I need to flip my catamaran (nacra 5.2) on its side in order to get a hold of my jib halyard. It is all the way up the mast. Is there a best practice approach I should follow?



edited by: gregjenx, Jun 21, 2010 - 01:52 PM

Make sure you have room to tip it (no power lines vehicles neighbors fences etc...) and do it very carefully. Be best to do without the sails on. Pull on the traps till it starts to come over and walk the mast down. Right it like you would on the water but with help to keep control of it coming back up so it doesn't end up on top of you and you can set it down gently.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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get 2 or 3 helpers.

if you are really worried about any possible scratches, you can put a tarp or life jackets under the side you will flip it on.. i dont bother

tie up your crossbar or take off your rudders to avoid any chance of them coming down (sailing position)



edited by: andrewscott, Jun 21, 2010 - 03:33 PM

I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. That halyard is a pesky little bugger.

I just took the sails and daggers off, walked it out to waist deep water and lifted one hull and tipped it away from me into the deep water. It was much easier than I thought it would be. I then fixed my lines and walked the mast back up until it tipped upright.

It was simple enough that I'm thinking of doing the same thing when I unstep my mast rather than the crazy ballet I always end up doing. Figure I can do the whole operation by myself without danger of anything falling on my head or rupturing disks.

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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You can also take the main halyard, make sure both ends are tied together and pull the boat over, you will have much more leverage as you will be pulling from the top. I watch a man in his late 70's do it by himself all the time, when the boat starts to come over he goes to the shroud and walks the boat down.

figured this one out. all about balance. pulled on the main halyard until the boat was balanced on one hull, then grabbed a hold of the shroud then the mast and sat her down. getting her back up i just did the same in reverse.

Same drill here Greg (N5.2 also) , I do that all the time with no help. At 200 pounds my own weight is enough to stop the boat from settling with a big bang when tipping it back. Sure, its not graceful, but works perfectly on the hard. Just be sure to check for rocks in the place where the hull is going to rest after tipping and remove the rudders and daggers.

Its actually scarier with help because you never know where someone else is going to put an arm a leg, a hand or their foot.

I would not recommend removing the mast this way solo though. When flipping back upright you will have no leverage and the boat will fall back with a gut wrenching crash, assuming you can keep it from falling over upside down in the first place!

i flip my 5.2 by putting a folded up tarp against the side of the hull that is going to on the ground

then lift at the main beam on the other side and kick a tyre under the hull

then regrab under the hull and lift until the boat is at the balance point

then carefully step through to the mast base and then from there over the other hull bringing the mast with me

i usually have a set of steps set up to catch the mast but if not it goes all the way to the ground

reverse to get it back level

i'm short on weight and long on legs so this works for me better than trying to slow the fall by tugging on a halyard, yikes!

I would only underline two crucial aspects.
1. Make darn sure the dagger boards are removed.
2. Make darn sure the rudders are tied off so they don't flop down and jam into the ground as the boat comes over on its side. You can quickly damage the rudders or even rip the rudder gudgeons out of the transoms. Be mindful of this as they will flop down and jam into the ground as gravity works EVERY time.

I like to do it in shallow water, but you'll need two helpers to hold the boat stationary, but you don't have to worry about rocks or any cosmetic damage to the hulls nor having a tire to cushion the hulls on the way down.

When sailing on my mono hull I secure a small diameter line to my jib halyard shackle & main halyard shackle in case they open & end up at the top of the mast ! Both can be retrieved without climbing the mast or turning the boat on its side to rescue the halyard shackles . I suggest you secure a small diameter line to the jib shackle so you can always retrieve it when it goes up the mast !