Mast Raising Tool

[Peter T]

Just finished making my Mast Raising device. Works an absolute treat. See below you will get the idea. I use the main sheets clipped on to the mast base and clip on the other end to the wires on the hoist. Makes mast raising a single handed thing. All that is required is to give the mast a shove upwards with the shoulder from within the cockpit and start pulling on the main sheet. Once raised, the device is stored in the car until its required to lower the mast.
The box section fits over the bottom edge of the companion way and as you pull on themain sheets, it pulls the top rollers down each side of the sail track of the mast and therefore raising the mast. Very easy to fit and remove and it makes it a simple one handed affair for raising and lowering.
The extendable tube mounted to the rudder pintles could do with beefing up a little as it is only one of those adjustable tent poles at the moment. Might consider replacing it with small square section tubing..
The process is this.
1. Place the lifting frame inside the boat with the roller sticking out into the cockpit.
2. Fit the tent pole with its roller to the rudder pintles.
3. Lift the top of the mast from its travel bracket and sit it on the roller of the tent pole in its lowered position.
4. Slide the lifting frame towards the stern and fit the box over the companionway and attach the main sheet
5. Go to the front deck and slide the mast back on the roller and fit the mast base to its mounting on the front cabin top.
6. Now, standing on both cockpit locker lids, take the weight ofvthe mast on the shoulder and raise the roller as high as practical ( as pervphoto)
7. Stand in the cockpit, shoulder up the mast while pulling on the main sheet.
The mast raising can be stopped and started from any position between fully up and fully down by using the cam cleats on the main sheet pulley.
This system does not allow any sideways movement of the mast whilecraising or lowering and therefore protects the mast base from breakage. Not, I don't think these mast bases are available any longer.

Note the mast travel bracket in the last photo that is fitted over the pushpit rail.

[IanS]

Genius!

I have been using a block and tackle connected between the pullpit and the jib halyard, and using the cabin top winches to haul it up. This puts a lot of load on the halyard swivel so it's probably not ideal. Your system pushes up instead of hauling up, very clever.

[Ozzie]

Good invention mate, particularly like the base clamped on companionway step over. How long is the device for future reference? My rear support is square section adjustable for height with top roller. I think there is a pic on here somewhere. I bought that with the boat so can claim no credit.

[Peter T]

Hi Ozzie, the 50 x 50 Aluminium is 2.4 m long . With the box section in place on the companionway, it sticks out the stern not quite as far as the outboard does. When not in use it will either fit inside the Pajero or on the roof rack. When towing the boat it sits as per photo below, with or without the upright extendable roller rod in place, which fits on to the rudder pintles which is held in place with an “R” Clip through the top of the top pintle. I don’t know how to stop this from adding multiple photos. Sorry.

I also use two square section pole adjustable with the roller on top but also I made a timber mast carrier that fits on to the push pit which is held in place with packer straps

Also another on the pulpit

When I go to raise the mast, I just lift the top of the mast at the stern, from its travel bracket over and on to the raisable square extension pole with the yellow roller, then raise the extensionto get the mast high enough to fit the lifting frame, hook up the main sheet from mast bast to the lifting wire of the frame and, once the mast has been rolled back to mount the mast base, pull the sheets and up she goes