IM Mast Raising System (MRS) a users report... Intracoastal sailing...

SolarFry@aol.com
Wed, 31 Mar 1999 18:53:40 EST


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Got to sail P19 on Intracoastal yesterday (about 2 miles each way). Ocean was
running 6 - 9+' (wind was pushing 35 MPH) and breaking over the inlet... Wife
had offered to sail with me so... rather than scare beejesszuz out o'er I
sailed Intracoastal.. Under reefed main and lapper. (First time I've ever
reefed any sail - usually I just drop a sail...) I discovered the only two
holes that allow a regular rope through the sail are in the luff and leech.
The three holes in between require a 3/16" string. That was a discovery for
me as I though all along I could use a 5/16 line for the whole thing...

Wife lifted and lowered mast with "new" mast raising system (MRS) composed of
one part garhauer and one part harken ratcheting fiddle blocks plus fulcrum
pole. I rigged all those little lines and blocks needed to keep the stuff
working. The ratcheting block helps keep forestay/furler tight against
stanchion while I sit, lean over, fall in attempting to put lil pin thru
stanchion/furler. I can then thread round cotter pin into stanchion/furler
pin while I dangle from my teeth over bow with my feet in the water... <BG> I
accomplish this maginificent feat just before I fall completely in the water
and have to swim back to boarding ladder. (now that was a worthwhile
investment).

I still wonder why the heck they put that cheek block on fulcrum (gin) pole.
It is useless. Lotsa beer, booze and giggling must of gone into designing that
mast raising system at IM. They must ROTFLTHO every time someone buys it...
Once you create a triangle with main halyard and fulcrum pole you don't need
that cheek block as line is not going to need to roll through it. An eyehole
screw is enough... That fulcrum pole halfway up mast is ridiculous. You gotta
stand on a pitching deck and try to thread a screw through it and not your
head while avoiding pitching with it into the drink. (would it not have been
easier at base of mast?) Well it works in it's funky sort of way... But there
is a better way... Isn't there?

While fidgeting with the MRS I found out the Genoa track is too short and that
lil upstanding block is worthless. IM should just make genoa track about 12"
longer to bow and delete lil standing blocks when someone orders genoa gear...
I guess I will be replacing Genoa track with a longer one all the way to side
window...

I would say IM needs help.. Whatch think?

Oh yeah! The sail...
We sailed out of Lake Santa Barbara, south on intracoastal for about 2 miles
to Commercial Blvd bridge, under reefed main and full lapper and managed to
sail back. Couple of times she heeled up to about 40 degrees under those 30
mph gusts blowing between houses and cross canals. But, all in all we had an
enjoyable sail as wind averaged 10 Mph on intracoastal ( from 0 to 30 ). All
those big buildings on beach really cut down wind speed. A couple of areas
had those big tall Australian pine trees I like but newcomers to FL hate.
Those trees cut wind down to about 3 mph. All in all a decent sail with all
kinds of wind speeds in the stretch. Wind at the lake was closer to 25 MPH (
I guess it was the fetch made it windier) when we anchored for lunch. That 8
lb danforth held like a champ... Sure picks up a lotta mud though...
(sing->)Mud here, mud there, everywhere a mud, mud. Ole man Solar picked some
mud... Eeee I eeee I ooh... And on that mud he found some ole shoes... Eee I
eeeeeee I ooohhhhh!

What really awed me about this sail was the huge motorboats slowing down as
they passed by... and... waving! Such courtesy (or were they nosy?) It was
enough to make you believe nice boaters abound...

Best
Solar Fry
P19 # 1028, "Elusive Margin"
Florida Weather: Temp 78 F
Partly Cloudy, wind ENE 25 - 30 MPH Gusting to 45, Seas 6 - 10+'
Canal wind NE 20 - 25 gusting to 35, canal waves 1 - 2 1/2'
350 ci turbocharged V8 hanging over the stern...