[Rhodes22-list] Raising the Mast with The Bow Crane

[Steve Alm]

Phyllis,

Thanks for your post.  We really need the input of folks like you who are
just learning how to do this.

First, I'm not sure what to say about your Jib extender because I don't know
what that is, or why it would be pointing in one direction or another.  You
must have a different set-up than I do--and these are the kinds of things
that mess people up when they read the instructions.  Another is the mast
bail, which you commented on.  The bail is a heavy wire loop attached to the
mast about five feet up from the base.  It's like the handle of a bucket,
only smaller.  It's one of the later improvements Stan has made so it's not
installed on all boats.  It's used to attach the mast to the crane.  If you
don't have one, then you use the aft lower shrouds instead.

Yes, Stan's directions say to raise the mast, connect the forward lowers,
remove the hoist and THEN connect the bow stay.  I really think it's easier
to use the hoist to pull the mast forward until the bow stay reaches its
chain plate.  You can use the winch to adjust fore or aft until it's easy to
clip in the clevis pin on the bow stay.  Then the bow stay will keep the
mast from falling back and then you can remove the crane and connect the
forward lowers--OR connect the forward lowers and then remove the
crane--doesn't matter.  It seems more logical to me to connect the bow stay
first since it has the most leverage for supporting the mast.

Slim

On 9/18/04 9:41 AM, "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com> wrote:

> Phyllis,
> 
> Yours are exactly the 2 cents we need, and we hope others with fresher
> memories will also chip in.  Thanks for helping.
> 
> Elton knows exactly how to do this, but you don't want to ask him to make the
> list.  Everyone who has done it many times gets bored with listmaking by step
> 3.  Elton doesn't need the list.  It takes him far less time to put up the
> mast than to create the list.
> 
> People who haven't done it before know what their questions are, and can see
> the contradictions on different lists.  You would make a much better editor
> than either Slim (Steve Alm) or me, and we would love to have you do that.
> 
> Ask questions,  point out inconsistencies, mention little things like not
> having the mast crutch in place--these things are happening over and over to
> everyone who doesn't do this job over and over.
> 
> Anything you and others can contribute is welcome.  We all need this list from
> time to time, and it would have been really nice if we had had it to send to
> you in your time of greatest need.
> 
> Bill Effros
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: P&M Beals 
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2004 10:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Raising the Mast with The Bow Crane
> 
> 
> STEVE ALM & BILL EFROS ET AL...
> 
> I hope all have weathered Ivan ok...it is bringing a lot of rain to the
> Hudson Valley NY now but nothing like what people endured in the south...
> 
> I hope you don't mind my 2 cents being shared here, but my husband and I
> successfully raised the mast, connected stays and motor-sailed (time was a
> factor) on Thursday from NJ to the slip at Staten Island marina from which
> we hope to still get two months of good sailing time in....if you recall
> last Sunday we did a run through of the procedures in our backyard, and did
> not complete all steps successfully in one run...so this process is fresh in
> memory as a real newcomer to the process...thanks to Jay Friedland who by
> phone gave us some advice last Sunday night while we were still at home
> backyard hoisting...
> 
> Believe it or not on our dry run trial we forgot to install the mast crutch
> over the stern until we were trying to get the base of the  mast into the
> slot in the mast step....so for real dummies like us I would insert #1a.
> secure the mast crutch over the stern - of course assuming one is using the
> mast crutch as part of the system-
> 
> also what became a key point for us succeeding on our second try to get the
> forestay jib stay to reach the bow was that the jib extender at the top of
> the mast has to be pointing to the bow...when we first attempted it was
> pointing to the side, and the distance of several inches off was what must
> have been preventing us from getting the jib to connect to the bow chain
> plate.
> 
> also, we didn't know what a bail is- for our Rhodes we certainly attached
> the two aft lower shrouds to the two shackles on the crane...
> 
> then jumping down to #9...there are definitely two theories out there about
> disconnecting and in which order one does things....Stan's mast hoist
> directions dated '01 state very clearly:
> 
> "with the mast up disconnect the chain extensions from the forward lower
> shroud turnbuckles and connect these turnbuckles directly to their chain
> plates. once these connections are made the mast cannot fall aft and the
> crane line can be slipped off the bow deck cleat and the crane's base screws
> removed...crane put away....of course you do not need to be told not to undo
> the mast crane line from the bow deck cleat until after the forward lower
> shrouds are made secure to their respective chain  plates.  Right?"
> 
> on the other hand as I researched the FAQ on the geocitiesblew site and
> whatever other info. I could find, and I did find a few spots with responses
> in the FAQ...  there are certainly owners who connect the jib stay before
> connecting the forward lower shrouds...
> 
> all other steps matched our sequence...
> 
> I just checked the source location for one version of the launch steps and
> it is from www.geocities.com/blew_skies/red.gif
> 
> It would be helpful for novices like us if the directions from different
> sites were consistent, but it is tough with differences in years of boats
> and options that some may have and some may not.
> 
> Anyway with all the info. and instructional material so far we are extremely
> grateful and this email contact list, while taking a lot of time to read  is
> WONDERFUL AND WE THANK YOU ALL WHO RESPOND AND OFFER SUGGESTIONS.
> 
> Tomorrow if winds are not too strong  we hope to sail and I hope to adjust
> the tension on the stays....I have to find the best reference on that.
> 
> THANKS AGAIN!  PHYLLIS FROM NJ WITH WHISPER IN PORT ATLANTIC MARINA, S.I.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> From: Steve Alm <salm at mn.rr.com>
>> Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 15:32:43 -0500
>> To: Rhodes <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Raising the Mast with The Bow Crane
>> 
>> RAISING THE MAST WITH THE BOW CRANE:
>> 
>> 1.  Inspect masthead, attach radio antennae and check shroud and stay
>> connections to mast
>> 2.  Walk the mast, boom and jib aft and connect the mast to the tabernacle
>> 3.  Connect hoist crane to cabin top block
>> 4.  Tie the crane winch line to the bow cleat
>> 5.  Connect aft lower shrouds to top of crane
>> 5a. Alternate:  Attach line from crane to mast bail and connect aft lowers
>> to their chain plates
>> 6.  Connect back stays and upper shrouds to their chain plates
>> 7.  Put the 8² extensions on the forward lower shrouds and connect to their
>> chain plates
>> 8.  Begin raising the mast, continually checking for any shrouds or stays
>> getting snagged, making sure the turnbuckles aren¹t fowled and tending the
>> jib as it comes forward
>> 9.  Raise the mast all the way up, keeping tension on the winch until you
>> connect the bow stay to its chain plate
>> 10. Disconnect the hoist crane
>> 11. Remove forward lower shroud extensions and connect shrouds to their
>> chain plates
>> 12. Adjust shroud turnbuckles as needed
>> 13. Connect traveler bar between back stays
>> 14. Lower the boom and connect it to the traveler
>> 15. Tighten the back stay tensioning line
>> 16. Remove mast crutch
>> 17. Connect rudder assembly to the transom
>> 18. Connect pop top to mast slider
>> 19. Connect radio and steaming light
>> 
>> CAUTION: Never let anyone stand under the mast during the hoisting
>> 
>> __________________________________________________
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>> 
> 
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