I use an old power pole with an arm attached to it with a pulley on the end of it. I use a boat trailer winch to lift the mast. the mast isn't too heavy. I can pick up one end of it without too much trouble. I haven't tried but i don't think I could pick up the entire mast by myself. I'm guessing that it weighs around 200-250 pounds. I hook my mast just below the spreader when stepping or unstepping. I run the cable behind the mast and pivot the bottom end of the mast toward the stern as we lay it down. It works well but you will need someone to hold onto the bottom end to stabilize it as you lay it down. make sure your tackle system is pulling the mast pretty close to straight up or you might have problems getting it to break loose from the mast step and binding at the deck. other than that it is pretty simple just be careful, make sure everything is securely attached. You don't want to drop the mast. It would do a lot of damage to your boat or people if it falls.
