Racing the Clock to Restepping Our Mast | Winter Refit Setbacks Ep. 60

This week aboard our sailboat, we were racing the clock to prep our bare mast for restepping — and winter had other ideas. With a hard deadline looming, we took on an ambitious list of mast projects, working in cold temperatures, late nights, and even falling snow. Our goal was to get the mast fully ready to go back in the boat. That meant installing the mast track, running all electrical wiring and lines, and mounting critical hardware including pad eyes, blocks, the gooseneck, and radar. We also upgraded the deck hardware by switching from traditional mechanical rope clutches to constrictor clutches, a less common setup in the cruising world that offers a cleaner, simpler approach. While prepping the mast, we cleaned up the standing rigging and ran into an unexpected setback while servicing the furler — discovering a bent extrusion. We ordered a replacement, only to have the wrong size arrive, pushing us further behind schedule. To finish the masthead, a friend stepped in to help weld a custom plate that will support the VHF antenna, anchor light, and weather station. On the day of the weld, the weather turned brutal, with snow dumping down as we worked. Despite the long days and hard push, we ultimately missed our deadline and had to reschedule the mast stepping for another month out. We’re still waiting on the correct furler extrusion and new turnbuckles, but we’re confident that next time, we’ll be ready. ⛵ In This Episode: Mast prep for restepping Mast track, wiring & line runs Pad eyes, blocks, gooseneck & radar install Constrictor clutch upgrade Standing rigging cleanup Furler extrusion setback Custom masthead welding Cold-weather and night work realities Refit deadlines vs real life If you enjoy real-world sailboat refits, technical mast work, and honest sailing life — setbacks included — this episode is for you. 00:00 We have a date 00:18 Channel intro 00:36 Hardware 01:08 PSA 01:49 Mast track 04:10 Wires and cables 09:17 Pad eyes, gooseneck, and blocks 11:26 Running rigging 13:32 Standing rigging 14:19 Radar 17:39 Clutches 19:34 Furler 21:32 Mast top plate 23:02 Wrap up 24:57 Like, subscribe, comment, emoji 25:21 End card #SailingLife #BoatRefit #SailboatMaintenance #CruisingLife #Rigging #MastWork #DIYBoatProjects #SailingCouple #SailboatRestoration #LiveaboardLife ----------------------------------------------------------- #SailingLife #BoatRefit #SailboatMaintenance #CruisingLife #Rigging #MastWork #DIYBoatProjects #SailingCouple #SailboatRestoration #LiveaboardLife © Sailing Roam 2025