Anyone on here installed a hinged mast step on an old cat that did not have one.
I have a venture 15 and currently have to lift it straight up and sit it down on mast base.
It's kinda like balancing a baseball bat with two fingers. Except instead of two fingers it's a 5ft 9 man and instead of a bat it's a 23ft mast. Pretty scarry.

I have a nacra 5.2 mast attaches while it is laying down then while attached we stand it up it is a ball with a locking pin why does your hinge not open so you can attach the mast while lying down otherwise what is the point it is very dangerous must be something else to raise this mast wow!!

I just googled it looks like there are quick release pins on the base one gets removed you can lower the mast without detaching it maybe your release pins are not there

My old straight hull had a bracket attached to the front beam and a bolt went through the mast. The banana
hull manual seems to skip over raising the mast. Hopefully someone here has experience with your boat. Manual
link included.

http://www.minresco.com/links/v15/images/vc15.htm

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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Thanks guys. I don't have a pin or a hinge. I'm going to lay that bad boy on its side in the yard today and try stepping the mast sideways. Then tip it back over with ropes. What a beast.

I have wrapped a line around my front crossbeam and then cleated it off on the halyard and down haul cleats at the base of the mast. Takes a little trial and error to get the length perfect but once you do it works as good as a hinge, especially on a smaller mast like the 15

If you have a second person to help you, you could use the “human link” method. Many of the Hobie 14 guys use this technique since the older versions of the H14 also did not have a hinge. Basically one person just firmly holds the mast base over the mast step and guides the two together while the other person stands on the tramp and raises the mast. It works surprisingly well for masts on smaller boats.

sm

lots of people add a few eyestraps to the lower part of the mast and use line tied to the beam and through the mast eystraps as they step the mast