Raise mast and clip forestay single handed

[MrBrycimus]

If I am to raise the mast single-handed, how do I clip the forestay?

When the mast is up, I have to push on the mask with a bit of force to get someone else to put the clip through the forestay.

I am able to use the main haulyard to get enough slack but I don’t have the right position to be able to do the clip nor the extra hand.

What am I missing? Is my forestay too tight? It seems like the mast gets the right amount of rate

 

[CapnJoe]

Your forestay might be too tight. I have single handed each time I have been out and raised the mast myself. It is a little bit of a procedure to make sure I have the forestay in my hand and under tension as I raise the mast. Once I have it upright I use the tension on the forestay to keep pulling it forward. With one hand pulling down on the forestay the other is taking the ring out of the pin, ring goes into my third hand (I hold it in my mouth) and I set the pin through the forestay bracket. Once here the tension is held by the pin and I can put in the retention ring. I am not pulling hard but I do have to keep it under tension.
Granted I am not interested is getting everything out of the boat, so I could have my forestay too loose for proper trimming, but that is my experience.
I have only dropped the pin once and had to bring the mast back down to step off the boat.

 

[CapnJoe]

Your forestay might be too tight. I have single handed each time I have been out and raised the mast myself. It is a little bit of a procedure to make sure I have the forestay in my hand and under tension as I raise the mast. Once I have it upright I use the tension on the forestay to keep pulling it forward. With one hand pulling down on the forestay the other is taking the ring out of the pin, ring goes into my third hand (I hold it in my mouth) and I set the pin through the forestay bracket. Once here the tension is held by the pin and I can put in the retention ring…
I have only dropped the pin once and had to bring the mast back down to step off the boat.

I guess I should note that I am doing this while on the boat. I am stepping the mast while in the cockpit, but then stepping around the mast and crouching while on the bow to attach the forestay.

 

[dzvnt8]

The guy I bought my Laser2 from tied a long line to the end of the forestay, ran it through the eyelet at the bow. As I stand in the cockpit and raise the mast, I pull the line to keep the mast in upright position. It gives me enough to carefully climb out of the cockpit and around to the bow to properly fasten the forestay. The line is also long enough to loop around the eyelet and a shackle on the forestay a couple of times to give leverage if you need.

 

[rkrebill]

If I am to raise the mast single-handed, how do I clip the forestay?

When the mast is up, I have to push on the mask with a bit of force to get someone else to put the clip through the forestay.

I am able to use the main haulyard to get enough slack but I don’t have the right position to be able to do the clip nor the extra hand.

What am I missing? Is my forestay too tight? It seems like the mast gets the right amount of rate

'MrBry-----Before raising mast, I detach the jib halyard shackle from the mast, then attach a small, strong, line to the shackle and run the line through a ring on the trailer (or bow bracket) up front and back to me in the cockpit. Then raise mast and pull the line tight and cleat it onto the lower part of mast. Then this line can hold the mast upright while you move forward on the deck to attach the forestay shackle to the bracket on front of boat. Then you can install sails and remove the helper line. Reverse the process when taking the mast down at end of sail.

Check ahead of and throughout the process to avoid obstructions and other hazards including slippery shoes.

Enjoy your boat!

RK

 

[Kerrcat14.2K]

I carry sufficient tension in the side stays so that at the dock there is basically no sideways motion in the mast due to boat wakes etc. Close hauled in breezes above about 5 knots the leeward stay will sag off a little, so I know that there is not too much tension on the stays. Never bothered to check with a tension gauge the way I used to tune larger boats.
Now, for dealing with raising the mast single handed, I have a old and small boom vang which uses a cam cleat to secure the line. I would attach the becket end to the boom crutch on my trailer, attach the vang line to the jib halyard shackle, pull the line to the cockpit and tighten tension on the line as I raise the mast. The cam cleat secures the line anytime I want to stop raising the mast and easily holds the mast up in place once it is raised. The purchase of the vang gives you enough leverage to tighten the jib line and take pressure off of the forestay while I pin it into place and it keeps my hands free to do so. Another advantage is that using the same setup when disconnecting the forestay to lower the mast I have control over the mast movement by letting off of the vang line and/or cleating it in place at any time. I just had to scrounge up enough line for the vang so that the line could extend all of the way to the cockpit. Not sure that I would trust a v-jamb on a small vang set up but the cam cleat works well and the retainer strap on the cleat helps to minimize chance of the line dropping out of it's jaws.
My 14.2K actually has roller furling so I am attaching the line to a fitting on the mast, not to a jib halyard shackle but the results are the same. I used to use a larger vang set up to control the mast on a Cape Dory Typhoon and a Tanzer 22 when raising and lowering. Same concept, just a little more complicated.

 

[Kerrcat14.2K]

CORRECTION! Must have had a "senior moment". The becket end of the vang with the cam cleat is attached to the boom crutch on the trailer. The becket on the other block end of the vang is attached to the jib halyard shackle. I suppose that you could use only one block section of the vang (with cam cleat) but would lose any purchase advantage of a block and tackle arrangement.