San Juan 21 Class Association

I'm writing to see if anyone has a mast stepping system in place.

I've spoken with Stephen on the phone multiple times about it while ordering parts (it's probably been a year since the last one!) and each time he's described a killer mast stepping system. Only problem is that I can't ever get all the steps together mentally to put one in place.

Is there a tutorial on how to rig one somewhere? I need pictures and an explanation that would do well if given to a four year-old.

I pin the mast to the step while it is still laying down. Then I tied a line to the forestay turnbuckle (the end of the forestay) that goes forward through a block on the bow chain plate (where you pin the forestay) and back to me in the cockpit. I lift the mast up to my shoulder, then walk it up while pulling in slack on the line. If you run it through a cleat, you can stop and rest. Once you get over 45 degrees, it is easy to pull up, then cleat the line and go forward to pin the forestay. if the mast is too heavy, i think it would be easy to set up a gin pole. Here is a pretty detailed video for an ODay 23, but same idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfYTiKryKBc

He is using a 2x4 for a gin pole. My set up looks a lot like his, but i don't have a pole and don't use the winch, just the line and my shoulder. I have considered using my spinnaker pole as a gin pole, but not sure if it is worth the extra time. I actually use the line for my jib downhaul since it is already rigged up there and a downhaul is awesome for singlehanding. I can actually lower the mast underway while motoring to go under bridges if needed. Not fun, but doable with my son steering.

PS: i just watched the whole video i posted. I wouldn't trust his brace at the bottom of the gin pole to keep the mast from swaying. A couple of lines tied to either handrail and the top of the gin pole would give me more confidence should the wind try to blow the mast left or right.

I figured it would look something like what you described and what the video showed. The ginpole seems like overkill for our (SJ21) masts, since they're shorter and lighter. I have a ring that was built in to the front side of the mast--separate from the jib halyard--that I had been using as a supplement to pushing the mast up by hand. Using the block method to run the line back to the cockpit seems like it should work easily. Using the windlass to help winch up the mast also seemed like overkill, but I am young and able and full of myself. Thanks for your help!

Below is the system Stephen, I'm assuming Jensen, was describing as this is pretty common throughout Fleet 1. Depending on MKI or II\III you can route the lines differently. On my MKI Mizu I have it setup REALLY simple while what's described below is a little more complex.

I just have a Downhaul line, and the Jib Halyard. The Jib downhaul is tied to the halyard, so that you basically have 1 really long continuous line, halyard to downhaul. The Downhaul is run back to the cockpit by a block I've attached to the forestay tang, then runs over my deck hatch, through a deck organizer, and back to a cleat. Really simple, really clean, and not much extra crap added to your boat.

Later
C

http://www.sj21fleet1.org/tips-and-tric ... ingle-hnad

I'm 67 and I don't have any problem straddling the cockpit, putting the mast on my shoulder, and walking it up. But I can't lower it that way. I built a 2 x 4 gin pole with a large eyebolt coming out of the end. I attached a plywood fork to the pole where it butts against the mast. The length of the pole places the eyebolt about an inch behind the forestay connection on the deck. There are two smaller eyebolts about an inch and a half apart on top of the pole about 4 inches behind the end eyebolt. I bought a portable electric wench at Walmart for $69. I spliced in a 25 ft piece of extension cord into the wench remote control cable (I first thought I would start at the rear of the boat and walk forward with one hand on the mast as it went up). I built a wooden box that sits on the front of the trailer and holds the wench at about a 45 degree angle. I secure the portable wench to the front of the trailer with the two trailer security chains. The front mast roller was removed by the P.O.

The wench cable passes underneath the bow pulpit and the hooks in the end eyebolt. I connect the forestay to the same eyebolt but above the wench hook. The two halyards are on their mast cleats. I connect the main halyard to the top eyebolt. I connect the jib halyard to the rear top eyebolt. I try to adjust the two halyards so that they stretch slightly as the gin pole tightens the forestay. I guess I'm trying to spit the weight between the stay and the two halyards. I hold the end of the pole to the mast with a bicycle inner tube wrapped around the mast several times. The tube ends are held into slits in the pole fork with stopper knots.

I stand on the deck near the bow to raise or lower the mast and hold the pole with one hand. The wench speed is about 6 feet a minute so it takes about two minutes. When the mast is mostly up it is easy to push the gin pole down on the deck. I kneel on the pole as I disconnect the forestay and attach it do the deck. I have never had a problem with the mast wanting to tilt to the side, but this system is only for a boat that is on the trailer.

The rear stay will foul in the rear mast roller almost every time unless you are careful. I tape the turnbuckle so that it stands straight up and I position the stay to the side of the boat.

This worked perfectly five times and then the end eyebolt failed and the mast mast fell about four feet onto the rear roller. I was lucky that the only damage was a slightly bent step plate. I now use a heavier eyebolt.