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The issues seem to have been covered above, but for what it’s worth I can add that I have done what you asked about. I damaged an HD mainsail a few years ago and rather than bin it I had HD cut it down for me. I attach a wire strop to the head of the sail and it works fine.
Since then I have also converted from a wire halyard to Dyneema and retained the tooth rack. That also works fine.
Oliver
I’m somewhat heavier than you but my boat is a wooden Duffin-built series 2 and I haven’t gone through the floor yet. I stand inside the boat when taking the mast out but I find it easier to start off outside the boat when putting it back in. Lifting the mast into the boat horizontally in about the right position is easy enough but it’s quite tricky to then tilt the mast and get the foot through the slot in the centre-board case. Last time I did it I missed initially and some wood got scratched – fortunately not seriously. To finish off I get into the boat and jiggle the mast onto the mast step.
Seamus
Oliver –
Further to my post in May 2018:
The last time I had to remove the mast I left the foot inside the boat and lowered the head aftwards down over the transom. To do that I first had to lift the mast off its step over the side of the centreboard case and onto the floor, a small easy lift. To protect the floor and the back of the front tank I dropped the foot of the mast onto a thick pad of towelling. So that the ends of the spreaders didn’t dig into the transom I had to spin the mast round 180 degrees as I lowered it. Raising the mast was just the reverse process.
This is simpler than what I suggested before.
Seamus
What’s with all the HTML in the post? I copied the text in via TextEdit on a Mac. What should I have done? Seamus
Oliver
I own a wooden Duffin series 2 GP14 and I’m about your age. I still like to do things on my own but I’m wary of pushing it.
I think the main worry is the risk of losing control of the mast when you are actually lifting it over the gunwale and onto the step, or back out again. I minimise that risk by attaching a stabilising line that runs from the top of the mast down to one of the fairleads for the mainsheet tails on the transom then forward into my hand. I ease the line through my hand while lifting or lowering the mast, leaning it slightly forward so that it’s supported by the line. I don’t find it a problem that one hand is holding both the line and the mast. The mast can swing from side to side across the boat but it won’t rock forward and back. This constrained movement makes the mast much easier to control than when it can fall in any direction.
On my boat it’s difficult to pull the mast forward into the gate slot so that you can open the gate bar. I use a block and tackle with one end tied by a cord to the mast near the gooseneck and the other end tied to the pin for the jib tack. The cords are tied on using slip knots so that they are easy to untie – they get pulled very tight.
Seamus
