Raising mast on Getaway single handed.

I looked at the new mast raising system for the Getaway. Seemed overly complicated, time consuming, hard to do, and expensive.
It gave me an idea, however, and I devised a deviously simple way to raise the mast single handed. This only works if you can actually pin the mast and raise it up by yourself.
My problem in the past was how to go from holding the mast in place to running up front and pinning it in.
Problem solved. Cost: 15 clams, and a piece of rope.
Tried it yesterday, and laughed myself silly.
Took a few pics, I'll get them up as soon as I find my camera.

you could have use the main halyard tied to the front cross bar, when the mast was up cleat it off using the jib sheet swivel cam cleats.

The Mast stepper helps with the strain of raising the mast.

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Brad Stephens
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Actually, there is an easier way, and I used the trailer winch to pull on the mast to get the shrouds tight.
I didn't realize you can't post pics directly to this site.
Anyone interested may email me for pics.

You can post pics. Just have to have them on a server first.

Thanks, I don't have access to a server. No biggie.

If this helps, I used to raise my mast alone all the time and just ran a line tied around the mast, chest high, through a loop on the trailers mast support and back to the jib cleat on the boat. Once I had the mast up by lfting it, I just reached down, pulled the line through the jib cleat and then jumped off to secure the forestay. When done untied the line and pulled out of the jib cleat and all is well.

At the risk of adding yet another suggestion to what seems to be a problem solved; I put a D shackle to to the forestay adjuster (I leave it there) and connect about 5m of rope to it via a carabiner. I then pass the rope under the pin on the furling drum and run it through the jib cleat. While I'm raising the mast I have the rope draped over my shoulder and when the mast is fully raised I lean against it freeing up my hands, remove any slack from the rope and simply push the rope through the cleat with my foot. Sounds a bit tricky but it really is very simple. I then tie the halyard to the cross beam to get tension in the rig and it also allows me to disconnect the rope from the forestay adjuster.
I actually find doing this a lot simpler than having to describe what to do to someone who may not be familiar with rigging boats. (also saves on lost split rings)
As an aside, after about 3 years of deliberations I just got my getaway two weeks ago. What a boat!