We owned a lot of TI’s and just love the design, ( nothing else on the market like it). There is a trick to raising and removing the mast. Don’t ever try to put the mast and raise with the bottom tip of the mast sitting on the white bearing, (it will ruin the bearings, or worse yet bend the flange that the bearings ride in, (I damaged several). When the boat is on the trailer it’s a little more difficult but still doable using this technique, ( which should be in the manual but isn’t, ( Matt)). We normally put the mast in just after dropping off the trailer, ( easiest time to do it). Putting the mast in is typically the first thing I do, (before unfurling the tramps, (we never launched any of our TI’s without the tramps deployed, not even once, lol our whole raason for buying the boat in the first place was so I could pile my family, coolers, and crap on them to go sailing). Ok back on subject…. If you look at the mast mount area you will see a clear area to the left of the white bearing, (mast reciever), and just behind the main AKA mounting bar, (that the AKA bars snap into). That is the mast launching zone, (where you place the mast when righting it). Now pick up the mast at it’s balance point, ( in the middle). And walk to the left side of the boat just behind the left rear AKA bar around 2-3 ft from the edge of the kayak. Also works just fine from the side of the boat, (90 degrees). Now drop the bottom of the mast into that little cubby area described above, ( never onto the white bearings, as one would have a natural tendency to do, doing so can damage the bearings). The bottom of the mast is safely contained in that little cubby area, (shouldn’t slip around). Now you just walk toward the boat hand over hand working the mast to it’s vertical position. Only when the mast is straight up do you try to lift it and drop it into the mast reciever, (the white bearings). It should click into place on it’s own. At the end of the day when removing the mast. I hold the mast with one hand, pull the release lever, and raise the mast a little, then with both hands I lift the mast straight up and place the bottom of the mast into the little cubby area, then walk away from the boat hand over hand until you get to the balance point and the mast is horizontal. Doing it this way you are never at any point lifting any more than the weight of the mast, ( which is extremely light compared to almost any other mast, ( thanks Hobie). If raising the mast on the trailer, it’s best to do when the AMA’s are still folded in, and make sure you have a least one strap holding the boat down until the AMA’s can be unfolded because with the mast in on the trailer the boat is top heavy and can tip over, (happened to us). Try it you’ll like it, ( lol). Hope this helps FE
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