Optional mast raising system

The mast is lifted using a small brake winch mounted on the mast raising pole (The term "brake winch" means a winch that you crank both up and down. If you let go of the handle under load, the winch drum will stay put and not spin wildly). The mast is so light that a kid can raise it. The system can be left in place while sailing. Even without this option, one person can easily raise and lower the mast by hand.

Raise and lower the mast while under way

There are lots of bridges, and the best sailing is often on the other side. The mast raising system can be used to handle this problem. Just lower the mast and duck under. For trailering and for going under bridges, you disconnect only the forward mast support wire. The other rigging always remains in place.

Ours is specifically designed for trailering. We use stay adjusters, rather than turnbuckles, for the wires that support the mast. With masts that are raised and lowered, turnbuckle bending and failure is very common. Stay adjusters are stronger and far more reliable. Also, we bolt the support wires to the mast, rather than using removable "T" fittings that can fall off and allow the wires to tangle up in the trailer wheels when on the road.

We use double nicopress fittings on the mast support wires because of their reliability. Swaged fittings have a tendency to crack, and it is impossible to determine their true condition without X-ray. The nicopress fittings, in contrast, are easy to inspect. We have had remarkable success with these fittings over a long period of years. On hang gliders and ultra light aircraft, you will always see nicropress and not swaged fittings. These guys really have their life on the line when choosing hardware.

At one time we used full battened mainsails. We have switched to soft sails for the following reasons: Full battened sails have to be rolled up in a long, bulky tube and take up a lot of room in the boat when stored. The battens press hard against the mast and make the mainsail more difficult to raise and lower. The long battens are subject to breakage when they press hard and chafe against the mast support wires when running downwind. They are heavier, and weight aloft is critical. They make tacking more difficult, and, for a given sail size, they are not as fast as a conventional sail.