Mast unstepping time again

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Well it's that time of year again and fortunately schedules coincided and a few forumites got together to pull Victoria's mast and save Chris a hefty yard bill. smile.gif Hughman was in town so even without Joe we had the necesary manpower. (Note the weather in these pics Joe ) This year I took the opportunity of the beautiful weather to get one more sail in on my 14' Gardner skiff, the Nona B., so Hugh, Dave(another helper) and I sailed out to the old railroad bridge to meet Chris and Victoria. Left to right: Victoria, Hugh, Chris and Nona B.:

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On the way we stopped at the new marina by the bridge to look around. Here's the skiff with her sail up:


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Victoria tied up between some old pilings:


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Making a plan:


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Chris makes his move:



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and brings up the block and tackle:


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Cont.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Hooking up the mast:

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At this point things start happening fast, the camera gets put away and everyone gets very busy. We reposition the boat, knock out the wedges that steady the mast, Chris is still up on the bridge steadying things, Hugh has the foot of the mast and Dave and I are hauling on the block and tackle. We lift the mast. Hugh walks the foot out to the bowsprit and we carefully lay the mast down on some boat cushions on the main hatch. So:

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http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid143/pfba30080c15d1abc4636922f56b61e4a/f69ac04e.jpg

The tide was against us so we towed the skiff back to the dock:

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Back at the dock:

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I didn't get any pics of that heavy b*****d on top of my truck driving up to Chris's house, maybe next year. :D

Steven

[Hughman]

Pulling the boat?? Hey, I don't see any ice in the harbor!!!

:D

[Mrleft8]

Nice! A much nicer day than it was down here when I hauled the "Marjie B." out on Saturday. I cajoled 2 friends into giving me a hand. Sure the "best sailing of the year" is in late October, but the rain water is getting colder, the puffs are getting stiffer, and amazingly.... I'm not getting younger!

[Chris Coose]

To haul on a day like that is conflicting as hell.
It's a day to set sail not pull em off.
The mooring field is wide open to the East and my house is on top of the hill looking over the harbor. In the fall when a noreaster strikes, my entire house shakes, especially my bed which is on the 3rd floor. I fugure if the house is moving, imagine the boat getting tossed about. No sleep and a lousy feeling of powerlessness.

When we are pulling gear off I have to remember what that feels like to keep from hauling on the halyards.

Thanks again to the friends I've met here and a particular treat to have Hugh and the family down to the city.

[ 10-19-2004, 07:55 AM: Message edited by: Chris Coose ]

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Ooh dam, the weather DID look nice :( . Save room for me in the spring too help step her mast. This thread is now becoming a bit of a tradition and you all know how much I like ( to be in ) photos :D ;)

[imported_Steven Bauer]

To learn the way maybe you should come up to the Maine Boatbuilders Show in March. :D We've got room, bring the family. smile.gif

Steven

[Chris Coose]

Steven,
Where is that bow meat photo of Hughman?

That is a stellar idea Steven has Joe. The Maine Boatbuilder's Show is a one of a kind.
Trips like that do take calenderizing.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

This is all I have. I didn't get one with the jacket unzipped. :D That would have had to go on the bikini thread. :D


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[Hughman]

Oh stop! I get too much fan mail already! tongue.gif

[Lion]

Steve, great images.....thanks.

Chris, why do you pull the mast every year; part of the winterising process in your part of the world or does it require annual refurbishment ?

Lion

[Chris Coose]

They call summer in Maine 6 weeks of lousy skiing.
So the rest of the season while the boat sits ashore drying out and getting pounded by wind and rain and sun the mast would begin to look like a telephone pole in a short time.

I've had the boat alomst 30 years now and the mast looks like when I got her. I usually sand and varnish two coats each season and I have found some splits in the laminates that I have
tended to.

I'll bet if I'd left the mast standing I'd have had to replace it at least one time by now.
If I were a bit further south along the coast I might leave the boat in the water during ski season but I'd still probably pull the mast to maintain good appearance, integrity and longevity.

[True Love]

Congrats Chris, Hughman and Steven - love the pics.

She's a pretty girl, Chris. Glad it went well. Appreciate the photos, Steven.

Chris - do you remove all the hardware when you sand and varnish the spar?

[Chris Coose]

There is little hardware to be removed.
I've found over time that the reason for varnished, rather than painted spars - allowing for good inspection - is going to happen when a person does a couple of coats.

I get to inspect for any delamination and how any bedded parts are holding up.

[JimConlin]

The other compelling argument for pulling the mast in these parts is so that you have a better chance of a non-leaking cover. A leaking cover in a place where there's frost is a very bad thing.

[Dave Hadfield]

I haul my ketch every year, of course (our harbour gets 3ft of ice). I haven't pulled the masts in 4 years. Each spring I go up with a Hervey Garret Smith-style boson's chair and inspect/paint my way back down.

But it's hard to inspect the very top of the mast, including the sheaves, so this year I was going to drop them. Until.... the yard owner said, "Why not just use our bucket-lift in the spring?" Hmmm.... I thought for a minute, looking at all the shrouds. Good idea!

So today I'll go tarp the boat (3 tarps that fit rather well, actually). And I'll de-power the turnbuckles to take the tension off the rig. Then next spring I'll ride the "cherrypicker" up and do whatever maintenance is required.

Much easier all round.

By painting on 1 coat of Sikkens Cetol 2,3+ each year, I've maintained a pretty-much perfect coating on the 50 year-old sitka spruce.

That's my plan, anyway....

[uncas]

Went to college in Maine, Sailed in Maine..But...hated the short season...While you were pulling the mast, I was sailing around the Chesapeake :D Still am....Ain't gonna stop until mid december. Will unstep the mast as I ain't gonna put another 12 coats of varnish on it.