Mast lifting manually

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Janis_59, Sep 7, 2022.

  1. Janis_59
    Joined: Aug 2022
    Posts: 14
    Likes: 1, Points: 3
    Location: Riga, Latvia, European Union

    Janis_59 Junior Member

    So, my intention is nothing to ask, or sell, but just tell how I do paying to anyone nothing. My method is working well even at sea if the waves are not large, however the coast nearness is best place. Best if work two persons, however it is possible to do the job alone.

    First: equipp the safety clothing. My experience is very negative - all the cases I said, oh, this time all will go well, why to take this or that, actually happened the trauma in that part without safety gears. So, safety must stay in the first place. Use non-slippery boots with iron fingercup, use hang-in safety "system" to not fall of the board, use the hit-proof helmet etc etc.

    Second, prepare the helper temporary mnast. My first I made of 40x40x1 mm rectangle steelpipe, one piece. It worked well but rusted ugly through the paint and longily I washed the deck from rust stains. Next I made of d=42 mm wall 2 mm AISI-306 from 3 pieces 2 m long sections what fit inside the cabin. The fittings was made of 10 cm long 48 mm pipe, cut longitudinally and welded to pass diameter with very small gap. To ease the dismounting I welded two steelpieces where to clapp by hammer. In the lower end I weldes 4 hooks with carabines. Upper as well, but more in the up I weldes hook with strong carabine on which fixed the puller. Pulley must stay very flexible let it turn itself to the best direction. Over pulley`s rollerwheel is going 11 mm marine rope.

    So, the helping mast is rather lightweight, maybe some 15 kg or about, thus there is no problem to erect 6 meters just by hands. However, in the sea obstacles, better is to tughten slightly the both side vants and pre-guess the position for one (front) vant, thus only one man from achter may easy lift it up without of falling risk. Then tighten all temporary vants VERY carefully. For temporary vants initially I used Chinese 10 cents per meter ropes... and got the lesson. Even two lessons. First, they are changing length under load, thus the main mast may incline the temporary mast at the lifting process and both fall. Secondly, that rope may give the pubble-bubble what stable get stuck into puller. No ahead and no back no way. And, it is very complicated to tighten the round rope well enough. Then I proved the bands of size 2 mmx 20 mm with crackle type tightener. Them worked well, but for plane bands the foirce was slight too much, but the next size 6 mmx 50 mm seemed overshooting. So, the steel-wire-ropes between 5 or 6 mm is the best option and tightening with a left/right screw combination typical for sailboat vants. So, no temporary mast stays straight and down is going open marine rope end.

    Fix the Lasso knot over the main mast middle just below the zaaling (crosstree). Best if the lasso loop is coming with thin helper rope about 4 m long to ease the loop downsliding after all is done. Then pull my the rope and my 120 kg weighty 11 m long mast hanged just about the weight center may be pulled up to the 6 meter point. That place fix the rope somewhere (I have two hooks on the helper mast lower section up-side for that), and go to the mast lower end to incline it down. Because the mast is hanging at weight center, the force of few kg is enough to turn mast with head up and foot down from "sleeping" position in what it was lifted up by rope. At that point the accuracy have a meaning, because if the helper mast will be too high, its bad, and if too low, either.But inaccuracy of some 20-30 cm is acceptable by heigth. Just hug the mast lower part like want to kiss, and lift up. Yes, 120 kg is not lightweight, but working with hands and feet muscles just few seconds long, it is realizable. Now main mast is in it`s nest, so the helping hand is necessary, attaching vants to the deck hooks, those same where helping mnast vants are sleeping as well. Preliminary tighten the side vants, then frontal, and then rear. Dismount the helper mast, clean the deck from unneded things and tighten main mast vants as them must be.

    The dismounting mast takes the same activities, only from end deed to beginning deed. Take all steps with extreme care. Mast falling from 11 m higth is often fatal.

    Dictionary:
    Pulley looks this way https://www.amazon.com/Single-Steel-Swivel-Wheel-Pulley/dp/B07N2ZZY74
    It may be constructed based on the sheikel basis puttring the ball bearing instead of wheel: https://www.certex.lv/pim/assortmen...816__product-base/Dee_Shackle_PDSP_front.webp
    The steelrope tighteners look similar to these: https://www.certex.lv/pim/assortment/Powertex/image-thumb__26395__product-base/Powertex Rigging Screw M24_forged model.webp
     
    DogCavalry likes this.
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