Mast Elevator
Mast raising system:
To trailer any sailboat,
some reliable way is needed to raise and lower the mast. For small boats, the mast can be
manhandled into the step. I, and a few friends, have stepped wooden masts 35' long into a
"Chapelle Sharpie" I built in the 1970's, without any mechanical aids. Sorta like the famous
photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. This is not something you want to do very often.
There are a couple of options for a free-standing rig on a trailer boat. Right off the bat, I have to say that carbon masts are a huge advantage for easy stepping, no matter what system you use. If the budget will allow it, I strongly recommend investing in carbon spars.
The most common arrangement is a tabernacle. I don't have any experience with tabernacles so I will leave the pros and cons to others.
The system I built for our boat is a sort of mast elevator.
It is a little bit difficult to describe but bear with me. In our implementation, it requires
two people to operate, but it could probably be arranged for single-handed operation.
The essence of this device is that it a) has a beefy hinge that provides lateral support
while you walk the mast up to a vertical position and b) lowers the mast into the step in
a controlled manner. To raise the mast, you slide it back along the cabin top until the
butt end clears the mast tube (socket). The helper, in the cabin, pulls on the tackle
to raise the elevator and cleats it off. You slide the mast over the hinged stub and
twist it a quarter turn to lock it on to the stub, clear of the hinge. Starting at
the companionway, You do the Iwo Jima thing and walk the mast up. The hinge helps
provide lateral stability and stops the mast from going on over the bow. Once
vertical, the helper below lowers the mast into the tube using the 2:1 tackle. You
rotate the mast back to normal and lower it a few inches around
the hinge to the top of the stationary disk inside the tube.
The mainmast tube is about 4.5' long with 1.5' protruding above deck. When stepped, the mast extends about 25" into the tube, resting on the elevator. This may seem like not much "bury" but it is fine. after 11 years, there is no evidence of crushing the mast laminate at the top of the tube or at the butt. I applied UHMWPE tape (google it) to the mast at the top of the tube and at the butt to prevent abrasion and free-play between the mast and tube. I also applied this tape to the top surface of the plastic disk that the mast stands on. Without it the mast will abrade the disk and make an anoying creaking noise when the boat rocks.
I can go into further detail on this elevator system if anyone wants to build one of their own.