With the factory system you get:
- A gin pole
- Tackle
- A tang on the pulpit for attaching the tackle
- Two U-bolts on the cabin top
- Two small stays
- A cabintop cam cleat
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We have a CDI headsail furler on Necessity. When we trailer, the jib stays rolled on the furler and we use velco wraps to secure the furler to the mast. The first thing we have to do is release the furler and slide it forward so it can be attached to the mast. We need to remember to watch the coiled furling line as it hangs from the drum when we move the mast aft; it likes to catch on the trailer's winch handle.
The next step is to attach the gin pole to the mast. This requires releasing the mini stays from the mast. The crutch end of the pole goes over the mast, then the mini stays are throughbolted to the pole and mast.
Optionally, you can do this after the mast is moved aft and secured to the tabernacle via the rear pin. We used to do it this way, but the end of the gin pole was too high for Julie to run the halyard through it from the cockpit. I always had to scramble back and do it from the cabintop. The downside of attaching it first is that the mast will roll from side to side with the unbalancing weight of the pole perpendicular to the mast. You'll need to control it so it doesn't flop over.
Attaching the gin pole to the mast
The mast attachment point
Once the gin pole is attached, uncoil the tackle and secure the double block to the tang on the pulpit. Lead the bitter end back to the cam cleat on the cabintop. The main halyard is led through the cheek block on the end of the gin pole and secured to the single block of the tackle with a bowline. Leave enough slack in the tackle to allow the mast to be moved aft. The bitter end of the halyard is cleated to the mast.
Now move the mast aft, securing it to the boat with the aft tabernacle pin. Tension the halyard and lifting tackle so about a foot of halyard extends forward of the gin pole. Any more than this and the bowline will get pulled into the double block before the mast is vertical.
Running the halyard through the gin pole's block
Now you're ready to raise the mast. To the right are two views of how things look just before the mast goes up. For us, Julie does the work of lifting the mast out of its travelling crutch as high as it will go. Then she pulls the lifting line, cleats it down and pulls again. I kneel on the foredeck and keep and eye on the furling line so it doesn't catch on anything. I'm also in position to tug on the mini stays if the mast starts to swing sideways.
Once the mast is vertical, I insert the forward tabernacle pin. Then I secure the furler to the bow chainplate. Julie keeps the raising line tensioned while I do this, giving an extra tug on the line if necessary so I can get the pin through the chainplate.
The final step is disconnecting everything and stowing it in the tow vehicle. If we're just going out for the day, we keep the mini stays attached to the boat. If the boat will remain rigged overnight, we'll take them down; they interfere a bit with fore and aft movement on deck.
