No good. Waste of time. Dont bother . Too heavy. Too round. Too wide....will try again tomorrow
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
yeah spot on, just remember you won't be able to easily use the cam cleat from 6m away
Select to expand quoterumblefish said...
yeah spot on, just remember you won't be able to easily use the cam cleat from 6m away
I think if someones on the balcony they can operate the Main sheet and ill be on deck moving mast forward. In theory it should be easy!
The unknown is always a bit scary
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.
Select to expand quoteWander66 said..
Here's how the experts do it, save the hard work for the hard jobs
Thats a Franna type crane. Lot of money if you need it twice. Could spend the same money to join a club with a crane.
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.
Select to expand quoteYara said..Wander66 said..
Here's how the experts do it, save the hard work for the hard jobs
Thats a Franna type crane. Lot of money if you need it twice. Could spend the same money to join a club with a crane.
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?
Select to expand quoteYara said..
Just had another idea- what about two 6m extension ladders? I might even have one at home I could lend you.
THanks Yara, i think we have a solution now!
Select to expand quotesouthace said..
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?
Yeah true that. i was riding my motorbike over the bridge and saw about 15 cranes in one dock, so i went there and problem solved. Also went to woolwich dock who will charge 350 per hour or part there of which isnt bad either and close to my mooring . Its really about a 15 min job i think, but who knows. the stays and shrouds are all pretty much disconnected so shes ready to drop. When i put the mast back up ill do it the same way. Im just glad i dont have to stuff around with an A frame - as satisfying as that may be.
I wonder if its ok for the crane strop to be snug under the top spreaders? should be strong enough aye?
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.
Select to expand quoteYara said..Wander66 said..
Here's how the experts do it, save the hard work for the hard jobs
Thats a Franna type crane. Lot of money if you need it twice. Could spend the same money to join a club with a crane.
It was a rip off. It took less than an hour yet he charged me for an hour and a half = $330.
I am going to put it back up myself using an A frame built from aluminium 50 mm box section which should cost less than that to build.
Select to expand quotecisco said...Yara said..Wander66 said..
Here's how the experts do it, save the hard work for the hard jobs
Thats a Franna type crane. Lot of money if you need it twice. Could spend the same money to join a club with a crane.
It was a rip off. It took less than an hour yet he charged me for an hour and a half = $330.
I am going to put it back up myself using an A frame built from aluminium 50 mm box section which should cost less than that to build.
Yeah i agree. The barge crane guys charge 450 an hour and my mast is ready to lift. That' 900 plus gst for about 40 min work. Im just taking the cheapest route which is also the easiest fortunately at a case of beer. Was happy to do the A FRAME but would mean buying timber bolts and more rope, getting it all to mooring plus assembling it . Would be satisfying to get it done this way but i realised yezterday that theres soooo many cranes in sydney. The beer offer was their offer too not mine. I was just enquiring.
Some have asked why im bothering to do this as the wires good except the 2 back stays. The main thing is to check the mast step but at the same time to the masthead sheaves, get 2 back stays made, sort the moved Spreader, maybe even instsll a masthead light.
After Steve's comments realised we, at Camden Haven, also have plenty of cranes..
All the oyster farmers have cranes on their punts !!!! 
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..cisco said...Yara said..Wander66 said..
Here's how the experts do it, save the hard work for the hard jobs
Thats a Franna type crane. Lot of money if you need it twice. Could spend the same money to join a club with a crane.
It was a rip off. It took less than an hour yet he charged me for an hour and a half = $330.
I am going to put it back up myself using an A frame built from aluminium 50 mm box section which should cost less than that to build.
Yeah i agree. The barge crane guys charge 450 an hour and my mast is ready to lift. That' 900 plus gst for about 40 min work. Im just taking the cheapest route which is also the easiest fortunately at a case of beer. Was happy to do the A FRAME but would mean buying timber bolts and more rope, getting it all to mooring plus assembling it . Would be satisfying to get it done this way but i realised yezterday that theres soooo many cranes in sydney. The beer offer was their offer too not mine. I was just enquiring.
Some have asked why im bothering to do this as the wires good except the 2 back stays. The main thing is to check the mast step but at the same time to the masthead sheaves, get 2 back stays made, sort the moved Spreader, maybe even instsll a masthead light.
with it upside down like that i thought you could just let the shrouds go and it would fall out
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.
Thanks! Looks like a good thing and maybe if my mast step is too corroded ill go this route
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said...
Thanks! Looks like a good thing and maybe if my mast step is too corroded ill go this route
Steve, that Top Hat owner is a member of the Top Hat group, you can contact him there. 
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.
Select to expand quoteYara said...
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.
Very good point yara. I really like how it is. Im sure it contributes to the rigs integrity alot. Id prefer to keeep the same system. Im taking the mast off once only i hope. When i see whats under the base and remedy anything thst needs it she shouldnt need another mast service for many years. I will pass on the info with pictures to the next owner.
