Masthead removal

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gamayun
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:14 pm

Re: Masthead removal

Post by gamayun »

Hi Don, welcome! It's unfortunate you're having trouble but these are the things you'll uncover if you sail a bunch, which is a good thing, right? Find a yard that pulls a lot of masts. I was super intimidated by taking the mast off the first time but in the hands of professionals, it's a piece of cake. You can accomplish so much more when it's horizontal. Then you can manage the work on the masthead even if this means cutting off the bolts. IMO, your masthead crane looks DIY (like we've all done) but it's not clear what material was used or what was intended with those parts.
Kynntana, Freedom 38

DonHodgson
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:04 pm

Re: Masthead removal

Post by DonHodgson »

Thanks for the welcome, and I am very happy to have found this forum and already appreciate the responses.

I have no idea why there is that brass wheel/disc and pin in the aluminum block. I was hoping someone here might have some ideas on why that would be there.

The halyard was rigged all external. and was simply run through a block that was connected via a small shackle to the aluminum end piece that failed. Before the failure when she was in the slip we were thinking about hauling someone up there in a bosuns chair to look at the mast head, and now are very glad we didn't do that.

Are there drawings or standard dimensions available for the mast head or is it a case of needing to pull whats there and make new field measurements? I have to search for somewhere to have the mast pulled.

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Camino
Posts: 358
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:51 pm
Location: Stockton, CA

Re: Masthead removal

Post by Camino »

Don, like gamayun said any professional rigger can yank the mast and make it look easy. Masthead - there are bunches of masthead cranes - good boatyard can set you up there too or search online - if you pull the mast it’ll be straight forward to run an internal halyard or two (for safety and noise reduction). Good luck!
Tom and Stephanie
Good Way II F 35 (P)
1999. Wing Keel 5’
3GM30F, 3-blade maxi prop
Emery Cove, CA

pelagic
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:19 pm

Re: Masthead removal

Post by pelagic »

I ended up mounting the tricolor/anchor light on a mast made of two stanchion bases w tube to raise it above the crane. the vhf I mounted to the side of the crane, wind instrument in front. I also ran 1" conduit with tie wraps. I would post pictures, but haven't figured out how..

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mike cunningham
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Location: Jacqueline, F30 #3, Discovery Bay, California

Re: Masthead removal

Post by mike cunningham »

When you all installed your tricolors how did you do your alignment. I found this difficult with the mast out of boat. I also fouled up by using a taller than necessary stand off and wound up creating a little chunk of dirty air for the wind instrument transducer so when sailing very deep I would get erroneous wind speed. Oops. Took the mast back out couple years later, got alignment closer and reduced height of stand off. Tricolor alignment is still not perfect.

I used the zip tie method for wiring, has worked well. I take my halyards off when not sailing for a couple weeks and replace them with leader lines. I have done this a lot with no issues with fouling by zipties.
Mike Cunningham
Freedom 30 (Mull) Hull #3
Build date...June, 1986 . Freedom Yachts USA, sloop, shoal keel
Gun Mount and pole retrofitted (purchased from a Hoyt Freedom 32)
Yanmar 2gm20F , 1600 hrs fixed two blade prop
e-rud and ocean racing equipment

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RadioZephyr
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Location: Boston, MA

Re: Masthead removal

Post by RadioZephyr »

I’m sorry if it’s obvious, but what do people mean when they say “crane”? I thought it was just the machine that pulls your mast out, but the way people are using it in this thread it seems to have some other meaning. Am I reading too much into this?
Josh
Sunset Spy
F38, Hull #152
Boston, MA

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Camino
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:51 pm
Location: Stockton, CA

Re: Masthead removal

Post by Camino »

Any platform atop the mast for adding blocks, antenna, lights.
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Last edited by Camino on Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tom and Stephanie
Good Way II F 35 (P)
1999. Wing Keel 5’
3GM30F, 3-blade maxi prop
Emery Cove, CA

pelagic
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:19 pm

Re: Masthead removal

Post by pelagic »

mike cunningham wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 3:25 pm
When you all installed your tricolors how did you do your alignment. I found this difficult with the mast out of boat. I also fouled up by using a taller than necessary stand off and wound up creating a little chunk of dirty air for the wind instrument transducer so when sailing very deep I would get erroneous wind speed. Oops. Took the mast back out couple years later, got alignment closer and reduced height of stand off. Tricolor alignment is still not perfect.

I used the zip tie method for wiring, has worked well. I take my halyards off when not sailing for a couple weeks and replace them with leader lines. I have done this a lot with no issues with fouling by zipties.
A few degrees this way or that, on a dead on situation, hopefully someone would react early, and positively.
Good point about the dirty air behind the masthead light downwind, wing on wing, a bad reading on wind direction would not be helpful .
With the zipties, I made them into bowties with a circle in the center with tape and smaller zipties. Ran halyards with taglines no problem.

DonHodgson
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:04 pm

Re: Masthead removal

Post by DonHodgson »

A follow up on my masthead issue from a few weeks ago: the yard was able to fabricate a plate system that bolted to the original aluminum masthead block. Maybe not a perfect solution since there are so many separate connections now, but workable while I work on a location and time to pull the mast.
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