Mast Raising …

There are a few different strategies for getting the Windrush 600 mast up and down. For its size, it’s not actually all that heavy, and I’ve seen crews ‘walk it up’ on the trampoline with someone pulling on the forestay. But if you have added extra halyards, trapezes etc., its easy to get things tangled. Sooo discouraging to get it up and … oops, something’s wrong, we’ve gotta get it back down and do it all over again.

Very early in our life with #53, we built on concepts used in other vessels to enable mast raising via the winch … a very quick, safe and easy one-person operation. Since then I’ve often suggested a race with a ‘Le Mans start’ from the boats on the trailers, but I’ve never had any takers.

The main requirements are …

A suitable lead angle from the winch. We already had the winch rope running through the forward mast support so it was only a matter of adding a roller to guide the rope around the angle and onto the winch drum.

If your winch is behind the forward mast support, you may be able to get a direct pull straight off the winch. We haven’t needed to try it yet, but I’m sure that away from the trailer you could pull the mast up with the mainsheet tackle.

A method of staying the mast from tipping sideways as it is raised. The ring bolts through the centre beam are conveniently in line with the mast pivot. We initially just lashed up the trapeze wires, but now use ‘economical pelican hooks’ to tension them up and release them quickly.

A strut to give a good lead angle for the rope. Ours is painted matt black (carbon fibre), and slots into a socket near the base of the mast made from 50mm RHS alloy. The mast is prevented from rotating by spectra lines from the strut to the ring bolts, and when the mast is raised the snap clips are released and these lines just wrapped around the strut before it is stowed.

Note the homebuilt rotation lever, where the original alloy rotator was broken off. The snap shackles in ‘travel position’ are the kite and screacher halyards.

…and here we are ready to hoist.

Note the rear mast support angled sideways to align the roller with the centreline. This both holds the boat down on the trailer and holds the mast up during travel! The roller makes it very easy to move the mast back and align the mast base.