Mast raising without a crane sounds a daunting prospect but it is actually very straightforward if you prepare properly. Some years ago I wrote an article which you can see here, https://www.sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/articles/11-technical-articles/268-safe-mast-lowering-method so this is really just an update. This video shows my Chat 18, which has a mast from a beach cat, and thus one that could be pushed up by hand, but here I show the system that works on any size mast - the biggest I have raised this way was on a 50ft ketch. The key features are a good tabernacle, a "gin pole" - in this case the boom - and most important, the use of temporary shrouds thus ensuring that the mast cannot fall sideways. These shrouds must have "chainplates" that line up exactly with the tabernacle pivot bolt. When down the mast rests on a, eg, dinghy trailer mast support at the back of the cockpit. If you regularly raise you mast you can fit a trailer roller to the bracket, so it's easy to push the mast to and fro for trailering. The "gooseneck" for the ginpole is a shroud adjuster from my junk box, suitably bent and screwed to the front of the mast. Roller reefing gear has to be kept straight and has a tendency to catch on the cabin roof etc. So I always lash it to the ginpole in about the right position. The "chainplates" for the temporary shrouds are, again, from my junk box and are 25mm OD aluminium tubes that clip into place and are easily removed. They also take guywires from the forward end of the ginpole to stop that falling over. I attached the spi halyard to the ginpole, but you can just rely on the forestay/furling gear. The mast is then raised up using the mainsheet shackled to the forestay chainplate (you may need a longer rope, depending on your boat). 4:1 is easy on small boats, on bigger boats lead it back to a winch. Of course the most load is when the mast is horizontal, you often have to push on the mast when lowering to get it to start moving. So if you can get it off the support you know you can hoist it all the way. So it all seems a lot of ropes and preparation but it's all worth it as the mast cannot fall and you always have total control, even in a cross wind. And you can usually raise the mast singlehanded. If you are only occasionally raising/lowering the mast then the temporary stays can be rope. Make a loop in the end and pass it over the spreaders and round the mast using a boathook or, on bigger boats, a bosun's chair. Easy to pull off again afterwards. Before sailing always check the mast with binoculars or camera to ensure there are no twisted shackles or, especially, T bar terminals (which is why I don't recommend T bars on trailable boats.) Use tape or elastic band to hold the stays in the correct position while hoisting - both will break away as the shrouds tighten.

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Week 5 of the season ending Frosties Regatta at Strangford Lough Yacht would bring racing for 2023 to an end. The crews were greeted with with 8 to 12 knots of breeze and sunshine on a cool autumn afternoon. The J109 Going To Red already crowned the Frosties Champion for 2023 the were left to race around on their own. The team on J109 GTR pushed hard with Ella at the helm, testing themselves by trying to race down the IRC2 fleet which started 5 minutes ahead of them on the race course.. GTR took a wide birth at the bottom mark which allowed them to hook up inside 4 boats at the bottom mark, this gave them clear air to tack out to what proved to be the favoured right hand side of the course going up the last beat. After Lee bowing a sigma 33 they were clear to tack and finish of the season on a high. The team at Bottom Up Boats hope you liked this video and it encourages you to want watch more. It you like the Time Lapse format be sure to let us know in the comments so we know to make more of these race reviews.

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Mein neuer Film TAUCHERTREFF_MAINZ Abtauchen Im Kallebad Wiesbaden

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Le 3 mats Le Français et le Phœnix bord à bord lors de l'arrivée dans le bassin d'#arcachon pour le salon nautique des bateliers d' #arcachon fin avril. #bateliersdarcachon Video Drone par @lcs_drck_fpv 😍 #grandsvoiliers #tallships #tallshipphoenix #tallshipsraces #lephoenix

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Sam attempts to show me a nudibranch while grey nurse sharks swim by.

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