My M15 came with a mast crutch made from 3/4- inch stainless tubing with
a "V" welded to the top. Pintles are welded to the tube which fit into the
gudgeons on the transom. Because I could not get the boat, trailer, mast,
crutch setup into our garage without some disassembly, I shortened the
tubing about 16-inches. My forward mast carrier is an extended section of
the vertical winch post. I shortened it so that the mast rides about one
inch above the bow pulpit. The whole assembly now fits through our
seven-foot garage door. Stainless tangs are welded to the aft crutch for
stabilizing and lashing lines. I fabricated a 24-inch oak extension which
attaches to the aft crutch to elevate the mast in preparation for raising or
lowering. I stand on the cabin top and straddle the mast to raise or lower
the mast and rigging. It is a pretty simple one-man operation on an M15. I
usually protect the cabin top with a life vest or cushion while preparing
the mast for raising. I ordered a quick release clamp but my forestay
fitting and wire length were all wrong, so it went back to WM. To ease the
installation of the forestay pin, I run a slack line from the mast to the
bow pulpit, put my body weight on the line, align the forestay with one hand
and insert the quick pin with the other. Necessity being the mother of
invention, I hit on the idea of a weighted (by me) tensioning line one day
after wrestling with an almost-but-not-quite pin alignment.
Joe Kidd M15 #207 "Poco a Poco"
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