Up the Mast
The mast is a single piece keel stepped aluminum extrusion by Isomat. The boat should be able to go under a 62 ft bridge although I wouldn't be happy unless it was at least 65 ft (even at a hundred feet, it always looks like you will hit when looking from the cockpit!) The mast is chocked at the deck with Spar-Tite, sealed with sikoflex and protected from the sun with a piece of Sunbrella. When de-stepping, the spartite remains on the mast. The standing rigging was replaced in 2001 using swage fittings on the top connectors and Sta-Loc connectors on the bottom. The back stay has two insulators to enable it to be used as an SSB antenna.
Working our way up the mast, the first thing we encounter is a block arrangement for the staysail tweaker. Next to this is a deck chock holding the claw arrangement on the end of the mast track mounted spinnaker pole. The pole is also by Isomat and has a pulley system attached to the mast to allow for adjusting the height of the pole/mast attachment (full details in the sails section).
Around waist height we have a winch on the port side for the Jib, Staysail and two spinnaker halyards. On the stb side there are 3 cheek blocks to facilitate the mainsail reefing lines. Slightly above these is the gooseneck, an extremely sturdy bracket is welded onto both the boom and the mast and the connection is completed with a sturdy stainless bracket bolting the two together. In this area, above and below the Gooseneck are numerous aluminum cleats on both sides, one where ever one may be needed.
The aluminum boom is around 15ft long and again, made by Isomat. It has sheaves at both ends to allow free running of four lines down the center of the boom, the mast end has 4 cam style cleats to lock these lines off if required. I utilize all 4 sheaves, with 3 clew reefing lines (these do not use the cam cleat as they are locked off at the cockpit clutches) and the main sail out haul. The later is tightened utilizing a block at the mast base leading the sheet to the port mast winch, then locked off using the boom cleat. The main sheet is attached to three straps that are bolted though the boom. We have 2 backup straps on board.
Next up the mast we have two clutches for the two head sail halyards. From waist height to the first set of spreaders are aluminum mast steps, great for piloting through shoal waters. Or as a fellow cruiser said who did not subscribe to mast steps, "They are great for going up the mast to untangle the halyards that are wrapped round the mast steps". To help prevent the later we have a lattice of thin lines connecting all steps that works well.
Mounted on the lower spreaders are two flood lights, great for sail changes at night or even just lighting the way for departing guests. Between the lowers and the uppers we have a radar reflector and a steaming light and this is also where the lazy-jack lines are attached. The uppers are an unusual arrangement with jumper struts. Shrouds go from the top of the mast, over these jumper struts to the lowers. This set up allows you to sail with the main and staysail only, without the need for running backstays. If needed (i.e. really bad pounding into heavy seas without the jib) you can still take the windward running backstay and move it back along the toe rail and lead it to a cockpit winch and give it a good tighten. The uppers are where the inner fore stay attaches and just below the attachment point is a sheave for the halyard. Located to the rear is where two running backstays are mounted. These are wire running down to a 4 way rope pulley system and attached to the base of the shrouds (see above for usage notes).
At the top of the mast are two more mast steps to allow for comfortable working on the mast head (remember to take a short strap/rope with you to wrap round you and the mast so you can stand and lean back against it -or sit in the Bosun's chair). The following live at the top of the mast:
Working our way up the mast, the first thing we encounter is a block arrangement for the staysail tweaker. Next to this is a deck chock holding the claw arrangement on the end of the mast track mounted spinnaker pole. The pole is also by Isomat and has a pulley system attached to the mast to allow for adjusting the height of the pole/mast attachment (full details in the sails section).
Around waist height we have a winch on the port side for the Jib, Staysail and two spinnaker halyards. On the stb side there are 3 cheek blocks to facilitate the mainsail reefing lines. Slightly above these is the gooseneck, an extremely sturdy bracket is welded onto both the boom and the mast and the connection is completed with a sturdy stainless bracket bolting the two together. In this area, above and below the Gooseneck are numerous aluminum cleats on both sides, one where ever one may be needed.
The aluminum boom is around 15ft long and again, made by Isomat. It has sheaves at both ends to allow free running of four lines down the center of the boom, the mast end has 4 cam style cleats to lock these lines off if required. I utilize all 4 sheaves, with 3 clew reefing lines (these do not use the cam cleat as they are locked off at the cockpit clutches) and the main sail out haul. The later is tightened utilizing a block at the mast base leading the sheet to the port mast winch, then locked off using the boom cleat. The main sheet is attached to three straps that are bolted though the boom. We have 2 backup straps on board.
Next up the mast we have two clutches for the two head sail halyards. From waist height to the first set of spreaders are aluminum mast steps, great for piloting through shoal waters. Or as a fellow cruiser said who did not subscribe to mast steps, "They are great for going up the mast to untangle the halyards that are wrapped round the mast steps". To help prevent the later we have a lattice of thin lines connecting all steps that works well.
Mounted on the lower spreaders are two flood lights, great for sail changes at night or even just lighting the way for departing guests. Between the lowers and the uppers we have a radar reflector and a steaming light and this is also where the lazy-jack lines are attached. The uppers are an unusual arrangement with jumper struts. Shrouds go from the top of the mast, over these jumper struts to the lowers. This set up allows you to sail with the main and staysail only, without the need for running backstays. If needed (i.e. really bad pounding into heavy seas without the jib) you can still take the windward running backstay and move it back along the toe rail and lead it to a cockpit winch and give it a good tighten. The uppers are where the inner fore stay attaches and just below the attachment point is a sheave for the halyard. Located to the rear is where two running backstays are mounted. These are wire running down to a 4 way rope pulley system and attached to the base of the shrouds (see above for usage notes).
At the top of the mast are two more mast steps to allow for comfortable working on the mast head (remember to take a short strap/rope with you to wrap round you and the mast so you can stand and lean back against it -or sit in the Bosun's chair). The following live at the top of the mast:
- VHF antenna
- Lightning diffuser (chimney sweeps brush)
- Tri ColourMast head
- white Strobe
- SILVA annenometer and direction transducer
- Windex Block for spinnaker halyard
- On the front of the mast are 4 Sheaves, one being used for jib halyard, one for spinnaker halyard #2
- On the rear are two sheaves, one for the main and one for the topping lift.