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Mast Raising attaching the CDI furler

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/19/2004 : 02:13:51

I am looking for an efficient way to put up the mast. Some of you have done this hundreds of times and must have found some tricks to putting it up. What are some of the things you, do that really help in getting the boat ready to sail?
I have only put up the mast four or five times now and have found several things, which help in the process. To keep the process efficient you have to reduce the number of items you take apart and therefor have to put back together. So I don’t take any of the shrouds or backstay cables off. Also you don’t want to be readjusting any of the standing rigging. So I don’t loosen the shrouds or backstay. I have put quick pins on the boom to mast attachment, the mast carrier where it adjusts up, where the mainsheet attaches to the swivel. I have thought about the pin where the furling drum attaches but haven’t found any specifications on the quick pins as far as what load they can take. I have put keypin locking halyard shackles on the main halyard and the topping lift. I have put snap shackles on the boom end of the main sheet and both ends of the boom vang. I am still looking for a way to lock the rudder in, My old boat had a clip which snapped over the gudgeon when you put it on and to remove it you had to press it in to allow the rudder to come up. I haven’t found a source for that yet or an easy way to lock the rudder down. I tried a hair pin but it got in the way of the rudder movement I am using a cotter ring now but there must be a better way. I have a CDI furler and attaching and detaching it has proven to be a challenge. The first thing I found was the antirotation strap on the bottom of the drum bottomed out before the hole lined up. So no mater how hard you pulled down it would not line up or release the pressure on the pin to remove it. Upon looking in the assembly and operation guide for the furler I found there was an adjustment for this which was never done. You are suppose to put 3/8” washers over the t-bolt so the holes in the t-bolt strap can line up. I added two washers and already everything was much easier.

Attaching the drum to the lifeline with a couple of carabiners and a short line keeps the drum from getting tangled up and scratching the fiberglass.

I use a stock gin pole from Catalina and have added Arlyn’s winch to it, which makes things easier. I am also using the stock mast-raising strap from Catalina, which uses the main halyard instead of the Jib halyard. With this there was no need for the jib halyard and it was removed completely. One less thing to deal with.

I still needed a way to pull the furling drum in to place. So once the mast is up I clip off the gin pole to the u-bolt in the anchor locker (with the small blue rope) so I can use the winch on the gin pole to pull the furling drum into place. I needed a place to pull from so I removed one of the bolts from the front of the boat and added an eye bolt in its place. I clip a loop of rope to this eye bolt with a carabiner and run the loop through the u-bolt in the anchor locker (the white rope).

I can now put the furling drum in place, put the white rope over the two cleats on the drum, and attach the winch to the loop which came through the u-bolt. Winching this up will pull the drum into place until the pin can be put in easily.

The same thing could be done with a trailer based system but the eye bolt would be on the trailer somewhere and you would put your loop through that eye and winch from there.
I am always looking for easier ways to do things so if you have any tricks on how to put this boat together let me know.

Thanks Keith

Keith
Southern California
250wb Hull #8

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 06:40:04

Guarenteed to give you the least frustration . . ..

Have your marina operator do it!

. . . at least until you get the bill!

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 07:44:14

Keith,
I basically have the same setup as you do but here are a couple of items for consideration. Bryan Beamer recommended wrapping the CDI furler
drum with an old watch cap so it would not scratch the front window etc. I have always been able to loosen the backstay turnbuckle to be able to align and insert the attachment pin for the furler. I do loosen the shrouds, however I do record the number of threads on the turn buckles when I start the demasting process in the fall. The other point just for your info is I use the second halyard for raising and lowering the mast along with the baby stays. It does give you a good mechanical advantage when trying to install and remove the attach pin foe the furler. Just my two cents. "Bear" on the hard in upstate N.Y

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 11:26:16

Wayne The old watch cap idea is good. Do you have a problem with the drum going over the side when you bring up the mast? Does your CDI furler have any washers under the t-bolt so the fork doesn't retract up into the drum when you take it off? Yours may have been put together correctly. Mine had no washers at all. Do you have any use for the jib halyard other than the once a year taking down the mast in the fall? Mine needed to be replaced, not from use but from bouncing around on the outside of the mast. At about $1.00 per foot and 30' up and 30' down the $16 Catalina wanted for the strap looked a lot better to me than the $60 for a new jib halyard.

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2004 : 12:17:06

Keith,

I went through the same process you are going throug, and came up with many of the same solutions you mentioned. There is one thing I do fundamentally different. I unscrew the turnbuckle on the head stay (also a CDI furler) which allows me to just hook it up without any tensioning rig. The reason for this is that I have the rig, especially the headstay and the upper shrouds which provide most of the opposing tension to the head stay, fairly tight. I have found that the boat sails well that way. A tensioning rig that would be able to pull that hard would be tough to set up. (I also don't have to touch any of the other stays this way

)

I added a heavy duty toggle under the drum (West Marine p 1013 item # 285629-you need to turn the U-strap 90 degrees). This allows the turnbuckle to travel over a greater distance. When raising the mast it is very loose. I raise the mast and easily put the pin in the stem head with bare hands. I then pull the top pin out of the black part of the furler. I slide the black part up over the grey luff profile. I then tie a short line from the port to the starboard side of the pulpit, with one twist around the head stay, holding the luff profile up and out of the way. This takes the weight off the drum, and allows you to operate the turnbuckle without interference. I tighten the turnbuckle, and use two quick connect kotter pins to secure it. I then lower the luff profile, the black part of the drum, lift the profile into position, slide the pin in and, done.

I daisy chain all the pins and rings together when I lower the mast, and clip them to the U-strap on the inside of the anchor locker lid. That way they are where you need them, when you need them.

It takes longer to type it than to do it......

Yes, the furler will escape when horizontal, and on its way up. I tie a bungee around it and the mast, as high as I can reach with the mast up. The drum itself slides on a scrap of carpet.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay in Venice Inlet, Florida USA.

Edited by - Oscar on 04/19/2004 12:26:25

Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 11:30:58

Oscar this is good, you only miss adjust one adjustment. Do you have a mark on the turnbuckle where it needs to go back to? You mentioned two quick connect cotter pins you put in the turnbuckle, are these small hairpins? Have you replaced the pin on the black part of the drum with a quick pin? The heavy-duty toggle under the drum you added was just to get some more length to the head stay. I have my rig set up with the standard settings and the turnbuckle is about bottomed out. How much more tension do you think you have on your head stay? I found with mine when I put the mast up if I hang on the furler drum (180-lb.) I can pull it down to the hole; with some one else there they can put the pin in. I need both hands to hang off the ground on the drum. Let’s say there is 200 lb. of tension on the head stay. I only need about 2 inches of distance to get the hole to line up. I would think I could come up with a vice grip type device, which would give me this amount of tensioning. I think I could work on this. As is the device I have pictured should be able to give me 600 lb. of tensioning force (the ratting of the winch).

The quick pins I have been using have a small hole in the top of them which I have been attaching a small wire to and then to some spot where they need to go so they can not ever get away and are always where I need them. I have been leaving one of the Velcro wraps around the mast to keep the furler from going away. This also keeps the furler centered on the mast so it goes up and down straight and reduces the stress on the top fitting. I leave it just above the baby stays. One time I must have thought I was nine feet tall and left it at the deck light. I had to use the whisker pole to unwrap it.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2004 : 12:09:37

Keith, I have never been without willing friends to help, usually two on top and two hauling on the second halyard. I picked up useing the watch cap from Brian Beamer on this thread. Generally the drum just slides along the deck until we can break a body loose to manhandle it. There may be better ways as demonstrated on this post. I clip the second halyard to the base of the stantion and tighten it up so it doesn't slap on the mast when not in use and your right thats the only time it is used. However it is always there if needed.
I tried to keep the KISS principle going when raising and lowering the mast. I do have the "A" frame method about built but don't think I'll make this years launch with it. I have not had a problem with the furler attachment, but I do loosen the aft turnbuckle to give a little room to get the pin in..."Bear" ready to go. 91 here yesterday
in upstate N.Y.

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