Page 281 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

or can be moved under it after the mast is in the The best arrangement I know of for a mast pick
air. Building a derrick on deck or alongside solves is shown in Figure 7-2. A rope collar, preferably
this problem, but unless you plan to use it more padded, is hooked or shackled to the padded lower
than once—say, for annual steppings and unstep- block of the hoisting gear and belayed to the mast
pings at your own yard—it is more like an emer- at gooseneck level with a downhaul. The belay can
gency fix, something you might lash up if you were be around a winch and cleat, or mast band, or a
dismasted in Faroffistan. Unless you can easily get lashing below the boom saddle, depending on the
the boat under the mast, get a crane. This is not as type of mast. Just make sure it’s very strong. When
difficult or expensive as you might think. Any boat- the mast goes up, the load goes onto the downhaul.
yard worth the name will have a crane and someone If the mast’s center of gravity is low enough, you
to operate it. If you’re launching in some secluded won’t have to go aloft to get the gear down after
cove, call the phone, power, or cable TV company in stepping; just slack away on the tackle and pull the
your area and make an appointment for one of their collar down to the deck.
boom trucks to come over next time they’re in the Position the collar just above the balance point.
neighborhood. Schedule your stepping around their This will be just below the spreaders for a keel-
schedule, and you’ll get the job done quickly, easily, stepped, single-spreader mast, and probably just
and inexpensively. Finally, you can always call up above the spreaders for a deck-stepped mast, either
your local building contractor and arrange to rent a single or double spreader. With the sling at the right
crane and operator. Whomever you get for the job,
remember that the better prepared you are, the less Figure 7-2. A mast ready for stepping is in the fore-
time it takes and the less you pay. Before the crane ground, running rigging omitted for simplicity. The
arrives, take a look around the stepping site to see standing rigging is led down and bundled against the
if there are any power lines that you have even a mast at the gooseneck. The padded crane pulley and
remote chance of fouling. If so, either move the hull padded mast collar provide mar-free strength. The
or get the power company to come out and tempo- downhaul on the collar is made off securely to a mast
rarily take them down. winch and cleat. In the background, the same mast is
shown being stepped. Tag lines control movement of
the butt as the crane carries it toward the boat. Time
to get on deck and guide it home.

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