The original mast bases on Nacras did not have the tabs for a stepping pin, they just had shallow sockets. To raise or lower the mast without a stepping pin, push the mast hard over to one side and keep a lot of downward pressure on the mast ball by using the tension from one shroud. No problem sailing without the pin. As another writer mentioned, it is best to remove the pin once the mast is up. Replacing a mast base is pretty easy. The base design has changed somewhat.