Hobie 16 & Stepping Mast Instructions

Stepping the mast is a procedure for raising the mast of a sailboat from a horizontal, usually stowed position into an upright vertical position with shroud and forestay lines attached and adjusted. On small boats such as the Hobie Cat 16, the manufacturer's recommended mast-stepping procedure assumes that the boat is out of the water and still on its trailer. A variety of inventive techniques and mechanical devices are available to facilitate solo stepping by a lone sailor, but in most cases stepping the mast is a two-person job. Hobie recommends an assistant to properly execute mast stepping on the Hobie Cat 16.

Instructions

    • 1

      Position the boat and trailer on level ground with the bow facing into the wind. Make sure no electrical power lines are overhead or nearby.

    • 2

      Attach the two shroud wires with adjusters to their respective anchor bolts on each hull.

    • 3

      Install the removable mast pivot bearing in the mast step cup.

    • 4

      Attach the mast step link to the mast step cup with the clevis pin and locking ring. Make sure the arrow on the step link points forward.

    • 5

      Attach the base of the mast to the hole marked "16" in the mast-step link using a headless clevis pin.

    • 6

      Stand on the rear crossbar, raise the mast and place it on one shoulder. Ask an assistant to verify that the slack shroud wires are clear of the rudders, rear corner castings and any other protrusions that might snag the wires as the mast is raised.

    • 7

      Walk toward the bow of the boat, raising the mast to the vertical position as you walk. Once the mast is fully vertical, lean it against the taut shroud wires, hold it in that position and ask the assistant to attach the forestay line.

    • 8

      Make additional fine adjustments to shroud wires and forestay as necessary.