Mast mistake

Posted By: Maleia
Date: 8/14/07 6:37a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Welcome Home (Mike Moniuszko)

Hey Mike! We just loved San Diego and do not have definitive plans to go to the Bay but can't wait to overnight in the boat there. Needless to say we don't need the gin pole since when we failed to attach the topping lift to the gin pole we did not have the leverage anyway. All we did was put pressure on the gin pole into the mast and bent the mast in. Inexperience is not much fun. We were wondering if sailing in Rocky Point would be an option for us. Is the Safe Marina a comparable docking site to San Diego? Would the tides and ocean be to much for our small boat? If it is an option for our ocean fix the drive would be something we could do much more often than San Diego. And George, the picures on mast raising you referred me to do look like the gin pole is attached lower than ours. But it is probably the same configuration. The gin pole on our mast attaches a few inches above the bottom of the mast. It attaches via a long bolt that goes through two holes on either side of the mast. I am assuming that when we failed to attach the topping lift to the end of the gin pole it just dug into the mast as we applied pressure to the pulley while we lowered the mast. The damage is located in front of the mast just above the triangular plates on the sides of the mast at the bottom. What do you think about the damage. It is so low on the mast I am hoping it does not compromise the mast strength.