Mast Raising Advice?

[Phillip]

I have attached the mast raising system to the mast as per the photo. Is this correct?
The booklet didn't show a complete picture, but it did show the rope to be attached higher up the mast than I have it. That just didn't seem right to us.

This is how we attached it, and it worked, but I did feel there was considerable load on the ropes, to point I made sure no one was standing anywhere under it as it went up. Saw another picture in Mods section and they had the rope way-way up the mast.
Any advice greatly appreciated.



Cheers
Phillip

[Paul S]

should be a lot more vertical

[ALX357]

....much higher than that and you will have difficulty in detaching it from the mast. The raising line on an X-boat is usually just the jib halyard, turned from a block at the jib-head. I use a dedicated thick line on a separate block at the jib-head, just for mast raising.

[delevi]

That looks correct, but yes, the pole should be nearly vertical. The attachment on the mast is correct... it's the only place you can put it. The line on the back side of the winch line should be attached to one of your mooring cleats all the way at the front of the bow. Then take up all the slack with the winch and the pole should be close to vertical. Make sure you attach the baby stays (the two cables) These shackle to the loops on the steel stanchion posts just in front of the mast. This will keep the mast from falling to either side. Heavy load on the ropes is normal. They can take it. My rig is quite tight so to disconnect the forestay, I first have to create a lot of tension with the mast raising kit to get the forestay to slack off a bit. All the lines and cables will get really tight, but don't worry. Also, make sure you remove the boom and secure all lines. If you have roller furling, be sure to pull out the furling line as well as the jib sheets, then bundle them up and bungee to the forestay. If the masts tilts a bit to one side, you can put some weight with your foot on one of the baby stays to straighten it out. It's not scary after you do it a couple of times.

Have fun sailing,
Leon

[NiceAft]

Phillip,

It looks good from here.

Hopefully those dark clouds brought you some rain.


Ray

[waternwaves]

I feel so primitive using my starboard winch from the cockpit.......

[BoatJunkie]

Im starting my fourth season with my 26X and I use the jib halyard for the mast raising kit. Looking at your arrangment, I must admit Im a little more comfortable with mine. The block and tackle lines ends up almost on the same plane with the jib halyard and I would expect that makes for a lot less stress on the mast raising pole as well the jib halyard.

Picture yourself trying to raise it by hand starting at the cockpit vs starting just a few feet from the base of the mast....

I'll stop before I reveal just how rusty my mechanics knowledge is but Im sure you get the point.

The other thing I like about the jib halyard is I can fine tune the angle of the mast raising pole to the mast by how I cleat it off on the mast.

[BoatJunkie]

I took another look at the picture..
This is a slightly different animal.... I, too, am happier using the starboard winch...

[Frank C]

... The other thing I like about the jib halyard is I can fine tune the angle of the mast raising pole to the mast by how I cleat it off on the mast.

Word to the wise ... one Gulf-coast owner here had his mast cleat screws pulled right out of the mast while raising his 26X mast. It caused the mast to drop, bending it in half at the spreaders and crushing his sliding hatch. Some pictures to the factory gained him a new mast & hatch, but the risk of bodily injury (of course) is the real problem.

FWIW, there's every good reason to AVOID using the mast cleat for snubbing the jib halyard during mast raising. The bitter end of the jib halyard can easily, and safely, be tied off to the gin pole, at exactly the same place where the shackled end of the jib halyard is attached. It's a good idea to double check that shackle too, before starting your mast-lift.
Be careful out there ... mast-raising is one of our more dangerous procedures.

[Catigale]

Ive successfully raised my mast using the jib halyard and the 3:1 vang with the halyard tied off at front, going up to the halyard block, then down to the vang, which is clipped to the base of the mast (vang boom bail)

You then have a 3:1 to raise or lower the mast and it is easy. I think I put this into the Mods Page under 'Poor Mans Raising system" or the like.

I did have a snap shackle undo on me once doing this and caught the mast as it fell

[Chip Hindes]

Word to the wise ... one Gulf-coast owner here had his mast cleat screws pulled right out of the mast while raising his 26X mast. It caused the mast to drop, bending it in half at the spreaders and crushing his sliding hatch. Some pictures to the factory gained him a new mast & hatch, but the risk of bodily injury (of course) is the real problem.

FWIW, there's every good reason to AVOID using the mast cleat for snubbing the jib halyard during mast raising. The bitter end of the jib halyard can easily, and safely, be tied off to the gin pole, at exactly the same place where the shackled end of the jib halyard is attached. It's a good idea to double check that shackle too, before starting your mast-lift.

If it makes you feel better to use Frank's approach, go right ahead.

However, many (most?) of us have used the factory endorsed method of the stock jib halyard cleated to the stock halyard cleat on the mast for many, many iterations without any sign of problems or imminent failure.

For nearly every critical component on the Mac, there is at least one horror story of a catastrophic failure. I appreciate being informed of each; it's as good a reason as any to regularly visit this website and read all the stuff that's written.

But instead of immeidately assuming any report of failure is a sign that the design is inadequate or that we must come up with an alternate procedure (which may or may not be any better than the original) I suggest that instead we use them as a reminder that regular inspection of critical components is essential. I will continue to inspect the integrity and attachment of my jib halyard cleat each time I use the mast raising system in the factory endorsed manner.

[Idle Time]

We use the jib halyard...and as I said in another post....we step and unstep on the water...at anchor...the ramp we launch at has wires across it ......using the jib halyard doesnt require any extra line...it's already there.

[March]

Can't remember exactly which halyard I am using, but I make sure it goes behind the top of the mast and "cradles" it. Also, when I attach the shackle to the raising mast pole, I add a sturdy knot. Makes me feel better. Chip is right though, every time the mast goes up (especially for the first half of the course) I experience the pucker factor thinking that something MIGHT fail at one point or another. Inspecting the lines and the weaker links in the system is a must

[Catigale]

Remember it is a lot easier to fix masts and rigging than people who have had masts fall on them....I really like that aspect of the Mast raising system - you can be well clear of the falling death spear if something goes wrong...

[March]

Catigale's scare jogged me into remembering: I must be using the main sail halyard, which is the "down" position is shackled to the foot of the mast. I attach the shackle to the rasing mast pole ear, and take the other end of the halyard, making sure it goes around the tip of the mast, and tie it securely to the end of the pole and around the other end.

I used the jib halyard for a while which, in my configuration, is attached to the jib's sunbrella cover. Closer inspection revealed that the grommet at the end of the cover was beginning to bend. Not good.