Can't get it up! The mast that is.

My husband bought a 2005 Getaway last weekend. With the boat on the trailer, my 51 year old husband, our 13 year old daughter, and myself (46 year old woman) can't get the mast up. It's too darn heavy. There is no way we can muscle it up. We aren't wimps. We are fairly strong but short which doesn't help at all. I'm only 5'2" so, standing on the ground, I can't get the mast high enough for my husband to lift it into place while he is standing on the tramp. We even tried with me standing on a ladder which was very precarious and still didn't let me get the mast high enough so my husband could raise it.

I love the rigging video and how easy they make it look with the boat on the ground. Totally different story with the boat up on the trailer so the mast starts out at shoulder height.

It is Father's Day and my husband is very bummed that his new toy is such a pain in the butt.

I've read many of the old threads. I guess we will order a Hobie Mast Stepper III unless you all have some other recommendations. The winch on the trailer mast vertical support only ratchets when cranking in but free wheels when paying out which seems like it will be a problem. Any links to videos or photos on the Hobie Mast Stepper III. I haven't had much luck with a google search.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My back is killing me!

Mary Ann

Hi Mary Ann -

Don't give up. Find someone in your area that has a Getaway and have them walk you through how they do it. Three of you can easily and safely raise your mast. I raise and lower my mast by myself every weekend. I have never raised the mast on the trailer. I put the boat on the beach and raise it there. Do you have a set of wheels? You could put the Getaway on the ground in the parking lot, raise the mast and then put it on the wheels and roll it to the water. If the trailer height is the problem, take that out of play.

Again, don't give up. The boat is a lot of fun and worth the effort to sort it out. Once you figure out what works for you, you will be able to raise it in minutes.

2005 Getaway, 59, bad back.

Setup is a rite of passage. Appeal to his manliness and buy him a skipper's hat. Tell him you are Mary Anne and he is the Skipper.

I haven't seen many pics or video of its use.

Here's a page of the instructions. Click for big size:



Basically, there is an adapter that straps to the base of the mast that a gin pole fits into. The gin pole is perpendicular to the mast. The forestay hooks to the top of the gin pole. A winch (yes, one that locks both cranking up and cranking down) pulls on the pole (forestay attached) until the mast is up and then you hook up the regular bridles.

Also, a sail slug is inserted into the mast track (see the pic). The halyard pulls the slug almost to the top of the mast. At the other end of the slug are two long ropes that connect to fittings on the outside of the hulls that are bolted to the front crossbar. These ropes go through the fittings and then on to the top of the gin pole. All this to keep the mast from swaying side-to-side as you raise the mast.

Then you take it all off, be thankful for back-saving devices.

Make sense?! You'll have to noodle out the instructions some. Plus get a winch. One where you can stop and lock cranking up and, importantly, cranking down. Like this.

I can raise it by myself without a mast stepper...it's a bit of a circus though...

1. tie the jib sheet around the mast about 5 feet from the base.
2. run the jib sheet through the eyelet attached to the mast support on the trailer.
3. run the jib sheet through the jib cleat
4.connect a second forestay to your trailers winch
5.walk the mast up, grab the jib sheet with you toes and pull it tight through the cleat
6.jump off the boat quick and use the trailers winch to finish raising the mast.
7. pin forestay to furler
8. disconnect 2nd forestay from trailer winch...untie jib sheet from mast

Like I said..a bit of a circus...but it works me me, however I'm a 24 year old athletic guy and its still scary and exhausting

Get the mast stepper.
It takes a bit to install, but it works perfectly and is safe and easy. Your set - up anxiety will disappear. Have a great time .
Paul

Please post all pages of Mast Stepper III instructions. I do not quite get it and do not want to order it if this is going to be too much work.
PLEASE, maybe Matt can HELP with that...

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2 Hulls Cezar

Here's a YouTube of a mast stepper on a non-Hobie showing a gin pole and the bridles from the front crossbar to the tip of the gin pole:

Basically the same arrangement as Mast Stepper III, except it does not have the lines from the slug to the sides of the boat.

Most all of the components are shown on the posted second page of the instructions.

Thank you, I know how it works but I still want to see step by step, part by part to understand if this is something I want to work with. It looks more complicated than any mast stepper I have seen so far. ANYBODY....?
There is one page on the forum showing it but still not the whole piece of instructions.

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2 Hulls Cezar