Folding (radar) masts on Grand Banks yachts

[GB3295]

Dear All,

My 51 year old wooden GB 32 is under cover in the Pacific Northwest, for which I am very grateful.

There is however one small, or rather tall - issue: the mast and boom.......

The mast is 18 feet and 2 inches high and will not fit under the cover of the slip. So I am wondering if any other GB or other trawler owners have the same issue and if they thought of a solution. I have only once seen a picture of a beautiful stainless steel hinge, but it would still leave me about 8 feet of mast to be lowered and raised every time I go in to the slip.
Raising and lowering by hand with cables and pulleys is not my first choice, so I was thinking about hydraulic or electric assistance to accomplish this task.

Cutting the mast is not an option......and I would like the mast back on board, makes the boat look better and I have the boom back for my dinghy.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Philip
GB32-95
Alicia Anne

 

[Choices]

I have a 36 Europa that goes into a shed.

What I do is run a line under the spreader, as a bridle. I tie one end to the Bimini top at a brace, and feed the other end out from the opposite side brace.

The mast drops to just the height of the Bimini, and is easy to handle. I tie off and center it as I go.

Keeps the top clear so I can work around boat without it in my way. The higher you tie off the more leverage you have.

On the IGBO site I show mods made to the mast. Everything is super clean now, no spreaders etc. LEDs on mast light up boat at night, radar and antennas are on simple welded brackets.

Look up "grandbankschoices"

 

[bjensen]

I put a block on the port and starboard upper stays, lengthened the stays to make a block and tackle to lower the mast about 30 deg. to get through the boat house door. if any interest I could give a bit more detail.

 

[syjos]

When we bought our boathouse we had to take off the mast. Installed a pipe davit for the tender.

The boat did not look right without the mast so I hinged it and put it back on. It was too heavy to lift up.

I tried the block and tackle method but it too long to get the mast up.

I hollowed the mast, which made it a lot easier to lift up.

Eventually will have do devise a pneumatic lift or a linear actuator to lift the mast when I'm unable to lift it.

 

[Willin]

I have a 48 yr old 32 in Seattle as well, under cover. My mast is hinged at about six feet up, moves towards the bow and sits right on top of the starboard bench and rests on the cushion. It’s out of the way and stable. I can raise it alone and just wait until I back out and have some room.. often I put it up or down as I’m locking through Salmon Bay.

 

[schono]

Mine's a little foreshortenend! I have the original mast, boom and fitting in storage and hope to restore it at some point because I like the traditional look and want a place to add a radar. But I'll have to figure out a folding approach to accomodate the full length flybridge bimini. The mast previously folded forward but now the bimini is in the way.

IMG_2855.jpeg

 

[bbarnes61]

Bracket that folds

I would love to see a pic of the folding hardware you applied to the mast. Also can I ask who made it for you? Thanks

 

[woMN Power]

just purchased a 32 GB. #21 1966. Where are you located?

 

[bbarnes61]

Everett WA

 

[rgano]

I was able to lower my GB42's heavy wooden mast (hinged at the base) to the 45-degree point in order to get the boat under my boat shed using a vee arrangement of single blocks at the flying bridge deck edges and a double block at the stainless steel band installed just under the yardarms. I was timed (unbeknownst to me) at 2 minutes and 30 seconds raising and securing the mast in place. If it was to physically difficult, I could have easily added an electric hoist/winch to help out, but it was not. You could lose the heavy wooden mast in favor of a MUCH lighter aluminum mast.

 

[COD]

just purchased a 32 GB. #21 1966. Where are you located?

We used to own your boat before we moved to VA in 1998! Sent you a PM.

We have 32-322 and keep her in a shed. I cut about 4' out of the top half of the mast and personally like the look. The anchor light now sits right above the bimini. Being shorter, it's very easy to raise and lower as it's hinged (from the factory) with a big bronze hinge right about fly bridge floor level. We're fortunate here to have some pretty tall sheds and we don't have to even take it down to go in or out. I didn't like the super tall mast look anyway but then I'm not an ex-sail boater like a lot of trawler owners. To each their own

 

[Bob Jack]

I too had a problem lowering the mast on our GB 42 E so it would fit into our shed. So I coppied some of the new GB's and replaced the mast with a S/S arch. looks great and it saves my aging back. see photo.

 

[COD]

Bob Jack I love the look and profile of your 42! I obviously removed the boom too. I of course kept it in my garage at home in case someone wants it in the future but it and the extra lines that go with it were of no use to me other than blocking my view.

 

[bbarnes61]

Bob Jack, makes total sense. I curious about the arch as I can’t really see the finer details. Is it incorporated into your Bimini?
I am in the process of getting a new Bimini and may want to have an arch added.

 

[Bob Jack]

Yes bbarns61 the arch is part of the support for the Bimini, also the front and rear part can be removed , but have to admit I have not done it in 4 years. I will try and take a pp of it when next I am on board.