[Rhodes22-list] Your favorite way of pulling out mast step

Tue May 26 12:24:39 EDT 2015

Brooks,
I will jump in and tell you how I know . I have dropped my mast three times in 7 months since I hauled rhe boat out of a barn and restored it. I single hand everything and do not have a mast erection device. The first time I dropped it, I erected the mast for the first time in my driveway and when I let it down a side stay caught a extrusion. I was stuck with the mast half way up and down holding it over my head. As I tried to lift it back up the mast plate screws pulled out and it fell across the neighbors grapefruit tree. No damage to anyone or anything. That is when I expoxied the core, put on a sole plate doubler and screwed and lag bolted the mast step to the doubled and fiberglassed plate. Yes I have read everyone's opinion about three screws being adequate but 45 years of sailing and working on almost every ocean in the world have taught me to never expect regular and if something bad happens be ready. I want my mast to stay with the boat no matter what breaks or carries away. 
The next time I dropped it was while sailing. The launch atea was full of weekend warriors and my patience departed. I decided to derig it while floating around. All went well until I I slipped with the mast over my head and dropped it. I bent the stern rail and had no other damage. Everything else stayed where it was supposed to be.
The last time I dropped it was while erecting it in a launch area parking lot. I stand under the mast and lift it with one hand, walk it forward and hold it / assist the mechanical advantage with a block and tackle hooked to the bow eye. A shroud got tangled at about 50 to 60 degrees up and as I slipped the rope to lower the mast it became to much to hold with one arm up over my and I dropped it, "semi controlled" as it bounced off my, head, shoulder and then hit the stern rail again. No damage and nothing hurt but my ego. I now coil or wrap  all the shrouds and lines with a breakaway rubber bands or tiny tywrap's so the ropes, cables and stays all stay in better order as the mast goes up and do not catch on every thing available going up or down
All trial and error and finding trying to find the weak points before I hit more big waves and bad weather in the Sea of Cortez OR the Pacific. I trailer my boat all over, sail a few days a week and do everything single handed. I now have it configured that I can pull into a launch parking area and have it completely rigged and it the water in less than twenty minutes. 
Fred HaagPhoenix Az

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-------- Original message --------
From: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> 
Date: 05/26/2015  8:08 AM  (GMT-07:00) 
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org 
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Your favorite way of pulling out mast step 

I like learning from other's mistakes - I make so many it's nice to avoid a
few. 

Several responses to the recent Mast Step Mystery suggest that pulling out
mast steps is not  that uncommon but no techniques were described. Since a
part of this activity frequently (all ways?) involves dropping the mast,
it's one mistake I'd particularly like to avoid. 

If all responses were of the form: "I saw one owner  ......" , we'd never
know for sure it was you. Less self incriminating than the ever popular:
"Don't ask me how I know."

Any interest?

Brooks
86/06 R22
Cambridge, MD

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