or in my pickup.

Here’s a tour of the rig tied down just before I step the mast.

The previous video mentions my DIY mast stepper, also called a Mastup by a popular online Catalina parts retailer. I haven’t yet devoted a blog post to it but it was pretty easy to make. If you’re interested in a fabrication drawing and materials list, keep reading to the end of this post and a special offer.

I bought the steel myself from the cutoff pile at a local metal distributor. I took the metal and my drawing to a local welder who advertised on craigslist.com. I painted and assembled it myself. The total cost was half the price of the commercial version and in some ways, works even better. I especially like the D rings, which make it simple to secure the top of the mast stepper to the aft mooring cleats while trailering. It holds the mast very solid that way. And because the pintles are welded in place instead of adjustable, they can’t accidentally loosen and drop the mast.

Following is a close-up video of just the mast stepper. You can see it in action in the last two videos.

Setting up the boom as a gin pole

The  basic theory of a gin pole is to lift a heavy object below one end while it remains stationary at the other end. Support lines called guys position the lifting end over the object that is raised. A mast raising gin pole has one end stationary near the base of the mast, uses the forestay to support the lifting end, and uses a winch or a block and tackle to theoretically raise the bow of the sailboat to the end of the gin pole. In reality, the bow stays stationary and the entire gin pole system including its base (the mast) are raised towards the bow.

Most C-22 gin poles use one of two methods to attach the gin pole to the mast:

• A peg on one end of the pole that fits in a hole in the mast (the factory system for 2nd generation C-22s)
• A saddle on the end of the gin pole that fits around and is strapped to the mast (most DIY systems)

Neither of those gin poles serve any purpose after the mast is raised. They’re useless extra weight that takes extra storage space.

The system I use attaches using a small right angle bracket. I fabricated it out of a piece of scrap aluminum I already had. One side of the bracket is bolted through the mast step and the cabin top in front of the mast. The other side the bracket points upward and has a 1/4″ hole through it to act as a hinge for the gooseneck (stationary lower) end of the boom. If you’re a follower of this blog and have the password, you can find a scale drawing of this bracket on the Downloads page.

I connect the gooseneck fitting to the bracket with the same quick pin (drop cam or toggling bimini type) that I use to connect the gooseneck fitting to the mast slide while sailing. The pin is tethered to the boom with a stainless steel lanyard so it can’t get lost and it’s always near at hand.

I connect the forestay to a shackle on the top side of the (upper) end of the boom. On the opposite (bottom) side of the boom from the forestay, I connect the end of my main sheet tackle that doesn’t have the cam cleat. This is the same configuration as when the main sheet is attached for sailing. I connect the other end of the main sheet (that’s normally attached to the traveler car) to the stem plate where the forestay is normally attached.

To hold the boom vertical during raising, I sometimes use two pieces of pre-tied accessory cord. They connect to the sides of the boom with clips through the eye straps where my boom topping lift and jiffy reefing lines attach. The other ends of the cords have loops tied into them that I tie to the upper ends of the midship lifeline stanchions with girth (cow) hitches. The mast step is nearly in-line with the tops of the stanchions, so the cords rotate around the same pivot point as the mast and the boom.

If your sailboat doesn’t have the same style of gooseneck fitting as a Catalina 22 or you can’t use your boom for some other reason but you do have a spinnaker pole, you might be able to use it instead as this picture from a Westerly 21 owner shows. This picture also shows that a gin pole can be a great help with lifting the extra weight added by a furler.

That’s kind of hard to visualize, so here’s a short video that takes you on a tour of the setup.

This is a stickup with a boom!

After I rig the boom like shown above, the hard part is over. The rest is just pulling the main sheet with one hand while I steady the mast with my other hand. I also watch the stays and shrouds to be sure they don’t catch on anything as they raise off the deck.

With the main sheet cam cleat at the stem plate, I can easily stop raising the mast at any point, cleat the line with a sharp tug, and then clear snags or move to a better lifting position. Then I uncleat the main sheet at the stem plate first and hold light tension on the main sheet while I get into position to resume raising the mast.

The mast only needs to be held centered until it reaches about a 45° angle. Then the upper shrouds begin to tighten and they hold it centered the rest of the way up.

When the mast is vertical, I reconnect the forestay and forward lower shrouds using quick release levers . The mast is back in tune and requires no further adjustment. I disconnect the boom from the system and attach it in its normal place between the mast slide and the topping lift or backstay pendant. I disconnect the main sheet and attach it to the traveler car. All I need to put away are the two accessory cords if I used them, which I typically only do when it’s windy, when I’m setting up in a unlevel area, or on the water when its choppy.

Here’s a video showing the entire process completed in about 4 and a half leisurely minutes.

Single-handed speed stepping

In good conditions (light breeze, level area, or calm water), I skip over using the boom as a gin pole entirely and just use the main sheet to pull the mast up by the forestay. It saves several minutes and is nearly as easy to do but you should be fitter than average to attempt it. It’s the single-handed equivalent of having a crew member in front of the boat pull a line attached to the forestay. Bystanders seem to enjoy watching me raise the mast by myself in seconds.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s done on the water.

Back to the beginning

At the end of a road trip, I never look forward to tearing down  Summer Dance , pulling her out of the water, and tying her down for the ride home. I’ve had a great time but I’m tired and there’s many miles to go before I sleep. I don’t want to spend an hour lowering the mast and tying the rig down. I want it to be quick and simple.

Almost always, I lower the mast without using the boom as a gin pole even if I raised it that way. A gin pole is just not usually necessary so long as the mast comes down slow enough and lands in the crutch. You might not want to do it that way your first few times, so here’s what it looks like using the boom as a gin pole.

Then I tie it all down in a few minutes like shown in the first video.

Special offer for blog followers

Whew! That’s a lot of info. If you stuck with me through it, I really appreciate it. I want to thank you by offering not one, but two free bonuses to my blog followers.

The first is the launch checklist that I use to prepare and launch Summer Dance . It’s two pages of items that can help make sure you don’t forget something important for your next cruise — everything from an umbrella for the first mate while she waits for you to step the mast, to step-by-step instructions that you can have on deck for the gin pole method described above. Use it as a starting point to add and remove items to make your own checklist.

The second bonus is a dimensioned drawing and materials list for my DIY mast crutch that is described at the beginning of this post. Use it to build your own and save some money for something else.

If you’re already a subscriber to this blog, you can download both of the free bonuses from my Downloads page using the password that you received when you subscribed. If you’re not already a subscribed to this blog, sign up and you’ll join the thousands of other stingy sailors. Just enter your email address in the box at the bottom of this page and then click the Subscribe  button. You can unsubscribe at any time and I won’t share your address with anyone, ever.

I hope you’ve picked up some tips from this post that you can use to optimize your mast stepping system and spend more time on the water.

Would you like to be notified when I publish more posts like this? Enter your email address below to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. You will also receive occasional newsletters with exclusive info and deals only for followers and the password to the Downloads page. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time but almost nobody does!

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58 thoughts on “ how to step a mast single-handed with or without using the boom as a gin pole ”.

Love your vids on raising mast. Could you send a pic of quick release on forward shrouds and forstay and the pin you spoke of in vid.

Stay tuned here for a separate post on the quick releases and maintaining mast tune that’s coming soon!

I like the idea of using PVC tube & fence to make mast supports.

Just some scraps I had on hand; lightweight, strong, and they don’t look too ghetto.

Hey $tingy,

Thanks for another great post.

You mention the newsletter. I am definitely a long time blog follower, and look forward to every post, but I have never gotten a newsletter. Could you add me to whatever email list you use? I don’t want to miss any more.

Hi, CapnRehab

You weren’t receiving the newsletter initially because you’re a WordPress user so if you follow, my posts should show up in your Reader list instead of by email. But I added your email address to the newsletter recipient list back on May 11. The last newsletter went out on May 21 titled What’s Your Favorite DIY Project? Did you get that one? I’ll probably shoot out the next one at the end of the month. If you don’t get it, I don’t know what more I can do on my end.

Brilliant repurpose of mainsheet. I’ve struggled with this procedure for years, just man-handling it up there. Can’t wait to try this!

I hope it works for you. Let me know how it goes!

For mast raising and lowering, I have it a little easier with a 16ft boat, and can raise the mast single handed juat by manually lifting and walking forward in the cockpit and onto the keel case with the hatch slid forward, although I usually have my wife tension the forestay for some extra assurance.

I like your use of the “ball ties” for securing the rigging on the trailer. I usually use the halyards to tie everything up, but that takes more time than it should. I use some “sail ties” which are very similar to your ball ties to secure the sail on the boom and the boom is stowed inside the cabin. I think I will either get some more sail ties for securing the rigging on the trailer, or make up some velcro webbing straps. At the bow, my mast is tied down using my bowline and the DIY timber A frame mast crutch tied down at the rear with a rope tied to cleats on either side of the transom. The boat is held to the trailer using a stern ratchet strap and a turnbuckle on the bow, and the winch cable attached.

I really like the idea of using the boom as a gin pole. Brilliant. I wonder if you could post a picture of the L-shaped aluminum bracket that you fabricated and how it is attached to the boom? Making that may be the tricky part for me to get this thing. I could not really see a clear picture of it in your videos. Thanks!

I’ll add a close-up shot of it soon.

I added a close-up picture of the hinge bracket about midway through the post.

Excellent blog and report. I struggle with the mast raising and have an assistant. I will give your system a try. I finally understand the function of a gin pole and how to use it.

That’s awesome, Richie. I’m really glad it helped. In the case of a sailboat, it’s just a long, temporary lever. Aha moments are great!

Excellent report and diagram on the mast stepper. What would you think about using aluminum to build it instead of steel?

I think aluminum would work great so long as the wall thickness of the tubes is adequate. You wouldn’t need to be concerned about painting or rust. The critical area is where the outer tube overlaps the inner tube when the crutch is extended. Depending on how close the fit is and how much overlap, when you’re rolling the mast back to set it in the step, there can be considerable strain on that “joint.” A thin wall or soft aluminum might deform so make it beefy there.

Thanks for your comment, Michael!

I spoke to my fabricator friend about using aluminum and, him not knowing about the stepping process was most concerned about the hinges holding weight while trailering over the road. He also suggested using a beefier thickness if choosing aluminum just like your suggestion.

thanks for all you do!!!

The gudgeons can easily handle the weight so long as the pintles on the crutch are sturdy.

Send us a good picture of the final product and I’ll add it at the end of the post as an example!

Great post. Just started following your site. You have a lot of good projects on here. Where did you find such thin-walled square tubing for your mast stepper? All I can find is telescoping 1-3/4 & 1″ tubing. I don’t think I need that much strength or weight. Also, I receive the posts by e-mail but I never received the password for the download section. Thanks

There are a couple of industrial metal suppliers in my area that sell their cut-offs retail to the public by the pound. One of them also sells small quantities of standard sizes. I found all the sizes I needed with very little cutting. You definitely don’t need much strength and as little weight as possible. Aluminum would be even better if you can get it welded.

I’ll send you the password by email.

Thanks for your question.

I really like the simplicity of raising the mast without a gin pole. I use a gin pole now but prefer a simpler approach. How to you lower your mast? Do you use your mainsheet tackle when lowering? Thanks for the great video.. Jim Mathews

That’s right, Jim. I lower the mast by the same method but in reverse, which helps to remember the steps in both directions.

Thanks for your question!

Hi. I’m making the mast crutch and downloaded the drawing. How far down is the second hole in the 1″ tubing? ie. the hole where I would put the lock pin when the crutch is raised. Thanks.

That’s an excellent question, Jim, since it wasn’t shown on the drawing. I’ve since revised the drawing to show the hole 2″ up from the bottom of the inner tube.

The distance isn’t critical but depending on how tight the fit is between the inner and the outer tube, the hole might work better even farther up the inner tube. Try it at 2″ and if the top tube is too loose for you and it wobbles around, drill another hole farther up the inner tube, say at 4″ and try that. The mast will sit 2″ lower but it shouldn’t affect how you step the mast other than by making the crutch sturdier. Then you will have two holes to choose from. You can even drill more holes at different heights for different purposes.

Hi Thanks for the blog. Some pretty interesting ideas here, I’m borrowing some, especially related to the sails… Seeing your “system” to step the mast, I’m trying to adapt it to my boat, a ’82 French Rocca Super Chausey. The mast step has no pin to lock to the mast foot, it just falls into place between two pins that limit its longitudinal travel. Hence, nothing for the mast to pivot on. Any thoughts on how I could achieve that effect? Thanks.

If you have the tools and the ambition, you could replace your existing tabernacle with a custom made pivoting one. Find a piece of heavy gauge aluminum channel that you can cut into a shape similar to the C-22 tabernacle shown in the picture above. The channel should be just wide enough for the mast to sit into and the height a couple of inches. Cut slots in the sides for the through bolt to slide up and down. Cut the channel long enough and drill holes in the bottom of the channel to fit your existing deck bolts.

Then drill a hole through the base of the mast to accept the through bolt. It should be close to the bottom of the mast, 1/4″-1/2″ from the bottom. Angle the aft edge of the end of the mast so that it will rotate without binding in both directions. As it rotates backward during unstepping, the bottom end of the mast and the through bolt should ride up in the slots. Put a wingnut on the end of the through bolt for easy removal and you’ve got a pivoting mast.

If you don’t have the resources to make one yourself, maybe you can find a friend or a metal fabricator to help.

Good luck with your projects and thanks for your question! $tingy

When installing the gin pole hinge bracket you drill through the cabin roof. Have you experienced any water penetration through this hole?

I sealed the plate and hole perimeters with butyl tape, so no problems.

Wow! Love the post and videos!! So clear and easy to follow. I’m going to try this for my Columbia 8.3. I tried to follow you but got an error code. Can you manually add me, please?

Please try following again and if the error repeats, send me the text or a screenshot of the error so I can investigate.

My Venture 21 tabernacle and mast look like yours (sans the plate for your swivel blocks) and I have often wondered if there is wear on the trailing edge of the mast foot after repeated raising/lowering? Or does yours have some reinforcement?

Also, have you ever noticed the boom baby stays pulling too much on the stantions? I wonder if mounting the ropes at the base would be less apt to damage them if the mast were to go somewhat off-center (to the exrent the upper shrouds allowed)?

Love your site. I shared the 2017 DIY competition on Small Craft Advisor Magazine’s Facebook page and I noticed the 10 most popular projects link…most of which are on my to-do list!

There is a tiny bit of wear after 36 years but not enough to matter. Tying the baby stays to the stanchion bases would be more solid but then their pivot points would be too low. The reason that I tie them up at the top of the stanchions is so that the baby stays keep in relatively constant tension throughout the range of motion of the mast/boom. They’re almost perfectly aligned with the tabernacle. The stanchions aren’t in much danger because the boom doesn’t weight much and it can’t wander very far at all since it’s held in tension between the forestay (running aft) and the main sheet (running forward). They really just help to hold the boom vertical while you’re setting the system up until you begin to raise the mast. The mast can wander side to side some until its raised about halfway, then the upper shrouds come taught and keep it centered.

Thanks for the share!

Your site has been a tremendous help and inspiration for me and my 1988 Cat 22. My mast step has welded loops fore and aft. Can you suggest a structurally sound way to secure the boom to the loop for lifting/lowering?

Link showing the step: http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/345_18/mast-step-c-22-cp-22brcp-18-wwelded-vang-loop.cfm

Hello, KGUNN

Since the loop is perpendicular to the line of the mast/boom rotation, it won’t work well using only off the shelf parts. I suggest you consider mounting a tang like the Garhauer BT-1 to the bottom of the mast instead. You can pin the boom to it similar to how I do it to my bracket. The boom will then rotate with the mast as it raises and lowers.

Great suggestion. Thanks!

Hmmm, this asks more questions for than answers. I don’t have the lower stays, nor do I have any of the attachment point on the mast that I can see. The thing is the boat is smaller 20′ vs 22′ I have no lifelines nor a rear rail, walking down the side of the boat would be a challange, never mind running lines while doing so. The mini stays have no place to attach to. Not sure how to go about raising the mast without help…even with this setup…

A smaller sailboat could indeed be trickier to step the mast single-handed since it has less rigging to aid the process. If you’re not committed to perfecting a single-handed technique, I’d suggest you consider a two-handed process with one crew member in the cockpit to steady the mast laterally while the second crew member pulls the mast up by the forestay or foresail halyard from the bow or on the ground in front of the bow. A mast crutch would also help in that case. Otherwise, you might be looking at extensive fabrications or commercial mast stepping hardware with a winch.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

How could your system be used with a furling 150 genoa on a Catalina 25?

Hello, Thomas

It could be used in a similar way on your C-25 with a couple of adjustments. First, your mast is longer and heavier than a C-22 so I would always use the boom as a gin pole. You’ll need the leverage for the extra weight, especially with the addition of the furler. Second and more importantly, you’d need to lift the furler as well as the mast somehow. I’d suggest using a main or spinnaker halyard to hold the mast and furler together. Wrap it around them from top to bottom before you lower the mast, then handle them as one unit until after you raise the mast again and unwrap the halyard to reconnect the forestay/furler. Use the jib halyard with its working end securely tied off instead of the forestay to connect the masthead to the boom/gin pole. The rest of the process would work the same.

Stay tuned because I’ll be publishing a post soon about choosing and using a furler with a trailerable sailboat.

Appreciate your reply Stingy. I need to carefully review your technique but it seems one’s boom would remain upward; although I’m sure you lower it when finished? Sorry for my ignorance. I’m also looking at the idea from the clever MacGregor 26 mast raising pole that uses a winch on the pole with baby stays with a special one to automatically keep the lowered furler up off the deck. I read about it on TropicalBoating ( https://www.tropicalboating.com/2010/04/the-perfect-solo-mast-raising-system-for-small-sailboats ). I’ll have a look at your mast crutch but I can’t use the gudgeons for the rudder as I’ll need to motor over to the Cave Run Lake (KY) boat launch for the haul out. Thanks!!

Winch-powered mast raising systems are a good choice for owners with impaired physical abilities. I might have to resort to one as I get older and am not able to do everything I once could. Beats giving up sailing!

One needs to attach a mast bail with the MacGregor 26 solo mast stepping system. I’m reluctant to drill into the mast though. This is my first cruiser (purchased in July) and I’ve much to learn from your blog. I was only introduced to sailing two years ago when I bought a Sunfish.

My C-25 teak companionway/hatchboards need replacement after 20 years, probably all standing rigging needs replacement even though it all looks fine at deck level (in the Lake continuously since ‘08), etc., etc. I pulled two through hull Airmar transducers out to check them and found only thin layer of algae on them – tells me the lake water has been very clean. The old KVH display is dead so I’ll switch it out (plugging holes with marine plastic and epoxy) with a new RayMarine i40.

I see that the boom is removed of course in your video. I also see the stress on the mast crutch essentially dictates one use the transom gudgeons for support. I had thought I could use 1” pipe secured to the stanchions but then there would not be enough telescoping height available either. You’ve devised a very clever approach- I’ve never remounted my boom so will need how I can attach it to the fore ring on the step plate.

You might consider modifying my crutch design so that the bottom end rests in the cockpit sole forward of the transom instead of on the rudder gudgeons. It would probably need additional support or to be fastened to the mast to keep it from falling over. Offset to one side a little, you should still be able to use your rudder to steer. That, or use the outboard tiller instead of the rudder to get to the ramp if you can. I do that sometimes.

Just what I have been looking for to give me some information to guide me in raising and lowering the mast for maintenance on my 26 foot Grampian without the expensive use of a crane this spring.

Hi, I like your idea of the mast raising system without a gin pole. Does your block & tackle include a ratchet or brake? Thanks!

Hello, Laura

Since I use my mainsheet tackle, no, but if you want to use a separate tackle, that would be a good idea.

Thanks, $tingy

Sure beats my system of using 2 sons to help out, they’re never around when you need them !

Thanks for the video on the no pole lift, that’s pretty much how I need to do it though I usually am working on the hard before getting a lift in.

I have tried raising the mast as you show in the video. I have the same quick release. But when I try to lift the mast with the forstay can’t do. I’m wondering maybe your mast is lighter or do I have the wrong set up to raise mast. I have the mast step which I can raise for a better angle…but it’s not happening.

Hello, Mark

Are you using a gin pole or trying to lift it only by the forestay? Either way, it takes quite a bit of strength to get the mast up that first few feet since you’re not pulling directly vertically on the masthead. If you’re not able to do it by yourself, you might need a helper for at least that part of the setup.

Dear sir My name is Mark Monteverdi. I have followed your web site for a while…and always turned out good. I have looked at the mast rising video countless times. I have the quick release for the shrouds. I’m guessing you are using a basic vang ? Well either I’m very weak or i have the vang set up incorrect or my mast is made of different material …when i go to raise my mast it will fall off to one side it just feels as though I’m pulling a truck up a hill. If you would be kind enough to send a pic of what ever type of pulley system i would greatly appreciate that very much. It’s hard to get any one to go sailing with me and that’s more just so i have some one to push and one work the winch. Thank you Mark

I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble. When raising or lowering my mast, it too will tend to swing to one side or the other until it’s about half way up and the upper shrouds tighten and hold it centered the rest of the way up. That’s why I always have at least one hand on the mast to keep it centered during the lower half of the lift. I use the standard C-22 main sheet tackle which has a 3:1 mechanical advantage. You could use a stronger tackle (try 4:1) if you need the additional lifting power. You can see the whole main sheet in the video in Quit Spending Setup Time on Turnbuckles .

Hope that helps, $tingy

Hi Stingy Sailor, First of all, thanks for all your tips, tricks, and videos. Your site is awesome and very helpful! I have a C-25 with swing keel so most of all your tips are applicable, very nice, and handy. I really like your mast securing device located at the bow for trailering; easy and simple. I was wondering if you do have the drawings available for it so I could use it to build my own? Thanks! Alex

I did not make a fabrication drawing for the pulpit saddle because of the complex angles of the railing cutouts. Most readers wouldn’t be able to cut them accurate enough, so it’s a trial and error fit. Lay your material centered across the top of the pulpit, trace the railing edges onto the underside of the material, then cut a little at a time until the saddle sits down securely over the rails. Do the same with the mast on top of your material and you’re done.

Good morning, what a beautiful boat you have there ! that is an ingenious way to raise a mast,nice work ! I am curious about what the black,plastic/rubber item is that looks like it’s attached to the stern rail by the mast crutch @ 2:45 of the first video Please respond because my curiosity is killing me because I don’t get it. Thanks, Mick

You can read all about it in Add a Solar-Powered Flood Light in Your Cockpit .

Hi! I just subscribed to your blog, and I’d like the instructions for building a mast crutch like yours. Wasn’t sure whether that would be sent out automatically, or whether I needed to specifically ask for them. Thanks!

Lenny, You can find a dimensioned drawing of the mast crutch on my Downloads page if you’re a subscriber. The password to open that page was sent to you when you subscribed. $tingy

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Mast Crutch- Rear

$ 89.40

Description

Pintle Mounted Mast Crutch.  Mono Hull Sailboats. 

Specifications: 

Aluminum with rubber padded mast holder

Length from Lower pintle pin to mast cradle is 19″ 

Pintle max height spread is 14-7/8 ”

Pintle pin thickness 3/8″- (Interchangeable)

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H260 mast crutch design

• Thread starter Bob 04 H260
• Start date Jun 10, 2011
• Hunter Owner Forums
• Smaller Boats

Bob 04 H260

I have never been happy with the original Hunter mast crutch design. I replaced the "roller" (a bolt and plastic pipe) supplied with an actual rubber roller. However when moving the mast aft from the pulpit before raising it someone has to lift the mast up to clear the diagonals and then "nurse" it along as the crutch post appears to be struggling to keep upright. This lmakes it a two man job. Once the mast is all the way back in order to put the pin in, the mast has to turned a few degrees and the crutch is not on the center line of the vessel. When trailering the end of the mast needs more than 12 ft of clearance. This can be a problem at motels, gas stations etc. I raised the mast at the bow by adding a wooden box to the pulpit for the mast to sit on. It could then be lowered at the crutch without the spreaders touching the deck. I just used a line to hold the mast on the existing crutch to test the idea and it lowered the vertical clearance needed to 10 ft. Now I want to build a new crutch at this lower height that will allow one person to roll back the mast easily and put the pin in the base with any wrestling. Anyone else done this already and have a design I can use ?  

Anybody who's followed my posts will know that I like to hone the mast stepping systems for easier use(among everything else) on our 260 and the crutch design has been an issue for us too. On our crutch fork I drilled an additional pin and small roller that's easily inserted at the very top of the fork so the standing rigging clears each side. There should also be a 1/4" pin that inserts into the crutch tube at the rudder mount hole to keep the fork aligned as the mast is rolled back. I've found that my forestay furling gear/jib can be laid out across the spreaders to balance the rig so the base pin will align better. All that said, it's still quite an effort and I prefer a 2nd hand to setup the boat from a point where it's been packed for trailering. To fit our boat inside the shop for summer storage I fashioned a pvc crutch on the bow to raise the mast base to a horizontal plane and at the stern crutch I lower the mast off the fork about 18" and support it with a tie-down. The mast base would need the strength of the pulpit for trailering but I suppose you could lower the mast at the crutch if height is an issue. Clear as mud? Take care, Mike  

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Mast crutch photo?

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I just purchased a 1978 C22 to restore and sell. I am almost done with re-furbishing her. It came with a mast crutch I thought at first was home-made...but another C22 for sale on Craigslist has just part of a photo of what looks like the same crutch. I emailed him asking for a photo, but no answer. Wondered if anyone has a photo of the mast crutch to post? I am now wondering if it is factory, and am unsure how it mounts or if I am missing any hardware.. Thanks  

Nobody has chimed in here, so I'll step up. I don't have a factory mast crutch, but I've seen one and I made my own out of steel using the same basic design. That is, two telescoping tubes with a yoke and roller on the top and pintle pins on the bottom. You replace your rudder with the crutch before you unstep your mast, telescope the crutch to its fully extended position, then lower your mast into the yoke. You can then lower the crutch to its collapsed position for trailering. To step the mast, just reverse. Besides the crutch itself, I also use two motorcycle tie down straps tightened between the crutch and the aft cleats to stabilize the crutch. That's about all there is to it. If you need more detail, holler and I'll snap some pics of mine. Hope that helps!  

Go to You Tube and search for "Taking the Mast Down C22" and you will see a video of a C22 with a mast crutch. Can't post the link 'cause I only have 6 posts. Hope this helps.  

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Mast Support for Trailerable Boats

For just a few dollars' worth of readily-available material you can make a pair of mast supports that not only provide the needed support but also make mast handling much easier..

The transom support is a simple design. It is merely a 1″ x 8 ” board of a conven ient length fastened to the rudder gudgeons on the transom. What distinguishes it from most o ther supports is the roller incorporated in the top. One person can balance the mast on the roller and roll it back into position so that the foot can be fastened to the tabernacle or mast step.

The only parts not likely to be found in your local hardware store are the rudder pintles, but these are readily available at many local marine suppliers or through any mail order catalog. Use dinghy pintles, and bend the straps out at right angles so that they can be mounted flat on the board, as shown in the illustration. Carefully measure the distance between the gudgeons on your transom and mount the pintles the same distance apart.

The board can be of any convenient length; generally, the longer, the better. Getting the mast up higher makes it less of an obstruction when you need to get into the cockpit or cabin when the mast is stowed. It also makes raising the mast just a little easier. Of course, you do not want to make the mast support too tall or you may have trouble negotiating low overpasses when trailering.

The aluminum channels used to support the roller are available at most large hardware stores or building supply companies. The 3/4 ” width will just slip over the edge of a nominal I ” thick board. You may have to notch the board slightly for a flush fit. Fasten the channels in place with three round head screws.

The channels should be cut long enough to extend past the roller about 4 “. This will prevent the mast from sliding off the edge of the roller. All exposed edges of the channel should be filed smooth. To keep the mast from being scratched, slip a piece of 1 ” heat-shrink tubing over the channels and heat the tubing for a form fit.

The roller is commonly sold as a replacement for the rollers on powerboat trailers, and should be readily available at boat dealers or marine stores. You can use a 3/8 ” carriage bolt for an axle in most cases.

The crosspiece mounted above the pintles is merely a spacer placed so as to fit firmly against the boat’s sheerline rubrail when the mast support is in position. It keeps the whole assembly from twisting or pivoting off center. I used a short piece of 2 x 4.

A plastic cleat for tying down the mast completes this transom mast support. Slip the boards pintles into your boat’s outboard rudder gudgeons, securing the board by slipping a hairpin-type cotter pin through the hole in one of the pintles.

The center mast support is made to fit in the mast tabernacle. I used two 2 x 4’s nailed together to form the horizontal piece. You may have to plane them down slightly to fit in your mast step. They need not be much more than about a foot long. Adjust the length so as not to interfere with any obstructions on deck. Drill a hole through the horizontal piece the diameter of the hinge pin in the mast tabernacle.

The vertical part of this center support is a 1 x 8 board notched out to fit your mast. The notch is easily cut with a saber saw. The length of this board is critical. It should be just high enough to support the mast without bending it upwards. Measure the height needed with the mast resting on the bow pulpit forward and the transom support aft. Because the mast will probably be sagging slightly in the middle when supported this way, hold the center of the mast up to take the sag out while measuring for the height of the board. Don’t forget to allow for the depth of the notch you will cut out for the mast.

Assemble the boards using stainless steel or bronze screws. After painting, tack a piece of leather to the mast cutout to avoid scratching the spar. A small plastic open-base cleat mounted on the vertical board enables you to tie the mast down.

While both of these mast supports are easy to make, they simplify mast handling considerably, as well as providing the needed secure support for your spar when trailering.

-Henry Rodriguez

Download PDF: Mast Supports for Trailerable Boats

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Rear Mast Support with “V” Stainless Steel

$ 220.00 each

• Description

Additional information

Product description.

The Rear Mast Support with “V” Stainless Steel is strong and secure, this mast support mounts to your trailer and features heavy-duty, box stainless steel construction with carpeted cradle and hinged upright. The mast support extends 4-1/2″ aft of rear trailer hull support and the mast rides about 30″ above the trailer. To launch, the support easily hinges to 90° away from the boat. Universal mount to fit trailer square/rectangular tube included. A $10 oversized item fee will be added at checkout.

Ideal for use with all Hobie, Nacra, Prindle, Dart and Sol Cat Catamarans.

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