A number of people have their own systems. I have a Sandpiper 565 with a 22'
2" mast. With two people it was fairly easy although I am working on how to
do it alone. For my boat I need a 'crutch' about 7' high at the stern to
hold mast at an angle to foot onto pivot bolt. Next I plan to use a 'gin
pole' to help in the raising & lowering. The gin pole would be like a boom
on the forward side of the mast using the jib halyard as a kind of topping
lift and another line shackled to the bottom of the pole, run through a
block at the bow plate and back to me standing close to the mast. This
should allow me to raise the mast by pulling on the line and be close enough
to steady the mast if it wobbled side to side. Some people have devised a
'wishbone' type support that connects to the mast at it's apex and to both
starboard & port decks inline with the mast step.
I believe the MacGregor people have designed something similar to this for
their Mac 26.