I sometimes sail alone and I need to know how I can raise my mast by myself.

I saw a guy on a H21SC use a pole attached where you might put a spinnaker pole and the front stay run over it to a winch and then he attached his trap wires to ropes attached to his front crossbar push a button (powered winch) and up it went. I would skip the powered winch and go for the assistance of a beach wench, who may then want to go for a ride, myself.

I have a fiddle block w/ cam cleat attached to the top of the forward mast rest on the trailer. After securing the trap lines to the cross beams, I walk the mast up as high as I can reach taking in the slack on the fiddle block. I then go forward and raise the rest of the way. Make sure the boat is secured to the trailer before you try this.

I use a similar system on my Hobie 17. Line from a trap line to a block at front of the trailer, back to cam cleat at the forward trailer crossbar stop. I walk the mast up, and take up slack in the line at the cam cleat. The line holds mast up while I attach the front bridle. Reverse on the way down. Works just fine.



Caleb Tarleton

Hobie and others sell several systems for self-raising masts. The one you describe sounds like a gin pole attached to the mast. Works great. Another commercial system is to have a pulley on the mast support of the trailer and run a line (connected to a winch at the bottom to middle of the trailor mast support) up through that to the mast. The pulley must be at least 30" above the mast height.



Good luck.



John

Go to Murrays or Hobie's online catalogs

I can raise the mast on my H-21SE(35' mast) by myself with the "solo right" gin pole system. It really works and is very safe.



Eric A.

i step my pole usually alone on my h17. i have found it easier to take the boat of the trailer where you want to rig and launch. unlike rigging, step the mast with the wind aft. since you only sail on wind days, the breeze will hold the pole foward and the stays tight. stays should be in the upper most hole. once up, grab the forestay walk to the bow with some pressure foreward and down on it. hook it up, turn the boat into the wind a finish the rigging. taking it down is the same. i have also destepped the mast with the boat on the trailer- just tie a rope from the thing that holds the mast on the tongue as high up as possible and to the mast as high as possible. tie the knot at the mast. this will hold the mast forward while undoing the forestay and getting up on the boat. always make sure the area is totally clear. always try to find someone to help.

how do you get the mast connected to the stepping hinge without help from someone?

the h17 doesnt have a stepping hinge, just ball and socket locked together with pin.

I use to step the mast on a H16 and TheMightyHobie18 by myself. Unhook a trap wire from bungee.Tie a 20ft. line to the trap wires. Bring this line around front mast support and back onto the tramp. Raise the mast and tighten the line. This line will hold the mast up and you move forward. If you have a winch then attach to trap wire and tighten. This frees you up. Now grab the forestay and you're done.

off the boat method: just add this step, put the cat tracs under the sterns, this angle will hold the mast up so that you can jump to the bridle and make the forestay connection.

Some friends of mine built a wooden support. This is about 5 feet high and is placed about 10-15 feet aft of the rear crossbeam in the parking lot. You slide the mast back in this then hook up the mast step hinge.

David Ho

TheMightyHobie18 1967

ok. how do you get the ball and socket together and pinned without another person to hold the end of the mast up?

from the top of the pole i just pivot it on the rear cross bar. i have also picked the whole pole up at its center of balance while standing aft of the rear crossbar, line it up and stick in the socket. usually it will stay on the ball until i go to the foot off the mast to pin it. sometimes it doesnt go all the way to clear the pin thru so i retry at the top of the mast by lifting it up and push it in there more.