Raise the mast of a small sailboat. Use an A frame gin pole, Catalina 22 - Jim's Little Boat

Jim and Tony raise the mast of Bootstrap, a Catalina 22, sailboat using an A-frame gin pole and the trailer winch. A little slow, but not fuss--no muss.
Jim's Little Boat is dedicated to helping beginning sailors and providing a video reference for work on their own boats. There are more than 50 videos in the Jim's Little Boat archives of You Tube. While some of the videos are very specific to Catalina 22 sailboats, most are general and apply to all small mono-hull sailboats.
You can contact Jim directly: [e-mail]

[@brianfedie8046]

Thanks! Bought a 1984 Cat 22 today. (With your help) Gotta raise the mast to see what's missing. 🙂

[@ThomasSlager]

thank u for this video !

[@garygronberg4310]

Way to go, Jim. I do it the same way. One change. Instead of the bridle for the a-frame, i only attach snap hooks to the top of each main shroud's turnbuckle, since they're at the right height. The snap hooks have rope lines going through them on each side, and on up to line tensioners on each side, tautening the ropes that go to the top of the gin pole. They snug up tight, so the a-frame is straight through its journey from the stern lift to upright. To keep shrouds from catching on snapheads and cleats on the cabin, i duct-tape over them for a snag free raising. Still at it, age 77.

[@jimslittleboat4388]

Good ideas. You are giving me hope. :)

[@okcpicker]

We use a gin pole with an aluminum pin on the end that slides into the base of the mast. The forward end of the pole connects to the mainsheet and forestay. No A-frame needed. About 6.5 feet up on the mast, we connect lines to small bails both port and starboard. The end of the lines connect to bails on the deck. This keeps the mast totally in column when raising or lowering. No A-frame hardware is necessary.

[@jimslittleboat4388]

Lots of different solutions to the problem. Maybe you should make a little video.

[@seattleacupuncturefertilit6561]

Would love to see your design

[@michaelreed9805]

Great Info once again

[@dissent9099]

great idea I like the two rigid poles rather that one gin pole ant temporary stays. I'mina go build one now

[@jimslittleboat4388]

I got the idea from somebody else, but I used it on a Tanzer and a Catalina 22. Slow, but works well for old, short guys.

[@tomanonbear]

I'm out of Everett. Can't wait to get my catalina 22 launched. It's a fixed keel so it'll be interesting... might sling it for the first time. Nah... no fun in that!

[@johnreuteman2724]

Can you share any details on the gin pole design. Is the materials steel, aluminum or other? What is the gauge or OD & ID dimensions? How do you keep the winch strap from sliding around to one side or the other. Looking to rig something similar for my catalina 25.

[@jefforlando6617]

Thanks for the video Jim. Are the temporary side stays connected to the main halyard and run up to the top without a sail slide to hold them close to the mast? Working on a safe single-hand setup for my Montgomery 17. Moor at Swantown L dock except winter months.

[@odysseyofjason]

I would have never guessed you were 75 Jim.
It's interesting how many different ways people have for doing this. I guess it depends on how many hands you have available and how sketchy you're willing to be.
Ahh yes, crawlspace plumbing, nothing like laying in the mud, surrounded by spiders and god knows what else while you realize you have to go back to the store...

[@IldenMelder]

i thought he was 45 or 50

[@johncartelli]

you mentioned temporay stays...they come off when the mast is up? how? i get the everything else but not those stays. are they part of the side stays? and if so wouldnt they be too long by going to the bridle ring instead of the deck mount? somebody explain please? i have to come up with a system for my Oday 26.

[@jimslittleboat4388]

John, send me your email address--mine is [e-mail] and I will share my method and the details of the temporary shrouds. It is the same one I worked out for my Tanzer 16.

[@kingchristopherpaul477hutc8]

So what do you do if you come to a low bridge or other obstacle, if you need the trailer wench to raise it back up after you drop it?

[@kingchristopherpaul477hutc8]

My Heavenly Twins 27 wants to know😉

[@teeheeteeheeish]

Disconnect the forestays, use a halyard line while keeping constant tension to ease the mast back downward. to ease the mast back down. This would be difficult by yourself but not impossible

[@mrzif0013]

great site. Jim, i am looking for some advice on finding a mast for a 23' sailboat. have you ever come across a site that has old sailboat masts for sale?

[@jimslittleboat4388]

Where are you located?

[@mrzif0013]

i am in michigan west of detroit. you see any reason why one could not go shorter on the mast and just add the standing rigging as needed. my 1974 mouette has a bit more mast than two old guys can handle w/o all the gin poles and A frames?

[@jimslittleboat4388]

@@mrzif0013 Sailboat designs are a delicate symphony of mast height, sail area, keel shape, size, depth, hull shape and length. Change any one variable and you change everything else. Life is easy with an A-frame gin pole and trailer winch.

[@mrzif0013]

@@jimslittleboat4388 ok, copy that. My latest find a kells 23 w/ broken mast in two pieces. ever heard of a mast being welded to a safe working condition? Just looking for a cheap boat to test this old man's resolve to handle boating and move up to my favorite boat a nonsuch 26 or not

[@crc32328]

Important point, Make sure the boat is aimed into the wind, or else!!!!!!!

[@petten20233]

What if I got no winch

[@jimslittleboat4388]

Hmm--how do you get the boat up those last few inches?

[@ObamaoZedong]

Buy one? Make one? Beg, borrow, or steal one?