I need to lift the mast up a foot..for a few minutes

[preserved_killick]

The wiring in my mast goes down to the base, and through a 3/4 inch pipe into the cabin. Not sure if I'm all that fond of this setup, but for now it seems ok, no apparent problems and the pipe is angled so it does not interfere with the mast beam, wires come out just in front of the beam. It does make getting to the wires difficult though.

Here's the mast step:



In stepping the mast, we just tucked the wires down into the hole until they came out the bottom, and moved on. Now, when it rains ( nearly every day lately in Maine), I'm getting an annoying drip into the cabin. I'm guessing that water is entering at the top of the mast where the halyard shiv sits and is running down the wires straight into the cabin. In hindsight, a drip loop in the wires lower than the height of the tube would have been a smart, that and a few wraps of rubber rigging tape where the wires poke into the tube.

The obvious thing would be to have the yard crane lift the mast just a foot while I make some adjustments, then lower it back down. However, they are "wicked busy" with a long line of boats that need launching so it could be a couple of weeks until they can get me in. At this point, I'm eager to get this fixed, but not desperate, we deal with the drip by putting a bucket under it which would take a month to fill.

I vaguely recall reading a blog post, or article where someone had a similar predicament as mine, and devised a way to safely lift their mast a few inches w/o a crane. Anyone else come across this???

Or does anyone have any ideas? Anyone know of any docks in midcoast Maine with large treelimbs overhead?? One issue that might be a showstopper is that I think the mast might need to go a little higher than the turn-buckles would allow, so they may need to be disconnected and the idea of disconnecting any of the 4 main shrouds while unsupported from above is not something I'd risk.

Unless there's a good safe solution, I'll likely wait for the crane, or call around to other boat yards in the area (all seem wicked busy right now) but the idea of pulling this off is interesting to me.


-Wishing the rain would stop in Maine..jeff

[BristolJonny]

there was an article just a few months ago in good old boat about a guy who needed to replace the step in his mast, and rigged a system to shift the bottom of the mast off to the side while he completed the work. I'm at work right now so I can't scan the article for you, but I'll try to remember tonight. If you PM me your email I can send it to you.

[catamount]

Here's a story about jacking the mast up. Pretty cool if you ask me!

http://sailsarana.com/blog/2009/04/is-t ... jacks.html

and his picture:

[Oscar]

Yup, that's the way I would do it. As for exceeding the length of the turnbuckles, you will have to rig temporary lines or extensions to same.....one at a time. There isn't a lot of force on them with the mast vertical and sitting at the dock. Even the lowers by themselves are enough to keep it from falling, so yo can disconnect an upper, and re-rig it while the lower keeps it upright etc. For fore and aft you can use halyards. Yes it will feel scary, but science will trump that.

[preserved_killick]

Thanks guys,

My issue is the same as Sarana's, I like the solution they came up with, although I'd build a bridge like structure out of some 2x6's to put under the mast while my hands were under there. I'd also tie it side to side.

I subscribe to good old boat, I'll look back at my issues.

Good finds. I've got the jacks. I might try this.

-jeff

[Oscar]

Put a camcorder on the dock.....