The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier

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Having suggested, in my usual oh so low key and gentle way, that it would be a good idea to unstep your mast when laying up your boat, I’m thinking that the very least I can do as a follow-up is share some of the things I have learned while unstepping a 75′ mast some 15 times over the last 23 years.

I’m going to start with tips to help you select a yard to unstep your mast and then move on to stuff that will make things run smoothly on the big day.


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More Articles From Online Book: Sail Handling and Rigging Made Easy:

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  13. Cutter Rig—Should You Buy or Convert?
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  17. The Case For Roller-Furling Headsails
  18. UV Protection For Roller Furling Sails
  19. In-Mast, In-Boom, or Slab Reefing—Convenience and Reliability
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  29. Rigging a Proper Preventer—Part 2
  30. Amidships “Preventers”—A Bad Idea That Can Kill
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  32. Downwind Sailing, Tips and Tricks
  33. Downwind Sailing—Poling Out The Jib
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  37. Running Rigging Recommendations—Part 2
  38. Two Dangerous Rigging Mistakes
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  40. Rig Tuning, Part 2—Understanding Rake and Bend
  41. Rig Tuning, Part 3—6 Steps to a Great Tune
  42. Rig Tuning, Part 4—Mast Blocking, Stay Tension, and Spreaders
  43. Rig Tuning, Part 5—Sailing Tune
  44. 12 Great Rigging Hacks
  45. 9 Tips To Make Unstepping a Sailboat Mast Easier
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  48. Cruising Sailboat Running Rigging Inspection
  49. Cruising Sailboat Rig Wiring and Lighting Inspection
  50. Download Cruising Sailboat Rig Checklist
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David Nutt

Good points as usual and even more true on bigger masts where man handling is a poor choice.
I unscrew the turnbuckles all the way and leave the barrels on the boat. Having only the threaded end of the stays and shrouds with the mast reduces weight and reduces stuff to bang around doing things it shouldn’t. It also leaves you no excuse not to clean the barrels of the turnbuckles which sometimes is tempting not to do.

Hans

I disconnect the turnbuckles on their upper ends and leave them on the boat (to be cleaned and greased later). That way no part of the turnbuckle comes into contact with the sometimes soiled ground.
To prevent the turnbuckles lying on deck, scratching and smearing it, i fix them to the lower lifeline with the pin. That way everything remains neat. And even less weight and bulk on the loose rig.

Ed Finn

Turnbuckles , I usually put one or two drops of lube oil on the bolts at both ends of each turnbuckle, I find that makes them much easier to unscrew, just one or two turns with a wrench , and you can back them off the rest of the way with your fingers. That makes the lift out proceed more smoothly, less rushed and thus the whole mast take down less stressful.
John- Lifting strap, how did you get that lifting strap rigged above the spreaders?Climb the mast? Or do you rig it with the halyards, you didn’t mention the lifting strap.

Eric Klem

Hi John,

Good tips. I think that one thing that your pictures show but you don’t mention is that you need to rig the mast correctly. Our owners manual actually has measurements for where to rig it for lifting but many don’t and owners need to know where the appropriate lift point is. Also, it is important that you are hooked into a loop that goes completely around the mast and is attached in some form to the mast butt by a line/strap to keep it in place. I have witnessed 2 masts where the crane was attached to the line running down to the butt which works fine when picking the mast up but slides when laying it down and results in the masthead crashing into the ground during a sudden shift. Finally, the wire angle is really important. The crane operator can’t fully see this so a spotter needs to stand in a place where they can (looking at 90 degrees to the operator). In general, the wire should be vertical and if it isn’t, you could well end up in a situation where the mast suddenly moves and damages something because of the horizontal component of the force.

Eric

richard s. (s/v lakota)

question: does it ever end ? answer: nope

believe it or not there is no breeze tonight here in biras creek, n. gorda sound, and there was hardly any all day…have never experienced such calm conditions down here this time of the year when the christmas winds should already be building…actually had a reach the other day from vieques to st john with the 15 kt breeze out of the northwest believe it or not…i was thankful for the nice ride when it is usually slogging it out on the nose for this run…since then the breeze has steadily declined to the nothing it is tonight…haven’t seen one mosquito though so it could be worse…cheers