Page 283 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

gear on and go cast it off. Detach it and carefully between mast and hauling line. There are different
send the lifting gear away; don’t let it bash into the ways of doing this, but the most convenient for an
stick or your crew. Attach anything that wouldn’t aft-hinging mast is to set up a spinnaker pole with
lead properly with the crane in the way. its butt locked in place on the mast and its other
If your meticulous preparations and mea- end attached to the halyard. For a forward-hinger,
surements result in a perfect fit for all pieces, you lead the topping lift to the end of the boom and haul
deserve congratulations—but I know from sad expe- with the mainsheet (Figure 7-3). Failing that, as
rience that this is not always so. On those unlucky for junk rigs, make up sheer legs, fastening the butt
occasions, the riggers may rue the fact that their ends securely on deck. Most trailer-sailers have spe-
first opportunity to see a rig in place is often a very cial upper shroud hardware to keep the mast from
public viewing, and any failure will be immediately, swinging laterally as it goes up. If not, attach tag
glaringly evident to the most untrained observer. I lines near the masthead before hoisting, to prevent
hope that the first time you read this is long before it from swinging laterally. Either run these through
the launching. Go back over your figures, recheck turning blocks and tail them to cleats or winches, or
measurements, and reread the layout instructions in tail them to secure objects on the ground on either
Chapter 6. Help your luck. side of the boat.
Take up the slack with the mast end of the hal-
DECK-STEPPED MASTS yard or topping lift and belay it on the mast. Clear
the area, check all connections, then start cranking
Given a choice, I like to treat a deck-stepped mast away cautiously on the windlass or sheet to raise
like a keel-stepped one, using a crane to set it in the mast. The people on the tag lines should take a
place, even if there is a tabernacle designed for rais- slight strain against the pull of the halyard or sheet,
ing and lowering. The crane is so much easier and just enough so there’s no slack, and then pay out
safer. But the reason people have these masts is so evenly as the mast goes up. When the butt swings
they can get them up and down without a crane, so into place, belay the hauling lines and the tag lines
here’s the routine. as temporary stays, and go about getting the stand-
Carry, parbuckle, hoist, or slide the bare mast ing rigging secured.
aboard and position it longitudinally over the ves- If your vessel is multiple masted, step one mast,
sel’s centerline. These masts are heavier for their then use it to hoist the next one. For example:
size than keel-stepped ones (deck mounting means The foremast is in place on your junk-rigged
that the mast must take thrust that the partners schooner and all the standing rigging and taberna-
would otherwise bear), so proceed carefully, pad- cle fittings are secured. You’ll be using the foresail
ding points of contact with the hull, tailing hauling halyard to pull the mainmast up, but first you have
parts, and rigging preventer gear to keep the thing to get the mainmast into position. The procedure is
from getting away if somebody slips. pretty much as it was for the foremast except that
Dress as for a keel-stepped mast, but leave one this mast is much heavier, so requires greater care,
stout line out of the bundle, rove through a mast- and is much longer; its balance point might be out
head sheave. Use a halyard for an aft-hinging mast over the stem before the butt is at the tabernacle. To
or the topping lift for a forward-hinging mast. Slide prevent having to deal with a 50-foot steel seesaw,
the butt aft or forward, depending on which way make a heavy lashing to arc over the mast, keep-
the mast hinges, until it can bolt into its taberna- ing the butt from coming up while still allowing
cle or plate, and run the line forward to the anchor you to slide the mast aft. Tie the ends of the lashing
windlass or aft to a tackle. Since the line is now just through scuppers, hawseholes, or other structures
about parallel with the mast, cranking in on it will capable of taking a heavy vertical and aft load. As
do you no good; you need a strut to widen the angle you approach the tabernacle and friction against the

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