Gee Wouter, now that you have all this free time. . .!

Seriously, this has probably been covered before, but didn't show up in my search. How do you guys step your masts?

I'm short enough that I've always been able to get under the mast and just walk it up. This while the boat is on the trailer.

Comments please.

On the blade make sure the mast is rotated 180 degrees. When stepping alone I use the spin halyard and run it through the mast cradle in the trailer. Then through the jib cleats. I pull the mast up, tighten the line and cleat it. I then get off the boat, pin the bridle and release the line and BHAM! mast is stepped. Take me around 5 minutes.

When rigging solo, do you prop the top end of the mast on anything?

No not really. I do want to go a tripod where it can hold the mast a little higher, that way the initial weight is not so heavy.

Thanks.

Hey Robi,

You are back from your sailing holliday ?

How did everything go, we know of the MKL race but how was Ricks seminar ?

Wouter

Intense and extremely tiring.

I learned so much, that I cannot wait to get back out on the water. Now I need to practice everything learned.

6 foot step ladder behind the boat. In places that have hills/slopes, I park down hill, ease the side stays, put the mast up and use a trapeze wire and do not go through the hassle of tying off the spi halyard, blah, blah, blah. A million ways to do this with no really right answers. Gravity and light pressure on the trapeze wire are sufficient for pinning the forestay.

ALL BETS ARE OFF IF THE WIND IS UP. GET HELP.

Or get a Stealth (it has a carbon mast)

Or set the boat stern on to the wind, as the mast goes up, it takes more wind with it - I'd not suggest this in very high wind as the boat might just keep going

Pete,
By myself, over the bows.
I have the boat behind the trailer witn the bows real close.
Mast in supports on trailer. Pull it back and engage the mast base with mast step on beam.
Trap wires tied to end of front beam (which allows you to do this even in cross wind), forestay very slack.
Push up and connect sidestays while standing in front of front beam. Then tension forestay.

This is how I do it but would not recommend this to anyone else. If you forget something or screw up this method can go terribly wrong.

Regards,
Phill

I think that about covers it.

Thanks to all.