The Marinervideo

Preparing the Mast for Removal & The Lesson of the Rocks

16 June 2025 · 24 min · 3K views

What this video covers

Chris works alone at midnight in a boatyard to strip an Open 60's rig ahead of a travel-lift haul-out the following day. Inside the boat he has already disconnected the hydraulic vang, the lower backstay tensioners, and bundled all internal mast wiring through the partners.0:53 On deck he removes the staysail, jib, and forestay, strips all halyards except the main halyard from the mast, and works through the mainsail removal — detaching reef lines, outhaul, and eight mast pins, leaving battens in place to save time.10:56 He explains a "milking finish" for halyards: cutting the core back two inches so sheath slip exits cleanly off the end over years.12:33 He also covers slacking the backstays before entering the travel-lift well to clear the lift's back frame, and explains the Rule of Twelfths to track tidal drop during the maneuver.5:53 A JB-welded and bolted Max Prop repair — fixed at roughly 22 degrees pitch, cost C$50 against a C$5,000 replacement — is fitted before the boat moves.10:10 He motors the Open 60 into the 30-foot-wide travel-lift well at night to exploit the reliably calm conditions.3:19 A long digression covers teaching his daughter Bella persistence by having her move several tons of hand-sized rock over a month for a $100–$150 reward.21:29

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