Mast raising mod question

[jazaddict]

Hi
I have just aquired a 26x that has an older mast raising system consisting of a pole and multi-pulleys. I've seen the winch on what appears to be teh same pole (in length and diameter to my eye).

Has anyone added a winch & pulley(s) to the older pole thus creating the newer system? Perhaps a thread has been made that I couldnt find?

[jazaddict]

Founnd the info inside http://www.macgregorsailors.org/forum/v ... 7&start=15
Seems pretty straight forward.

[Tomfoolery]

First off, welcome to the forum, and make mine pepperoni.

Secondly, there isn't much difference between the style MRS and the newer style. The pole is the same 1-1/2" x 1/8" wall aluminium tube. The winch is a Dutton-Lainson 350 lb brake winch - NOT a typical ratcheting winch - it must be a brake winch so if you lose the handle when lowering, you don't end up with broken fingers and/or a bent or broken mast and/or a bent or broken person who shouldn't have been, but was, standing under that mast.

Put a single block with at least a 700 lb SWL on the eye strap on the same side as the winch, and use the other eye strap, that's thru-bolted to the other one, for the line to the eye strap on the deck.

You'll also have to add a bail on the mast to connect the MRS line to.

That's about it.

Remember - pepperoni. And crust so thin you can read a new the newspaper through it.

Oh, and it's nice to have someone else here with good taste in music.

[Hamin' X]

Put a single block with at least a 700 lb SWL on the eye strap on the same side as the winch, and use the other eye strap, that's thru-bolted to the other one, for the line to the eye strap on the deck.

You'll also have to add a bail on the mast to connect the MRS line to.

I just tie a line around the mast above the bay stays with a bowline and the line from the winch goes to a bow cleat with a fixed loop. Real easy and no extra hardware.

Mine is a Blue Water Yachts boat and I bought it used with the M mast raising system, which BWY sells.

~Rich

[tlgibson97]

How high on the mast should the bail be to attach the mast raiser to?

[Tomfoolery]

Depends on the system. If it's the system, with the winch on the gin pole, then put the bail even with where the line exits the block at the top of the gin pole. If it's the system, with the moving gin pole and no winch, use the jib or genoa halyard.

[topcat0399]

I have a stationary gin pole now. I put my bail at 6 feet and also attache the
baby stays along with the gin pole to it.

Works well.

YMMV

[jazaddict]

I put a trailer winch on the top of the pole, put a 6ft line on the other side of the pole with a caribeener to a bale at the baby stays.
Works perfectly.
I was gonna put a rope on the pulley, but heck, why not use the strap?

So All's good. Thx

[Tomfoolery]

The winch is a Dutton-Lainson 350 lb brake winch - NOT a typical ratcheting winch - it must be a brake winch so if you lose the handle when lowering, you don't end up with broken fingers and/or a bent or broken mast and/or a bent or broken person who shouldn't have been, but was, standing under that mast.

Just sayin'.

[topcat0399]

The winch is a Dutton-Lainson 350 lb brake winch - NOT a typical ratcheting winch - it must be a brake winch so if you lose the handle when lowering, you don't end up with broken fingers and/or a bent or broken mast and/or a bent or broken person who shouldn't have been, but was, standing under that mast.

Just sayin'.

I have a trailer winch on mine also. It was handy.

[seahouse]

And I would concur with tkanzler and urge a rethink about using the inappropriate non-brake type winch. It adds unnecessary risk to the operation, with a catastrophic downside. (Even if you got the boat winch for free).

[Ormonddude]

First off, welcome to the forum, and make mine pepperoni.

Secondly, there isn't much difference between the style MRS and the newer style. The pole is the same 1-1/2" x 1/8" wall aluminium tube. The winch is a Dutton-Lainson 350 lb brake winch - NOT a typical ratcheting winch - it must be a brake winch so if you lose the handle when lowering, you don't end up with broken fingers and/or a bent or broken mast and/or a bent or broken person who shouldn't have been, but was, standing under that mast.

Put a single block with at least a 700 lb SWL on the eye strap on the same side as the winch, and use the other eye strap, that's thru-bolted to the other one, for the line to the eye strap on the deck.

You'll also have to add a bail on the mast to connect the MRS line to.

That's about it.

Remember - pepperoni. And crust so thin you can read a new the newspaper through it.

Oh, and it's nice to have someone else here with good taste in music.

I used a standard winch - The solution to not dropping the mast is dont be a Stooge with a 1000lb winch there is almost no tension when lowering. So bottom line unless your stumbler or accident prone that don't matter at all IMHO also it don't matter if the winch is mounted in the middle or at the top like mine is. If your that concerned keep a hand on the winch handle and the other on the lock switch as you lower it with the flick of a finger its locked say a Bee stings you or some such OMG I need to sneeze and cant contain myself rare incident occurs. Then again I am a bit of a redneck so use this advise strictly at your own risk but frankly you really need to be accident prone to drop the mast with a regular winch. as the entire lowering operation takes 5 minutes moving at a snails pace and maybe 1-2 minutes typically.

[topcat0399]

First off, welcome to the forum, and make mine pepperoni.

Secondly, there isn't much difference between the style MRS and the newer style. The pole is the same 1-1/2" x 1/8" wall aluminium tube. The winch is a Dutton-Lainson 350 lb brake winch - NOT a typical ratcheting winch - it must be a brake winch so if you lose the handle when lowering, you don't end up with broken fingers and/or a bent or broken mast and/or a bent or broken person who shouldn't have been, but was, standing under that mast.

Put a single block with at least a 700 lb SWL on the eye strap on the same side as the winch, and use the other eye strap, that's thru-bolted to the other one, for the line to the eye strap on the deck.

You'll also have to add a bail on the mast to connect the MRS line to.

That's about it.

Remember - pepperoni. And crust so thin you can read a new the newspaper through it.

Oh, and it's nice to have someone else here with good taste in music.

I used a standard winch - The solution to not dropping the mast is dont be a Stooge with a 1000lb winch there is almost no tension when lowering. So bottom line unless your stumbler or accident prone that don't matter at all IMHO also it don't matter if the winch is mounted in the middle or at the top like mine is. If your that concerned keep a hand on the winch handle and the other on the lock switch as you lower it with the flick of a finger its locked say a Bee stings you or some such OMG I need to sneeze and cant contain myself rare incident occurs. Then again I am a bit of a redneck so use this advise strictly at your own risk but frankly you really need to be accident prone to drop the mast with a regular winch. as the entire lowering operation takes 5 minutes moving at a snails pace and maybe 1-2 minutes typically.

Indeed.

[RobertB]

why mess around with the risk of a standard winch when a brake winch works well? Sounds like a regular winch works for you but what if your wife or kid lowers the mast and slips up? Is it worth the risk?

[cptron]

why mess around with the risk of a standard winch when a brake winch works well? Sounds like a regular winch works for you but what if your wife or kid lowers the mast and slips up? Is it worth the risk?

Not to mention the embaressment at the ramp when the mast drops suddenly.
Seriously, I agree, it's not worth the risk.