Self stepping mast for a catamaran?
 

Any ideas?
I have a 20 foot Tornado cat and I have to go under two low bridges to
get to open water where I can put the mast up. I can make a bracket to
mount a small motor on the rear cross beam and motor under the
bridges, but how to get the mast up afterwards??

Thanks in advance!

Earl White

Self stepping mast for a catamaran?
 

On Sun, 4 Feb 2007 12:33:13 -0500, EW wrote
(in article . com):

Any ideas?
I have a 20 foot Tornado cat and I have to go under two low bridges to
get to open water where I can put the mast up. I can make a bracket to
mount a small motor on the rear cross beam and motor under the
bridges, but how to get the mast up afterwards??

Thanks in advance!

Earl White


Stick the mast into the mud then turn the boat over on it?

--
Mundo, The Captain who is a bully and an ass

Self stepping mast for a catamaran?
 

"EW" wrote in message
ups.com...
Any ideas?
I have a 20 foot Tornado cat and I have to go under two low bridges to
get to open water where I can put the mast up. I can make a bracket to
mount a small motor on the rear cross beam and motor under the
bridges, but how to get the mast up afterwards??

Thanks in advance!

Earl White



Leverage?

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Self stepping mast for a catamaran?
 

Depending on the required clearance, and depending on the sort of mast
step you have, you could partially lower your mast over the bows using
the boom as a gin pole. All you have to do is use the trap wires as
temporary stays secured to the ends of the front beam. Attach the
main halyard from the mast tip to the end of the boom. Tighten the
sheet. Release the shrouds. Ease the main sheet and push the mast
forward and lower it as needed. You might have to drop purchase (go
from 8:1 to 4:1, for example) from the main sheet system to lower the
mast enough (to keep from running out of sheet).

Note that some cats, such as the Viva 27, use this technique to step
the mast, but if you lower the mast past 45 degrees, you definitely
need a boom bridle from the boom tip to the forward beam to keep the
mast from tipping sideways.

If you have an older Tornado with a "superstep", i expect you can
lower the mast to 45 degrees this way, reducing the height by about
30%. If you have a Marstrom Tornado, I doubt you could lower very
much with their minimalist mast step system.

You might want to solicit additional advice on the "Tornadocat" yahoo
group.

--Glenn Brown (1971 Panthercraft Tornado + Spinnaker)