after purchasing my boat, i discovered this wierd lookin thing in the box was an EZ step, but after looking on the internet for a while, i have absolutely no idea how to use this thing... does anyoneknow what site i can find instructions on or tell me how to use it? thanks.

THis gadget is so useful for stepping the mast I lost mine and now hate putting my mast up. The EZ step should consist of a small stainless peice and two pins ( partially threaded bolts that fit can be used when you loose the pins-they tend to dissapear). There should be marking on it (14,16 and an up arrow). The smaller side of the peice (part tappered in more) goes in between the gap at the mast step on the fron cross bar with one pin through it to hold it in place. The larger tappered out bit should be sticking out, and be able to rotate to some degree. It's tappered out to stop rotating when it comes against the step as you rotate it upwards. The mast base (which also has a small hole) slides in between the larger tappered out bit, and slot a pin through the correct hole. This is a bit of effort, and someone would generally hold the mast extended out the back of the boat while you get the pin in. Once booth pins are in, you can hop onto the tramp and hoist the mast as the other person walks around to secure the forestay. To get it out, you'll have to push the mast up as far as you can and let the other person take it out. Don't forget it in. If its too tight, it will be easier to get out once the jib is tightned. Hope this makes sense..

i think that i may not be conveying this right, but im talking about the contraption used for stepping the mast alone... it uses a winch on the trailer to raise it
this thing http://www.hobiecat.com.au/support/pdfs/2005parts_pdf/28_29.pdf ...it's the bottom left corner of the second page, hope this is a little clearer, thanks.

I dont have a trailer, I keep mine parked in the boatyard but I'm pretty sure I know what that is for anyway. Normally when you step the mast using the metal bracket Clint was talking about, you have one guy tie a rope onto the front stay and disconnected it and then start to lower the mast backwards. but once it gets down at a certain angle, because the rope is now so low to the mast this guy is at a major mechanical disadvantage and wont be able to hold the mast from comming crashing down (which is bad). S normally you have another guy standing in the trampoline and then the first guy loses his mechanical advantage, the seconds guy just grabs the mast and holds it up from there and lowers it slowly. If you are by yourself though, this is not an option. This device extends the effective point thatyou are pulling from out so that you never lose that mechanical advantage and the guy on the rope tied to the calbe stay (you) can lower the mast all the way down before the mechanical advantage is lost. Does this make sense? Try to think of it in terms of torques and effective perpendicular distances.

on a side note, if you are transporting the boat on the trailer then yeah you have to step the mast of course, but if you are just doing repairs, like say you lost a rope and it pulled all the way to the top, it is much easier just to pull the boat into an open area and flip it down on it's side. This can be done alone also. First you just muscle one of the hulls up and get the boat ballanced at an angle so you arent having to hold onto it too hard in either direction. Then while carefully keeping it balanced move under that hull, and step over the other one. As you step over the lower hull set the center of balance off a little so the boat starts to fall on it's side. It's ok now though because you are right there underneath the mast holding onto it so you can lower it carefully. It sounds kind complicated the way I described it but it's really pretty intuitive. Just be carefully not to let the boat come crashing down in either direction.

oh yeah and for stepping the mast getting it back up is the exact reverse. you could lift the mast from the trampoline yourself, but then how would you attatch the stay again? This means you have to hoist it up from the front and you wont have the mechanical advantage to pull it up without that thing.

i understand what it is for and everything, i just dont know how to rig it up to the mast and rigging and things like that

Devices like the one you describe tend to make things much more complicated than necessary. I have been raising and lowering my mast on my H-16 for years. It is not difficult to stand on the tramp and raise it. The trick is tying a line about 6 or 8' long to the jib halyard and the bridle before you start. After raising the mast lean down and pull in the jib halyard and tie it off on the cleat. You can then get down and fasten the forestay. Make a tripod that you can set the mast on to hold the weight off the traveler track and be sure the shrouds won't hook on the pylons as you raise the mast. Lowering the mast is the reverse. Just remember to put in the pin. Everyone forgets to put in the pin once but usually only once.

Howard