A word of caution about your process:
The Quaker City Yacht Club in Phiiy (where I used to keep my 25) has a jib crane next to a well where members unstep masts before winter storage or for servicing. One year we had attached the sling to the mast of the 25 and taken up tension on the crane, but had only reduced the tension on the shrouds and stays slightly. A big power boat charged by the club, creating a large wake. The effect of the wave action in the well was to transfer a large part of the weight of the boat to the crane, and the crane bent. It was designed for a few hundred pounds of weight from a mast, not for a couple of thousand pounds of weight from the boat. After that experience, my process was: 1) Disconnect the wiring 2) remove cotter rings on the toggle pins at the bottom of shrouds and stays 3) Attach the sling loosely (just to sort of stabilize the mast during step 4) 4) Quickly loosed all the shroud and stay turnbuckles to max extension (all your help should be involved to get this done quickly) 5) Snug up the sling 6) Immediately pull the toggles to release the shrouds and stays 7) Take up on the crane to lift the mast, and have someone on the bottom to help swing horizontally and move it to the sawhorses on shore I also found it to be a good practice to have a long line attached to the sling, so someone on shore can help to move the mast and to help position if. Rick Brass From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Stevan Plavsa Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 9:44 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List unstepping mast At our club and most around here we have to step/unstep every season for winter storage. I did the 32 for the first time this year (having kept it at a mast-up yard last winter) with just me, my girlfriend, and another friend on the crane. Wasn't ideal, but we did it without any danger to ourselves or the boat. I've helped others at our club with their smaller boats but never a keel stepped mast as big as mine. The 32 is the biggest boat at our club .. yeah, I'm that guy. The following is just the way I do it, not necessarily the best way. I'm all ears if anyone has recommendations. - Set the sling under the spreaders and put a bit of tension on it. - Start loosening the turnbuckles, slowly, bit by bit side to side to keep the mast straight. There's a point where you loosen the rig enough that the crane starts to be the thing holding the mast up, hopefully the person operating the crane is paying attention. The mast will move around, you can see that in Bill's video actually. It's a little alarming once the tension is off the rig because it'll move around as the boat moves. Trust the crane. Being keel stepped this is less alarming than with a deck stepped mast. - Once the crane is supporting the mast you can disconnect the shrouds/stays. I always undo the forestay last but that's just me, not sure if that's correct. - You are keel stepped I believe...make sure all your wiring is disconnected down below(step one actually). Someone should be at the base of the mast (deck level, not below) helping to guide it up and more importantly, as someone mentioned, to keep it from swinging end over once clear of the deck. - Slowly raise the mast out of the step. Once it clears the deck that person holding the mast starts taking it forward (or aft, whatever works) as the crane operator lowers it. One person on the forestay/furler as someone mentioned. Three is enough but if you don't know what you're doing hang around and watch the experienced people doing it for a while. It's not rocket surgery and in my opinion $400 is boat bucks better used elsewhere. Hopefully you can find some experienced helpers that'll work for beer. Words of advice: Cotter pins, turnbuckles and tools sink really fast, careful with those. Steve Suhana, C&C 32 Toronto On Thu, Jan 9, 2014 at 12:39 AM, David Folsom <dfolsom...@gmail.com> wrote: Thank you everyone for the great advice I knew thus would be the best place to ask the video was great Frank, I am not in a hurry and if you are coming to San Diego it would be great to meet you I am working with a rigger here in San Diego and using the yacht club would let me pull the mast right next to where I am going to work on it, rather than having to move the mast half mile down a busy street Thanks again, Dave Folsom On Wednesday, January 8, 2014, Frank wrote: Hi Dave, I have a C&C 38 LF. I have stepped my mast several times. I will be in San Diego in a week or so, if you can wait that long to step your mast, I will look at your set-up and give you my opinion about what you are planning to do. Frank Noragon S/V Cool Change C&C LF38, S/N 001 Rose City Yacht Club Portland, Oregon RVing in San Francisco, headed South) From: David Folsom Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 8:00 AM To: cnc-list Subject: Stus-List unstepping mast Hi fellow C&C owners. I am getting ready to replace some rigging on my boat and the first step will be un-stepping the mast. Since I am in San Diego, we don't pull the boat for the winter, and I have no experience with un-stepping the mast. I have a C&C 36. I have access to a launching crane at San Diego Yacht Club, which is about 35 feet above the water at low tide. I am hoping some of the other members on this list can help me determine if it is worth trying to do this myself (with help) or whether I should just take the boat to a yard and pay them $200 to un-step (and another $200 to re-step) thanks Dave Folsom Rebel Maid 1981 C&C 36 San Diego _____ _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
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