Stepping the mast solo on an A Cat is a snap. At my club unless it is the first time a mast is going up most of the sailors put them up solo anyway. Even if there is someone right there to help. Put the boat on Catwheels about 1/2 the way from the front crossbar to the tip of the bow. This way the boat is sitting on an angle back. Slack the forstays a bit (maybe 2 to 3 inches) but have them attached to the bows. Attach the hinged part from the base of mast to the front crossbar. Stand about the middle of the mast and lift. Walk hand over hand lifting the mast until it settles back on the forstays. Make sure that the boat is pointing in the wind. The mast will stand there by itself with the two forstays as supports. Then go to the shrouds and connect those. When you are done you will have to tighted up the forstays again.
The first time I set up my boat by myself, this is exactly the process I used, right up until I was about to put the pin in the last (port) shroud. I was trying to make sure the shroud was not tangled in the trap line when a gust came from a different direction and took the mast forward and dropped it over the top of my starboard hull, destroying the mast.
I thought I would explain this so you might also like to do something to stabilize the mast (trap line to the rear beam or traveler?) once you get the mast up and until you can get both shouds attached.
I was devistated, as I had never sailed the boat! I purchased it after Pete Melvin had won the 2004 North American Championships on it in Traverse City, Michigan in September. This was the first Nacra A2 and I trailered it to Annapolis for Boat of the Year evaluations. Thank God that Tony Ahrens (Racer X Sails) loaned me his mast and sail for those trials, and the boat subsequently was awarded Boat of the Year.
