Sailing HideAway How to Make a Mast Crutch for Compac 23 Sailboat

One of the issues involved in mast raising or lowering is where the mast rests in-between.

The stern rail and the cabin top mast rest are not sufficient for this intermediate step. 

The forces involved to raise the mast from the stern rail will test your bravery.   Thirty degrees seems to be the magic angle the mast has to be for safe and easy raising.  To accomplish this somebody of strong will has to balance the heavy mast on his shoulders while another brave soul winches the mast up.  Dropping, or to be more positive - lowering - the mast is just as critical.

Clearly a new invention is necessary.   

The weak point in the process is how to support the mast at the stern.  One way to solve the problem is to remove the rudder and use the gudgeons to insert a long pole with pintles with a roller attached on top. This involves welding.  Not a skill the Hideaways possess.    Not to mention the difficulty removing, storing, and reinstallation of the rudder and tiller.  T'ain't gonna work!

My solution, comes from something I found in the inner consciousness of our world. (internet).  Using a pencil held at arms length while standing twenty feet form the beam I estimated 30 degrees and thus the height the mast crutch the Hideaway, a Com-Pac 23, requires.  

The attached Sailing Hideaway video describes the building process, however, as of this writing, I have no idea if it works. Proceed with caution, should you decide to try this solution.