Charles & all
>From the time I started thnking about buying a potter until this october.
I read these statements about mast raising with concern. I took everyone's
advice to heart. I puchased Frimi with the "mast raising system (MRS)."
When I first got her, I tried to push the mast up from the cockpit and was
rewarded with a charly horse for my effort. After that I always used the
MRS or the help of friends I was sailing with. Rigging and derigging adds
time to my preparations for sailing and I am slow to set up anyways.
I often sail with a thin yet wirey friend who had not had the benefit of
this list. More than once I would find he had already raised the mast on his
own while I was still getting the gin pole ready.
This last october I was setting up to go sailing in Matagorda Bay. The wind
was blowing from the east at 10 mph. Frimi lay on her trailer with her bow
pointed North West. I was on the cabin top and unwilling to jump down to get
the gin pole. I just attached the mast to the mast step with the aft mast
pin, bent over and pulled the mast up. No problem with raising her, but I
did resort to using the MRS block & tackle to warp the mast enough to put in
the forestay.
Even so I believe the MRS is very handy to have. I still use it. This summer
I found it quite helpful while we tried to raise Frimi's mast on Galvestion
Beach in three foot breakers.
BTW: The whole story of my great mis-adventure is on my home page:
http://www.onr.com/user/tbodine/frimi.html
#--------------------------------------------
# Regards Thomas L. Bodine @
# Skipper Potter 19 "Frimi" #1019 `-|-'
# Dancing to the music life has given me.^,
# http://www.onr.com/user/tbodine