Mast lifting rig

[Graham Jackson]

Bad things do happen .

I managed to lose my mainsail halliard up the mast on my bi-plane catamaran.

Unfortunately the masts are un-stayed and free-standing.

The challenge was that the mast would have to be lifted vertically , then rotated to access the mast tip .

After debating using a very long tripod , I instead constructed a lifting rig to do the job.

Two 6 foot pine studs were set upright at 8 inch spacing and braced to horizontal arms around 5 feet long. A 3:1 trailer winch was then set below a roller secured to the top of the uprights . A 10 foot aluminium tube with a rope running through its centre provided the athwart ship bracing .

The 120 lb tapered aluminium mast was raised the 5 foot or so to just clear the deck . A camel hitch was then used to secure a tackle 9 inches from the mast base . The 3:1 tackle was used so that the mast tip could be reached at beach level.

After two days of stress and effort , I now have dreams regarding marinas and cranes !

Astern.JPGLifting%20tackle.jpegSunset.JPG