Single handed mast raising for Hobie 18 using power winch

I learned this early when using the mast stand to help raise the mast. The "brace" doesn't need to be as sm suggests. You can see the brace I had fabricated to solve the problem. I's worked great for 4 years now.

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John Latimer
'79 Hobie18 - Magnum
Sail#4854

You're absolutely correct, it doesn't need to be per my exact suggestion. My point was that adding some sort of brace to the mast stand will stop the weld from breaking because the forces on the weld joint are converted from pure bending load (a cantilever beam) to tension and shear loads (a truss). The higher up on the mast stand you mount the brace, the less likely the mast stand is to bend (anything above your brace mounting will still be in bending). Even using the strap that ScotsSailor added will do the trick, as long as he adds some type of element to support the horizontal force from the winch cable.

sm

Folks who are rigging their trailers with electric winches, is their a concensus on the best place for mounting the winch(harbor freight)? Do you leave the winch mounted or make it portable?
Also what kind of blocks or pulleys are using to rig this? Do they need to be like a snatch block to hook the winch cable through? Other wise how do you get the winch hook through a standard pulley?
If anyone has a great set-up, I would love to see pictures or some drawings.
Also places to purchase the hardware you used in the system.

Thanks in advance!

I mounted my winch so it could be easily removed, I can lock to the trailer though. I was concerned about theft and leaving it out in the weather. It's pretty painless to toss in the truck if I leave my trailer in an unsecured area. I used blocks with quick pins, although I have it set up where I don't rerun the cable through the blocks every time. I usually have help when I rig, but I still use the winch, better control especially in tight spaces. The forces involved, when used correctly, are not that great. That said the cost for rigging that would be considered overkill is not that much more than rigging that would be adequate.

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Calcommon

Thanks for the quick reply.

Did you mount the winch near the tongue of the trailer or behind the trailer mast stand? Where did you buy your blocks/what weight rating were they?
Do you use a gin pole or just pulleys?
Can you send me a simple diagram or pix?

Thank you in advance.

I used a HF winch http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-el ... 39997.html I mounted at the base of the mast rest, ran the cable 3/4 of the way up the rest through a sheave mounted to the rest, and the I connect that to fore-stay.

You have to lift the mast off the rear cross bar, once the mast reaches 150 or 160 degrees the force required is minimal. So if you use that winch, I think it's rated at five or six thousand pounds, and sheave rated at even half that your system will be very robust.

Search the forums there are a couple of really well designed systems on here.

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Calcommon

I used an electric winch a couple years ago but didn't like that it only pulled and I could not lower the mast with it. I use a manual winch in this fashion now.

I always find it harder to lower the mast than raise it, maybe its because lowering it comes after a day of sailing.

there are only two varieties of wings on hobie 18's the magnum wings (which are on the boat in these pictures) and the SX wings which extend in front of and behind the main arms that come out from the hulls.
And to the real point of this thread.. I know why you rigged your lift pulley on that cable extension from your front maststand. You are trying to end up with the furler in a final position that will allow you to easily make your bridle wire connections to the hull.
BUT your first priority has to be lifting your mast!!!....get that pulley up on top of the front mast stand as high as you can get it, ( my front mast stand is extended to as high as I can reach, just for this purpose.) The winch pulley is just below the mast cradle and I have a backstay cable on the maststand to take the winch load .
Use an extra piece of line to pull the furler down into the position it needs to be in to easily connect your forestay, AFTER the mast is almost fully up.
OR as the others have stated...take all the extra time and steps to rig a ginpole, or use a bi-pod to pre-lift your mast four or five feet off the ground to get the winch line angle to where what you have will work ( you already are taking the time to put that milk crate under it) ... two 8 foot 2x3's through bolted a foot from the top to make them scissors work well, and are very easy to transport on the trailer..

Duh... I was replying to the last post I saw on page one of this thread so much of what I just posted had been covered already on page two and three......I'll be more careful to check what page I'm on before I chime in again...

The HF winch will raise and lower under power, I agree coming down after a day on the water is more of a challenge than raising it.

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Calcommon