[Rhodes22-list]Mast Lowering Safety

[P&M Beals]

Thanks.  I will read and reread your email. The cautions are well taken. I
save in my Rowdy Rhodies email file all the useful messages, and contact
numbers!  Phyllis

> From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
> Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 21:03:50 -0400
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list]Mast Lowering Safety
> 
> We should talk about this for a while.  There are 2 different sets of
> directions floating around.  One for raising the mast from the stern, the
> other for raising from the bow.  In at least one of the sets, Stan's
> instructions say something to the effect of "to lower the mast, just reverse
> the steps."
> 
> However if you grab the wrong set of instructions to reverse, you can drop the
> mast.  I speak from personal experience.
> 
> The number one rule for lowering the mast, and almost everything else is:
> "Don't work tired."  This is more likely to happen at the end of the day; it
> is more likely to happen when you are lowering the mast.
> 
> I did not follow this rule the first time I lowered the mast.  At that point I
> had raised the mast 3 times, but had never lowered it.  I started following
> the instructions backwards without realizing that while I wanted to lower the
> mast to the stern, I was following the instructions for lowering the mast to
> the bow.  I was on the wrong side of the mast when it started to come at me
> and I had to make the decision of whether to try to catch it or get out of the
> way.
> 
> I decided to get out of the way, a decision I have never regretted.  I put a
> ding in the front of the mast where it hit the bow pulpit.  I found a big guy
> to help me put the mast up again, and then I lowered it properly to the stern.
> I have never made that mistake again, although I still don't have as good a
> set of instructions for lowering the mast as I have for raising the mast.
> 
> Let me mention parenthetically that raising an IMF mast by hand is less
> difficult than you may have been led to believe.  The trick is to do the job
> with a tall partner who can get just slightly more leverage when the mast is
> almost vertical than the average size person.  The mast is manageable by 2
> from the bow where you have a high place to stand when moving it from
> horizontal to vertical.  You can't "throw" this mast the last couple of
> degrees up to vertical, you need someone over 6 feet tall at the end when no
> matter how strong you are, you are pushing in the wrong place if you can't
> reach to a certain height.
> 
> At least that was my experience in an emergency.  It is not something I would
> recommend.  I am a strong advocate of Stan's mast raising gear which I can
> operate single handed and safely under any conditions other than following the
> wrong set of instructions.
> 
> Bill Effros
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: P&M Beals 
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 6:44 PM
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] help needed with raising the mast and connectinggenoa
> 
> 
> Ok hold the politics and lend us a hand.
> going through a dry run, good thing, raising the mast and stays in our back
> yard...using the  GB mast hoist raising system.  got the mast up safely,
> good....now 2 different sets of directions come into play....
> 
> 1.  we connected first the lower forward shrouds....an old version direction
> said this makes mast secure etc....but should we  have connected genoa jib
> stay first because now we can' t get the genoa jib stay to reach....Joe
> Ware's personal version directions listed genoa first then shrouds etc.
> 
> what is the preferred order for connecting the stays?
> 
> the sooner the better we want to finish up before dark....forget taking it
> down tonight.
> 
> Thanks Phyllis in NJ
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>