Reply To: Lowering and raising the mast
Rob Wilson on raising and lowering the mast:
Shoo, this makes it sound easy. I guess it is if both crew members are strong and above average height! Personally, I only do it on the hard.
The ‘pole’ is indeed part of the process. You run the halyard over it to increase the angle between the halyard and the mast when lifting it. Some just have a ‘U’ at the top, others a deep groove wheel.
I found that the stays sometimes slip out the top fixing position on the way up-then you have to lower it again! I took to putting a single wrap of insulation tape (NOT masking tape-it sticks too well to the mast) around the stay sleeves at the top before it goes up-as they take tension, it breaks loose and hangs there-retrieve with a boat hook…
Rob