Mast Step

Posted By: Rich Sutorius
Date: 6/7/08 6:01p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: sf 22 mast step (Luc Perin)

Hi Luc and welcome to the SF ownership group. Your boat does not have the mast hinge so for you all you would have to do is lift the mast high enough to clear the mast base which is screwed down to the cabin top. Remove all the toggle pins and place them by the chainplates (have some extras). Completely loosen the turnbuckle screw until there are maybe a half dozen threads engaged. Make sure all the shrounds and stays are not tangled. I always fastened the backstay and lower shrouds (to the forward chainplates) and then with the help of several friends (or best of all a gin pole), raise the mast vertical and place it down over the mast step. If for some reason your shrouds do not have enough slack you'll need to remove the clevis pins so you can slip them over the chainplates. Attach the forestay and lightly tighten the lower shrouds and stays. Make sure all the clevis pins have cotter pins in them before you go tightening anything. Then attach the upper shrouds and snug everything up. Keep a couple friends at the mast to make sure it doesn't fall over until Make sure the mast is centered by taking a halyard and measuring to the chainplates on both sides. If it's not loosen the short side and tighten up the long side until the mast is centered. Tighten up the forestay and backstay so the mast has a little bit of rake to the stern (to help alleviate lee helm) and then adjust the shround so the mast is straight as you sight up the sail groove. The upper shrouds should be slightly tighter than the lowers. How tight is a tough call. Walk around other boats of a similiar size and get an ideal how tight others are. You don't want them to flop around but you don't want to pull the chainplates out of the boat either. Put cotter pins in all the turnbuckles once you think your there and go sailing. You will want to check the rig tension in a week or two as the boats settle some once they get in the water. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Rich