This page includes information for raising & lowering the mast on a Chrysler, TMI, Wellcraft Marine/Starwind, & Gloucester or Cardinal Yachts Mutineers.
One of the areas within the Chrysler Owner's
Manual that is not very clear is the process for raising & lowering the mast.
Because of this, many owners have asked for more detailed information for
raising & lowering the mast on a C-15 Mutineer.
A number of Mutineer owners, including Rick Smith, Fred Fraim, Tom Rowe,
& Eric Kome contributed to this description of raising & lowering the mast.
Each of their perspectives is provided below.
As Rick Smith states, "There are MANY correct ways to accomplish this and
some are just as good as the next..."
The raising and lowering of your mast is easy and not so weight bearing if the event is balanced and done with a rhythm of consecutive steps. There are MANY correct ways to accomplish this and some are just as good as the next. I'll describe one approach that (I think) requires the least amount of strength BUT requires a good deal of agility and coordination...(nimble and sure-footed).
NOW you are up...takedown is the reverse of this method.
If you'd like my phone number to discuss this further you can call me at 615-482-0840 and I'll be happy to help you all I can.
This is not so difficult, it's not the weight but the length/bulkiness, I do it alone with the boat on the trailer. Here's how:
It really is easy, takes only 5 minutes. I was daunted myself when I first got my boat but I saw a Buccaneer owner use this method with no help & I adopted it. I have a topping lift attached to my mast. It is not quite long enough for this task so I attach a short length of line to it, run it thru the mast-rest on my trailer and back to the mast, works great. The main halyard might be long enough to use, never tried that. Get help once or twice and I'll bet you'll then be able to do it by yourself without a second thought. This also works in reverse when unstepping or taking the mast down alone. Good luck.
Welcome aboard. Fred's method works great. We use the main halyard instead of a separate line, if the halyard isn't long enough, you can always attach another length to it. My wife Susan and I bought our first boat, our 1982 Mutineer this summer. She's only 5' tall and ~100 lbs. and at first it was difficult and scary to raise the mast. I held the end of the mast behind the boat while she attached the rear pin. When she started walking towards the front and lifting the mast I would come around the front of the boat and pull the main halyard helping her set the mast into place. After a couple times practice, she's figured out how to balance it, and it's no longer any problem at all.
I trailer my Mutineer, and so too have to riase and step the mast every outing. I usually have someone along to help rig, but also do it solo on occasion. I'll just describe my process:
I get in the boat (while on the trailer), and get a hold of the mast right about in the middle so its balanced. I then walk it toward the stern. If you have someone along to help, I usually put them holding the top end of the mast that's now hanging off the stern. I walk it back until the foot of the mast is in place at the mast step. I get it pinned in there. Now, I have the assistant start walking the mast up above their head toward me. I grab the mast at the stern and continue tipping and walking the mast upright, moving toward the bow, usually with one foot on each bench (this does take some balance, so go slow). I then send my assistant up to the bow where he/she can guide the furling system into the hole on the bow (I have the PVC-type furler). They tie on the guide line to pull the forestay through the pulley below and back to the Hayfield Lever. Then, what I do, is I have a line that I run from the front of the trailer up around the mast and clips onto itself. This holds the mast solidly upright while I "monkey" with the pins and lever below.
That's it. To drop it, I pretty much just reverse the process. It is helpful to have someone along, but again I commonly do it solo, and I'm not all that strong of a guy (and I have a bad back!). The mast can be a bit unwieldy, but with slow, purposeful movements, you should be able to get it raised.
For more information about Eric's approach, check out the tutorial entitled "How to Set Up Your Hyfield Lever".
Many thanks to these owners for taking the time
to describe the process of raising & lowering the mast on a Mutineer. If you
would like to ask them any questions about this process, send an e-mail message
to any of them by clicking on the following links: