Ron's Mac19 mast raising system
The description of a system to raise and lower the mast on a MacGregor 19 sailboat. Measurements included in the comments.
Complete system with the mast up. It is all chain except the lifting line.
Different angle.
Side stays are chain with a turnbuckle for fine adjustment. They fit in flat padeyes already built in to the boat. A Bungee keeps the straps from slipping out.
Detail of hinge that fits in the pad eyes. Simple hardware stuff: t-hinge, flat straps, links, chains, turnbuckle.
I used 1 3/4" OD conduit for the guy and 3/4" square stock for the feet. I taped the square stock in place and drilled the holes thru the holes for the bolts from either side. When competed it fits the mast step perfectly. The gap between the bottom of the square stock and the bottom of the conduit is 4 1/2". Total square stock length is about 12".
Detail of the mask connection. The hole was pre-drilled in my mast. Had to buy the bail and straps. The straps had to be drilled out a bit and bent. (Better picture later.)
Detail of the top of the guy. (That bottom line touching the block is just the end of the line from the knot.)
Cheap $15 crank. My calculations make the highest load to be less than 200 pounds. Easily within the working range of all the hardware.
Connection to the padeye on the bow. It was already installed.
View of system with the mast down. Note the roller on mast support. This makes the operation a [difficult] one man operation. Helps to have someone help. (Thanks to my wife.)
Different angle, mast down. Stays are a bit loose at this point.
The conduit is 69 1/2" long. Add the 4 1/2" for the square stock for a total guy length of 74". Distance from the top to the first eye is about 2". From the top to the second eye (with the block) is 7". (This distance is determined by where the bail is on the mast!) And from the top to the crank is about 36" (unimportant).
I run the loose end of the chain thru the turnbuckle to keep it from rotating.
Better view of the mask bail. That strange knot is a bunt line hitch, my favorite.