I just saw the thread on stepping a 14.2 mast when the boat is in the water and wondered if anyone has tips, hints etc. for stepping an Expo mast when the boat is on the trailer? For those not familiar with the Expo mast, there are basically no fittings etc. on which you can attached lines, stays - it's essentially smooth to the tip.
What I find most difficult is you have to get the mast perpendicular to the hull in both planes so that the foot of the mast drops over the bottom pin, however it's VERY hard to judge the angle when you're supporting the mast with your shoulder with the trailer on even a slightly inclined entrance to a boat ramp. Once I had to resort to getting my Wife to stand at a distance to judge the angle.
Does anyone have any tips for making this easier? I've wondered about a small guide (basically a plastic drawing square / triangle from a kids school kit (do they still use them?) that I stand on the fore deck as a guide, then leave in the car when I'm sailing. Are there other ways to judge the alignment to make this easier?
Thanks,
Bernard
What I find most difficult is you have to get the mast perpendicular to the hull in both planes so that the foot of the mast drops over the bottom pin, however it's VERY hard to judge the angle when you're supporting the mast with your shoulder with the trailer on even a slightly inclined entrance to a boat ramp. Once I had to resort to getting my Wife to stand at a distance to judge the angle.
Does anyone have any tips for making this easier? I've wondered about a small guide (basically a plastic drawing square / triangle from a kids school kit (do they still use them?) that I stand on the fore deck as a guide, then leave in the car when I'm sailing. Are there other ways to judge the alignment to make this easier?
Thanks,
Bernard