Windex mount - access

[Catigale]

Francis - nice tip

Once you have the mast unbolted you could bring it an extra foot or two forward so that the WIndex install is a snap.

A sail tie around the mast and pulpit would keep it safe for a minute or two.

I should mention I am 6' 1" with monkey arms so my genetic mutation might mean I can reach the Windex on mast easier than some.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

On my boat the connected baby stays from the mast raising kit are almost at their full extended length when the mast is attached to the pulpit. There is no way I could move mine further forward without the extra steps of un-hooking the baby stays, moving the mast further forward, going all the way to the back to install the windex, going all the way forward to put the mast back in the pulpit bracket, connecting the baby stays back up, then going back to the pulpit to remove the mast and roll it back. This is far too much extra work. My baby stays are attached all the time, as is my mast raising pole. They are never disconnected or removed even on multi-week trips.

[Catigale]

Yep - My guess is the baby stays would make that too much work

I dont have these so they arent an issue for me.

Catigale

[Richard O'Brien]

Don't forget the M mast is a couple feet longer. I can;t reach mine fom the seat a enough to screw it in. Then there is that new lighting requirement. if you don't make it back before dusk, you have an additional light to hook up. I think i'm going to look into those ultrlight collapsible ladders.

[amnesia]

awolfe, I have had the Davis Windex Light for about 4 years. It works very well. Just bright enough to easily see the Windex. I have had to replace the bulb once. Very easy. Mine is wired to the runnung lights. I have seperate spreader lights that are great to use when docking and cleaning up for the nignt. I also have underwater light that is attached to the swim ladder. Very bright and nice to have for a night swim while on anchor. I have 4 house batts (4 -6 volt cart batts plus a starting batt. I run a lot of stuff! I would be embarrassed to list all of the power hungry things on my X. Anyway, the Davis Windex light is very good - I certainly missed it when the bulb went until I replaced it.

When on trailer I do not remove the Windex. Instead I loop a light line over it to prevent it from spinning. Never lost one yet.

[MAC26X]

I use a windex that fits over my antenna. I install it once per spring by using the pickup truck before hooking up to the trailer. I tow it short distances installed. If I wanted to tow it fast or long I would fabricate a protector guard that I could install from the helm seat and just leave it in place. The guard would just fit over the arrow indicator and have an extension long enough that I could attach to the mast. This would relieve the wind load from the indicator and keep it from spinning.

[ALX357]

Duane,
the baby stays would prevent you from moving it any farther BACK only, and are as tight as possible when moving the mast from trailer position to the mast step, for bolting or pinning before raising, but the baby stays are NOT going to prevent you from moving the mast more FORWARD from the pulpit for a long way....; the baby stays are slack in that direction until the mast is hanging way over the front of the boat.....

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The baby stays do limit the forward movement as well. Looking at mine with the mast under the tarp in the back yard there looks to be enough slack to move the mast about 2' forward and then they will be tight.

Moving the mast forward is actually a problem for those of us with the older mast crutch on the transom rather than the predestal. The crutch roller and bracket is just inside where the upper shrouds attach to the mast. You would have to lift the mast at the rear (top) clear of the the bracket to roll it any further forward. This means lifting at the front and back at the same time, a two person job. We run into this every time we remove and re-install the mast on the the boat when we go out mastless.