[Rhodes22-list] Removing Mast from Boat

[Jesse Shumaker]

Hi Jeff,

I remove my sails to store inside each winter and have adjusted the
technique that I use over the last couple of years to make it a bit easier
than my initial process.  I used to get a couple of friends to help me lift
the whole mast + jib furler to the ground but that was a handful.

A couple of notes before getting into the steps:

   - My boat came with the mast raising system which is extremely helpful
   - My boat has the GB in-house jib furler so I have to take the furler
   down to remove the sail.  I know other jib furlers allow you to raise or
   lower the sail while the mast is up.
   - The process I use doesn't remove the mast from the boat.

Here's my current approach for removing sails at the end of the season:

   - Lower the mast so the top rests on the mast crutch attached to the
   stern rail
   - Unbolt the base of the mast and move the base of mast to bow pulpit
   where it attaches
   - Unpin the forestay at the top of the mast so the furler and jib can be
   removed separately and taken off the boat.  I set this on the ground and
   will come back to it later.  I find it easier to handle the mast or
   forestay separately rather than one big bundle.
   - Put a towel on the forepeak
   - Move the base of the mast so that it rests on the forepeak between the
   bow pulpit attachments.  You can secure the base of the mast in this
   position by tying it down.  At this point it is angled down and you can
   slide out the furling unit with the mast still on the boat.  You'll need
   quite a bit of room in front of the boat for this step.
   - Set the IMF furling unit on the ground.
   - Now that both furling units are on the ground, you can unfurl and
   remove sails from this position and it doesn't stress the furling units.
   - When you're done, you can slide the mainsail furling unit back in the
   main and re-attach the jib furler.

For your purposes, you could just leave the furling unit attached and move
that along with the mast.  I hope that helps. Good luck!

Jesse Shumaker
S/V Zephyr

On Fri, Sep 10, 2021 at 7:50 AM Mary Lou Troy <mtroy at atlanticbb.net> wrote:

> We were able to do it with just the two of us. I am short and not
> particularly strong so it can be done with two people.
>
> If I recall correctly (it was a number of years ago) we lowered the
> mast, set the bow end on the pulpit and then lifted the aft end out of
> the crutch and set it on the stern pulpit.
>
> We then set up two step ladders one each next to the bow and stern and
> then moved the mast to the top of the step ladders. I seem to remember
> one person having to hold the other end in place while moving it over or
> something similar.
>
> We were then able to move it from the top of the stepladders to the
> sawhorses.
>
> Take care and good luck.
>
> Mary Lou
> ex Rhodes 22
> now Rosborough RF-246  Tara
> Rock Hall, MD
>
> On 9/9/2021 6:42 PM, Jeff Smith Photo wrote:
> > Thanks Peter Nyberg for your video on pulling the IMF assembly from the
> > mast resting on sawhorses.  I will soon be removing my old ripped main
> and
> > installing a new Doyle IMF main.
> > My question to the group is how do you lower the mast from the boat on to
> > the saw horses?  Unfortunately, I don't have a John Deer with a front end
> > loader...
> > I can probably enlist a neighbor to help.
> >
> > Best Regards
> > Jeff Smith
> > www.http://JeffSmithPhoto.Net
> > 732-236-1368
>
>
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