Mast step hinge

[radicalcy]

I'm interested in installing a mast hinge on my '65 Columbia Sabre. The mast is 34'. First question, is there any reason not to do this? Second question, where can I find a prefabricated mast hinge? I've googled till my fingers bled, and cannot find a source. That may be more indicative of my conputer skills than the availability of the product.
Larry Wilson

[bcooke]

I think what you are looking for is a tabernacle. When googling use additional words like "mast" or "boat" or some such as the first ten thousand hits are bible and religion oriented. I did find one for sale that might work but it was in the U.K. I didn't search very hard either. Internet searching is an art unto itself and I won't pretend to understand its secrets.

You might have a tough time finding something ready made to buy but I think it could be fabricated easily enough by the local welding shop if you had a picture and some dimensions for them.

...

Third question, why do you want to do this? Plan on doing the European canals or somewhere that requires frequent mast lowerings?

-Britton

[radicalcy]

No canal cruising, but yard storage is expensive. Off season the Sabre can rest on the trailer, in my driveway, which is also an hour and a half closer than the marina. $190 up, $190 down, plus the hassle of cut wiring, kinked stays, broken lights, etc, etc, etc. I figure at worst, the hinge will set me back about $100, I have plenty of wire for rigging the lift, and no shortage of grinders, and hoisters. I also have a Columbia 8.7, and plan to hinge that mast also. With the deck stepped masts, I don't like the idea of leaving the mast stepped indefinitely. Too much stress on the cabin top. So it saves me roughly $700 a year. Thats about what I pay in slip fees for each boat for the season.

[bcooke]

$190 up, $190 down, plus the hassle of cut wiring, kinked stays, broken lights, etc, etc, etc.

Sounds like you are paying those yard monkeys too many bananas. My yard charges $90 to step or unstep and they don't break things often. Even at $90 a stab I guess a tabernacle would pay for itself quick enough.

-Britton

[radicalcy]

Found a hinge, at Dwyer Aluminum Mast Company. For about $100 you can get the hinge bottom, hinge top, pins, and a stainless deck organizer. They also have a tabernacle.
Labor for the mast stepping isn't that bad, but they get you with the crane fee. $100 bucks an hour, 1 hour minimum. The "crane" is actually a bucket, on a self propelled base. I doubt they paid $100 for it. lol

[Tim]

Most of the yards around here also use decrepit, ancient cranes or boom trucks that are held together with spit and baling wire. They all break down with regularity.

Of course, what you're really paying for with the "crane time" fees is the high liability and worker's comp insurance rates that the yard is forced to deal with for this equipment.

[Tony G]

There are several Ariel owners who use a hinged step from Balanger Spars. It looks pretty substantial. The bottom plate has up-turned flanges on either side already punched with mounting holes for turning blocks.

[Tim]

www.ballengerspars.com

[radicalcy]

Here's the link for the Dyer Aluminum Mast Co, if anyone is interested. This should go right to the Hinge page.

http://www.dwyermast.com/items.asp?cat1 ... ame=Hinges

[bcooke]

Just curious, how strong are those hinges? If the mast starts to get away from you is the hinge going to blow apart under a side load or something?

I have seen these on trailer-sailors but I wonder when they are put on our "big" (hehe) boats.

-Britton

[radicalcy]

3/16's stainless steel. 5/8's stainless pins....the mast will pop before these things go away. Have you ever looked at you mast plate? Reminds me of pot metal tail light surrounds.

[Tony]

Tony G:

I don't suppose you have a pic of that hinge from Ballinger Spars, would you?

Thanks.

[MikeD]

I'm not "Tony G", but I'll see if I can get this to work...

[MikeD]

Opened...

[MikeD]

Found Cmdr Pete's pic of his new one too...

[Tony]

Thanks Mike.

[Robert The Gray]

I do not want to assume any lack of skill, but the forces involved when lowering the 33' mast on a hinge can be get intense. I used to do this with the topping lift and the mainsheet on my santana 22. As the mast got lower the vertical stability of the boom became critical. I used my boom vang bail and my jib sheet leads and winches to hold the boom in a vertical plane. I lowered it in slow stages trying to keep the side force stabalisers taught. it is the last 15 to 20 degrees before the horizontal plane where the forces go up.
In the grand tradition of "screw up to learn" the first time I lowered my mast I didn't stabalise the boom, get the mast part way down and it gets a little squirrley, pull on that main sheet like I am rounding a reaching mark. Good. Catastrophie avoidance #1. I add the side thingies. I get the thing about to about 9 feet above the pulpit, just over my head, things groaning, the dinky little boat moves whenever I move, and the main sheet is to short! the topping lift was maxed out too. so up she goes again. Good. Catastrophie avoidance #2. I extend the boom end of the topping lift. check that the ropes are long enough. and finally down she goes.

If you use the topping lift it might be smart to check the strength of the block and rope. Make sure that the boom goose neck is strong and if your boom is not fixed tie it to the mast. I do not know if this is obvious but, I really would not have anyone on the deck waiting to receive the mast. the reverse Iwo Jima pancake manouver is to be avoided at all costs. I am estimating that my triton mast with all the stays and shrouds and halyards weighs over 125 lbs. That is a wide guess, but my feeling is that moving the mast off the tabernacle when it is extended 20+ feet beyond the bow and onto the supports for storage is at least a two guy job if not three to be comfortable.
If you remove your big boat from the water for winter storage or own a smaller boat it makes great sense to install the tabernacle. I keep my boat in the water year round, and I to have to say that having the tabernacal on the santana 22 allowed me to peform maintenance easier but placing the Triton's mast and bow pulpit at the mercy of my rigging and crane skills is not in my cards for now. I can use a bosun's chair for most things.
Robert