The load is not huge, but the slenderness ratio is high. IE the chances of the struts buckling is high. Square or round steel or aluminium sections would be good. Maybe scrounge at a scrap yard or the tip if you want to do it on the cheap.
In waverton sydney theres a bamboo patch. The bamboo is extraordinary and some of it is 20 m high. The diameter is about 30cm on the big ones. There was some on the ground already cut do i took 2.6m lengths.assembled it on the shore then placed it on m small dinghy and rowed it to mooring. Once i got it up it just didnt look high enough and becuase of the lower shrouds i couldnt get the frame snug enough to the mast because the bamboo was too chunky. Ive been told to go ask at the local skiff club today as theres folk there. They have a really high top level balcony which i could attach a block too. Ive got a noose already in place above the first Spreader so its just a matter of pulling it through the block and walking the base out. Heres hoping. Would be a great day if this can happen like this.
Add purchase!!! A single block will not be enough as you'd never pull the mast vertical by hand with 1:1
My Etchells mast (single spreader, no furler etc and dyneema backstay) and I can just, and I mean just, lift it myself with everything attached.
I would suggest at least 4:1 to create safe handling and make sure you have somewhere to tie off ready at hand
You can hire a mobile crane ("Franna" ) type for $830. This includes a minimum of 4 hours from and back to their site. Waringah cranes operate out of Belrose, but there are others. Just need to find a spot where the crane can park next to the boat. They can reach about 18m.
well after todays effort having the mast flopping round with all the shrouds, stays disconnected and only held up by a rope 2 thirds up i felt like giving up and going the crane route, but ill persevere and make a better A frame. It works, its just a mtter of getting it right.
today the problem was a rising tide, and the lifting point was too a beam of the boat pulling the mast closer to a top verandah. spreaders were getting caught in an antenna up there, so i lashed all the stays down and put the job to rest, til tomorrow.
Just had another idea- what about two 6m extension ladders? I might even have one at home I could lend you.
are there any local clubs nearby that have a hardstand or fleet of sportsboats?
Many will have a small electric jib boom to lift them in and out, and it's would only take 5 minutes to rig up the sling and drop the mast.
Much safer and less chance of damage to yourself and rig.
Ive found a barge crane fella doing it for a case of beer.
Price of mast removal: anywhere from a case of beer to 850ph...pays to shop around!
I was going to suggest that yesterday but decided I didnt want to get involved in your debacle. In my town every fishing boat has hyab cranes and could easy get it Done for a case of beer. Can you modify the mast step so it hinges forward so you can put it up with a few mates and the backstay?
I put this 30 foot mast up by hand after she came off the truck from Sydney I held the base in place and my 6 ft 2 mate did the pushing. i think once you have done it once you will realise your worrying a bit to much. Personally I would pull the lifting strop through it self just above the first spreAdler with another line going down to the bottom of your mast so the lift is balanced rather than bottom heavy But it won't matter to much how you do it really.
After Steve's comments realised we, at Camden Haven, also have plenty of cranes..
All the oyster farmers have cranes on their punts !!!!
Yes it would be great if things would just fall into and out of place.
The exercise just reinforces the question, "Why the heck do we own boats?"
Hey Steve,
Took this pic of a Top Hat in the local marina with a tabernacle for mast lowering, I thought it might just interest you.
The Top Hat mast step is often called "The Harbour bridge" because its design spreads the load across the cabin top. If you replace it, you should still incorporate this feature. One would hope that the WA tabernacle version was either originally designed with a strengthened cabin top, or there is some internal support we cant see in the pic.