After nearly 30 years of raising and lowering my RL 24 mast on my own without any special lifting gear, I decided to rethink safety issues. What I needed was a system that was relatively simple and quick to set up; would allow me to safely raise and lower the mast single-handed from the cockpit in most wind conditions without risk of it coming crashing down. So I have come up with a sliding collar that snaps onto the mast and is fitted with 2 stabiliser bars which, when combined with the traditional lifting pole, ensures that the mast goes up / down in a straight line by simply pulling a mast lifting rope.
This is a great safe system that Bob has devised, and he has provided detailed instructions for others who might be interested in duplicating his method. I'm sure this system could also be used with an RL28 provided all components were upgraded for the extra height and weight of the mast.
Bob.
Congratulations. Although I cant decide whether this is a classical case of vertical, or Lateral thinking.
Which ever, it is a great idea and very well presented.
I had come to the conclusion that most mast raising methods way over complicate the processes. I just finished setting up my system. What makes it simple is the baby stays are hooked to a different location that is inline with the pivot at the base of the mast. This keeps the mast from swinging sideways. I had an old small boom that I use vertical to hold the lifting cable up. The guy wires to stabilize the pole go to the same pivot points. Everything is on quick carabiner, so the cables clip on quickly. I've only lifted it once, to prove it works. Its very easy to do without a lot of extra attachments.
