J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Does boat need to be hauled to unstep the mast?

Quick question - I've hard two Charleston yards tell me that they have to haul my boat in order to take my mast down.

The problem is that I'm a commuter (Atlanta to Charleston) So I need my boat in the water back at my marina where I can stay on it while I get everything together for the various mast projects.

Is this standard or are these yards just trying to get a few hundy more out of me?

Broke the forestay offshore last weekend so now all the standing stuff is getting replaced...

-Dan

Some yards like to have the boat on the hard to pull the mast, but I've seen it done in the water without a problem.

The standing rigging can be replaced with the mast up. I replaced a headstay by using a halyard attached to the jib horn and winched it tight. The uppers and lowers could be done similarly. Alternately, the crane can be used to hoist someone in the basket so the mast can stay put. Just remove one stay at a time.

Well, I have a spreader kit I've yet to install, I'm itching to replace these wire jib halyards (new sheaves), and I'd really like to give the whole thing a once over.

Although if I cannot find anyone who will unstep it in the water, I think it might come to that.

Never ever pulled the mast with the boat on the hard. Last 16 years I've done it myself with two others to assist; Always with boat floating
Don't know that I'd want to do the spreader kit with the mast up but someone probably has. Hardest part for me was drilling out the old stainless rivits.
Standing rigging can be done with mast up - one at a time as Bill has mentioned.

For what it's worth, John McArthur of Smiles has a gin pole and regularly steps and unsteps his mast in the water when the boat travels.

If you are doing spreader kit and sheave replacement along with replacing the standing rigging, Russ is right. Probably best to unstep the mast and work on the ground.

two marinas I use 1500 miles apart basically put boat in water first before installing mast. Also take mast out of boat in water before pulling boat.

[Both also can pull boat with mast in place]

One uses a fork lift that is used to place power boats in dry storage 4 high. Other uses crane ...

with boat in water they gain 6-10 feet working room ... Pulling boat just for mast work ... sounds like someone has a skills gap.
v

Dan,
If you check my blog http://sailnordicstar.blogspot.com I show how to install the spreader kit with the mast up. You'll need a 16' ladder.

As to hauling the boat to unstep the mast, in my 28 years of tending to Nordic Star at 8-10 boat yards, I never had that tried on me. Sounds like excess dealer profit to me.

My commute to Nordic Star is only 25 miles from home.

Rob

Dan,

I just did this on slingshot. I ordered the Sheaves from this guy: http://zephyrwerks.com/ for slightly less than rig-rite charges. The customer service is way better. Once I got the mast down, I found that one of the sheave had already been replaced with a larger than expected pin. I sent the sheave back to him, and he adjusted it free of charge.

I dropped the mast in the marina, using one of the cranes that they use to lower melges's and what not into the water. It was surprising easy.

Well, I decided to go ahead and take the stick down - and found a yard that could do it with the boat in the water. They used one of those big fork-lift kinda crane things. Was a non-event.

Having the new rigging made up this week, and I will be doing the spreader kit and the new sheaves by myself. Also plan to replace VHF antenna and wire, repaint spreaders, etc.

Here is a shot of my new "motor boat" on the way home with delivery crew:

even an olde guy like me can tell there is a vast improvement already.