Hello

[Don Elle]

I bought a Siren 17 daysailer on Cape Cod in Sept while on vacation.. Towed it home to Michigan.. I am very new to sailing & will be sailing single handed most of the time... My question is can anyone help me with stepping the mast by myself.. I want to use the winch on the trailer.. My e-mail is dschurricanes@yahoo.com... I'm also new to the site...Thanks...BE safe...Don

[timgoz]

Don,

Welcome to the Forum. I,m in PA so cannot help with the mast.

Take care.

Tgoz

[Don Elle]

If you ever get to Michigan look me up..BE safe...Don

[RHough]

Originally Posted by Don Elle

... can anyone help me with stepping the mast by myself..

No, if someone was to help you , you wouldn't be stepping it by yourself now would you?

I'd do it just the way you did when you checked the rigging etc. before you bought the boat. You did check that the mast and rigging fit the boat before you bought it didn't you? The seller demonstrated the procedure didn't they?

I seriously doubt that you need to use the trailer winch on a 17 foot boat. Have you ever stepped the mast on the boat? Ever stepped the mast on any boat?

Figuring out how to step the mast by yourself is just one of the many challenges you will face single-handing a sailboat. The nice thing about this challenge is; until you figure out this one, it prevents you from failing at others. Like "How do I tack single-handed without spilling my beer?"

Sail safe (if you ever get it up)

Randy

[rayk]

Whats the mast made of? Is it really heavy?

[timgoz]

Don,

As mentioned above, you should be able to get most any mast found on a 17ft. boat up alone.

A freind of mine once raised the mast on a 34ft. boat alone. There were even folks around, but he did not ask for, nor need, as it turned out, any assistence. He had just used a slightly smaller sailboat to tow this one 50nm from Wrangell Alaska, also while alone.

When the mast was down and horizontal, the boom was vertical. This offerred a point to get leverage. It suprised me to see him attempt, and accomplish this alone.

Look it over & think it out. I think you'll do fine.

TGoz