Lowering the mast on a 43.

[Mikecambrai]

The mast on my 43 is unusual in that it is pivoted at its foot rather than sitting in a tabernacle. This means that when you are lowering it, it is difficult to control and walking across the aft deck with it, makes for a rather heavy and difficult walk.
I have been thinking about rigging up an A-frame and using a pulley system to raise and lower the mast, but before I do I would appreciate any methods that other owners do to lower their masts quickly and safely.
Thanks in anticipation of your ideas,
Mike

[Jim lanza]

Mike,
We've got a '88 Albin 40 Sundeck model, which has the same mast step as your Albin. I've been trying to decide how to lower our mast for inspection and routine maintenance. I've considered an a frame, but I can't find a strong enough point on the fly bridge to secure a lowering line. I looked on YouTube, and there are several videos showing how to lower a sailboat mast, but only one for a trawler, and it's hardly helpful.

We've only had Encore for a few months, so we're still discovering things about her, but there are two long steel pipes stored in the engine room, that might be used to lower the mast. I'll be checking soon, and I'll let you know.
Jim Lanza
M/V Encore
Punta Gorda, FL

[jleonard]

I have a simple system that works great. Deb and I can lower the mast easily on a few minutes.
I mounted a pad eye on the upper portion of the flybridge seat and one on the mast and use a $10 block and tackle (4 over 3) to lower the mast.
If we're going all the way down I shoulder it when it gets to 45 degrees as the rigging can't take all the weight at that point.
At that point it's pretty light for me.
I'll try to take some pics later and post

[jleonard]

Pics below.

[Mikecambrai]

Thanks for your response. I have been thinking along similar lines, but taking the line from the aft stainless bimini bar which would be reinforced by a line from the forward bimini bar which is more substantially braced. Then I was going to add a pulley system.
I like the idea of an A-frame brace as this it how the large masts on the 30m sailing barges in the Netherlands are lowered.
I might try with a single plank with a broad foot, with the pulley attached to the top of the plank.
The plank will need to be at least 2m long.
The experiment continues. When I have the success I will post the result.
Any luck in finding what the legs in the engine room are?
Mike

[Jim lanza]

Mike,
They are definitely to be utilized to do something with the mast, as the end of one of the pipes has what appears to be a cradle, but how it's to be used, I'm at a loss. You'd think that with all the Albin owners, someone would have some idea what they're used for. Tomorrow, I'll take them off the boat and photograph and measure them. Sorry I can't be of more assistance. I viewed J's method for lowering, and I think that he has the right idea, I'm just not so sure that I'd trust the attachment to the seat (Not sure if it has a backing plate and is through-bolted). I am thinking of attaching a ubolt (see photo below) with a large steel backing plate to the flying bridge console either just above or just below the louver doors that allow access to the back of the instrument panel . I'd just feel more comfortable knowing that the 4 to 1 vang is attached to a really strong point.
Jim Lanza
M/V Encore
Albin 40 Sundeck

[jleonard]

The pad eye on the seat is thru bolted and very strong.
The weak point is the pad eye on the mast.
However my wooden mast is light and the radar antenna is only 7 lbs.

What I like is that we can lower the mast in 3 or 4 minutes either all the way or to the half mast position to get under a 19 ft bridge (as when transiting the Erie and Oswego system), going up the Ct river, etc. And all my parts fit into a small tote under the helm seat.

[Jim lanza]

J,
I was wondering about the mast, did you use expanding anchors? I know that the mast is hollow to allow for electrical wires, wondered if it was glued together. Do you have any ideas? I was thinking about a rope "harness" that I could remove from the mast after using. I was thinking about a Timber Hitch to keep the line from slipping on the mast. The 3-4 minutes is heartening, because I wanted to lower the mast to sand and paint it, run new lines, and change out the anchor light bulb. I thought it was a daunting project till I read your post. Thanks,
Jim
M/V Encore
'88 Albin Sundeck

[jleonard]

I think my mast is one piece of wood and drilled thru for the wires.
The mast pad eye is held with 2 regular wood screws. I check them occasionally but they have held fine for going on 8 years.
When I first bought the boat the old school radar was mounted at the top of the mast and it weighted 42 lbs. The yard where it was had to use a boom truck to lower it every winter.
That radar was the first thing to go and I lowered the antenna to just above the enclosure top.
This rig is really light. The mass is at the base except for the radar. You really don't need all that much to keep it in control.

[mike66]

The mast is hollow, made of individual pieces of teak lumber. Mine has snapped in two places, both at the top at the spreader and halfway up the base inside the stainless base. The upper end was repaired using a length of pipe epoxied inside. It broke when the mast fell lowering it with someone not paying attention to directions (!). The base broke because of rot, probably from the holes where the pins go through the base, as well as from water entering the base from around the top of the stainless. Instead of cutting down the mast, I made another repair using a large amount of epoxy and through bolting aluminum u-channel to both the base and mast as a brace. It fell when I had released the front stays without lowering the boom onto its holder, the tension toward the rear plus some gusty wind did the rest. Fortunately it was a slow fall, as there was still some good wood, and nothing broke except the railing gate that leads to the swim platform. So, with a six inch drill bit, the mast can easily have attachments through bolted. All my cables run up the outside.

[Jim lanza]

It’s October, and I’ve yet to lower the mast. I sanded and painted it with an expansion ladder, easily reaching the top of the mast. While we’re on the subject of masts, we returned from a club cruise on Florida’s West Coast GICW, in which we had to pass through 10 bridges. Some of these were low (10’ or less), but many were in the 23 foot range. I have always estimated Encore’s air draft at 24’ for safety reasons, but attempting to pass through one of the bridges, I requested an opening (name withheld to protect bridge tender). I was amazed when told “You can clear this Captain.” (The depth board showed 24’). In all my experiences with bridge tenders, I was always told “Check the gauge.” As the bridge was under repair, and the openings were restricted, we proceeded slowly towards the center span (prepared to reverse quickly if necessary). We cleared it easily with at least a foot to spare, so I know now that my air draft is safely 23’.

But here’s the point I was trying to make. Why do we need a mast that high? We don’t utilize a “steadying” sail, and the boom, which we use to lower the dinks outboard is the only reason to have the mast, unless you consider the “Classic Trawler Look”. Has anyone shortened their mast? I’m considering lopping off the upper 24” (to the spreader) which would give me an air draft of 21’, easily clearing many of the older opening bridges in SW Florida (but still not enough to clear the Loop’s 19’).

Your thoughts?
Jim Lanza on Encore
Albin 40 Sundeck

[jleonard]

My mast is 22.5 ft as I measured.
I would LOVE to have a shorter mast, but I think cutting the wooden mast would make it look kid of funky.
If my wooden mast deteriorated, I would look into an aluminum mast that would be just tall enough to mount the radar above the enclosure top then the anchor light atop. That would make it about 17.5 feet.
Going from 22.5 to 21 doesn't seem like an improvement to me, unless there was some bridge you had to under on a regular basis that was 20 feet.
Those are MY thoughts.
If you do cut yours down please share pictures (or invite me to Punta Gorda to take a look in person)

[Jim lanza]

Jay,
Forgive me, I don’t believe I ever responded to your request for photos.

I did cut the mast, just above the tang for the shrouds, I took off 21” (see photo), and I easily clear 22’ bridges. You can also see that the mast was composed of two pieces of wood (teak?) with a plastic electrical chase.

If you’re concerned about the shorter mast, I’ve included two photos of Encore. I don’t think that the shorter mast would be noticeable unless it was next to a ‘tall rig’.

As for an invitation, I’ll extend an open invitation to any member of the AOG to come see and talk “Albin-ese”.

Jim Lanza
MV Encore
Albin 40 Sundeck
Punta Gorda, FL

[jleonard]

Jim, I think the mast looks fine like that. But I would have to remove 3 1/2 feet from mine to make it worth while. I would need to be able to clear 19 ft.