Lowering Electronics Mast

OK, have a new to us boat and it is about time for winter storage. You can see from my avatar the mast I am referring to. What is the "proven" method of lowering the mast for clearance purposes? 2 man job? Utilize the crane on board? Other advice????
I plan to build a crotch/cradle of some sort to support it as well so any advice experienced skippers can provide on both subjects will be most appreciated. I will need this procedure for the Great Loop next year as well.
I don't want to do this by "trial and error"....the error is what scares me! Thanks in advance.

Search the Grand Banks owners board. There are several options.

IAGBO :: Index

captrigney said:

Search the Grand Banks owners board. There are several options.

IAGBO :: Index

Click to expand...

Yes I tried to log on there the last few weeks and the site does not respond for me. I emailed the admin but problem has not been resolved. Is GB site working for you OK?

On my boat if I disconnect the after stays...I can lower the mast forward by myself as it is not all that heavy...but most of the time I use the boom left in place and tied off so that when I loosen the lifting blocks from the boom to the rail.....it acts like a better fulcrum to lower the mast slowly without any muscle.

My mast has to go forward due to the rail and where it's tabernacled.

Sailors can explain this better if you have one and their boat handy.

I'll try and add a pic here shortly.

So perhaps a little more background. Mast has a hinge so it lays back against the dinghy. When we looked at the boat in storage last winter, a large fender was used to hold the mast off the bridge deck (dinghy was removed for storage). I want to get a method whereby I can lower the mast back and place in a crotch/cradle of some sort so dinghy can stay on rack. Thanks!

Then run a line up the mast to a block at the head and tie the line forward someplace. Then let go the forward stays and gently lower backwards till it's an easy shoulder grab and then let down further into the crutch.

If your bimini is in the way...then just manhandle it as it seems short enough and there's not that much weight on it.

psneeld said:

Then run a line up the mast to a block at the head and tie the line forward someplace. Then let go the forward stays and gently lower backwards till it's an easy shoulder grab and then let down further into the crutch.

If your bimini is in the way...then just manhandle it as it seems short enough and there's not that much weight on it.

Click to expand...

You hit my trial and error method on the head! Just a little gun shy. It is aluminum and all that is on it is KVH TV and Raymarine radar so it should be light as you suggest... And the "stays" are actually two bolts into the seatback on the fly bridge and a couple of wing nuts on the forward portion of the base.
We'll wait to see what others chime in with too. Thanks

Not sure why the GB site goes down sometimes. I was able to go today, though. One of the best ideas there to me was changing the hinge to fold forward. Not sure if that's possible on yours. The mast is light but the radar antenna can be heavy. Taking the boom off simplifies things if you're not using it for anything. (edit: doesn't look like you have a boom)

Lowering that mast is not for the faint of heart. It is a 3 man job. Once it starts down you need to control it I performed that operation each winter on our former GB 36 and it took 3 of us to do it without hurting ourselves.

There are a number of ingenious ways to do it more easily. Most involve a block and tackle arrangement going forward from the mast to an anchor point near the helm station on the fly bridge. Every GB that I know of came with a crutch to support the lowered mast. If you bought the boat used, check with the PO and search the boat lazarette and engine room spaces thoroughly.

You will find descriptions of the tackle arrangement on the GB site IAGBO. I have had no difficulty logging on to that site. Howard