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Milton Massive

United Kingdom
7 Posts

Posted - 14 Jul 2018 :  17:46:50  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
How do you raise the mast on a Stratos keel

Its impossible to walk it up without the boat tipping up and smashing on the ground and also the keels in the way so it has to be done at an angle.

To lift it in whilst vertical you need to be at least six foot six and very strong.

Any tips anyone.

Dan Cruse

Milton Massive

United Kingdom
7 Posts

Posted - 15 Jul 2018 :  11:36:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Mast now in place!!

According to the rigging manual I now need to fit the outer shrouds. They are far too tight to fit!! I tried leaning the mast back and fitting them but once fitted the mast will not go back to the vertical installed position.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Dan Cruse
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lohr500

United Kingdom
12 Posts

Posted - 12 Aug 2018 :  13:25:25  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi Dan,

Given the date of your post, you may have solved this by now anyway.

It is a bit of a challenge walking the mast back into position. I usually enlist the help of several people.
The heaviest two to weigh down the front of the Stratos and to pull on the mast forestay as the mast approaches vertical.
Another to help support the top of the mast whilst horizontal as I start to walk it into place, dodging the lifted keel.

As for the shrouds, I have never had that problem. They have always fitted OK with the mast slightly back.

I can't look at our Stratos now, but is it possible you have the outer shrouds slotted in the trapeze slots on the mast which are higher?
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m80

United Kingdom
17 Posts

Posted - 31 Aug 2018 :  21:05:01  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
While I don't suggest that it's intelligent I have stepped and unstepped the mast solo.
Having at least one more person being there to release any line that may get snagged prevents me solo being stuck with the "what now" blank expression.

I step and unstep with the boat on trolley, on trailer, strapped down and hooked up tow bar to prevent tipping.

My forestay has two loops The tighter loop is secured at the furler for every day park storage. The slacker loop is when I drop the mast back some in prep for dropping the mast.

I would like to explain how I've done this from that point but it's been a few years so I would rather do this again and refresh my memory so as not to lead any one astray.
But allowing the mast to fall back some it is, if memory serves, possible to leave 2 shrouds connected so as to prevent side movement, but they will became taught at some point.
I have used another line that I hold from within the cockpit and it beeing fed around somewhere at the bow (can't remember where) I have lowered the mast down to myself to be lifted out and turned to the mast rest of the trailer, and versa visa

Martin.

Edited by - m80 on 31 Aug 2018 21:07:39
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Milton Massive

United Kingdom
7 Posts

Posted - 16 Nov 2018 :  18:57:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Many thanks for the replies and apologies as I have only just seen them.

Everything is all in place now and the only real issue was my lack of knowledge. Just in case somebody else picks up this topic and also is a relative novice then here are the issues I had.
I tried to step the mast by laying it along the boat and walking it up as I do with my Topaz Argo. This is impossible because the raised keel is completely in the way. The solution was to walk the mast into a vertical position outside of the boat. The tip here is to have someone support the base of the mast because if it starts to lift its easy to badly injure your back, trust me on this because I did. Compared to an Argo or Laser 2000 the mast is very heavy. With someone else in the boat to help and receive the mast you can then left it in keeping it as vertical as possible. It all seems a little precarious and I'm sure the health and safety people would not be impressed.

The next issue I had was fitting the shrouds because I thought the mast needed to end up resting against the mast slot. Probably obvious to the more experienced sailor but this is not the case and in fact sits a long way back. We really needed to lean the mast back a long way to fit the shrouds, as mentioned above with the aid of the forestay.

Dan Cruse
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