It is easiest and fastest to step the mast while the boat is on the trailer, still tied down to the trailer, and the trailer is attached to your vehicle. Same thing for lowering the mast, make sure you tie it down to the trailer before lowering the mast.



Sidestays. You may not have to do anything with them. It depends on how loose or tight you run your rig. At worst, you would simply loosen the sidestay on one side a couple notches just to give you enough slack to undo the forestay. Whatever you, do not do what you described. You do not want to completely undo one of the sidestays and then raise or lower the mast with somebody holding one side with a trapeze wire. Not good! You have somebody pulling down and out on the trapeze wire just to support the mast on that side long enough to change the adjustment of the sidestay and get it pinned again. This is standard procedure for tightening or loosening stays. I'm sure that is what they were trying to show in the video you saw.



Securing rudders for trailering. Somebody else will have to help you with the best way to do it for the Prindle 16. I only know how to do it with the Hobies, and they use a different rudder system. Usually you want the rudders in the "up" position for trailering.