There are many stages to follow when recovering your 880 and lowering the mast.
We hope you’ll find this information helpful, be very careful and ask for expert assistance!
Retrieving the boat
Whenever possible align the trailer in the direction of the wind to make it easier to motor onto the trailer when the daggerboard and centerboard are raised.
Tie down tips
Use soft dock lines and padding, loop around the trailer frame and use the winches. smaller diameter line is not a great idea, more likely to rub and cause damage.
Tie down tips
Use the 880 ladder or a 6-foot ladder to continue tie down tasks. Be sure to secure the bow to the trailer and the trailer to your vehicle so it doesn’t tip with added weight in the stern.
Motor tips
Use the motor support to take pressure off the tilt mechanisms. The road is much harder than water.
Mast support
Be sure to use all supplied mast support lines as instructed and secure the bitter end.
Mast drop preparation - be a pro
Look at the big picture…take your time. What will save time? What will cause problems? Get a good process and follow the steps the same way every time to become an expert.
Teamwork pays
When possible use one or two crew on the ground and one person stays on the deck working in concert to confirm each other’s tasks and steps
Prepare the halyards
Use TWO halyards, the jib and screecher halyard in tandem, to become your temporary forestay to lower the mast.
Limit failure points
Tie a bowline in each of the halyards as the attachment point. Avoid using the halyard termination hardware to eliminate one potential failure point.
Prepare the trailer winch
Your 880 is equipped with a custom winch fitted with a clutch. You must actively wind or unwind
the line to use it safely for your mast lowering.
Connect the halyards
Finish the connection by tying another bowline in the winch line to connect to your two halyards.
Clear the mast in stages
Start by removing the boom handle and stow in the boat.
Clear the mast in stages
Remove the mainsheet from the end of the boom and stow it carefully in the cockpit without twisting the lines.
Clear the mast in stages
For longer distances, remove the mainsheet from the traveler connection and stow it in a cockpit locker ready to use again.
Clear the mast in stages
Leave the topping lift attached to support the rear of the boom and slide the front into the cabin.
Disconnect the topping lift to carry it all the way into the front cabin.
Clear the mast in stages
Pad the folding seats and secure them to the beam folding struts so they don’t rub and
rattle. Shock cords are great for this, and use the same dedicated travel lines and shock
cords in the same positions every time.
Clear the mast in stages
Secure the topping lift to a free mounting point on the base of the mast, begin to secure
ALL halyards to the base and running ends are free from the turning blocks.
Clear the mast in stages
Pro-tip: Just coil the lines and stow them in the anchor locker. No need to tie all this
loose line on the mast when transporting.
Clear the mast in stages
Disconnect the downhaul (cunningham) and stow it in the cabin.
Attach the mast raising gin pole
Insert the stainless steel rod in the front of the mast in the stainless socket where the
boom and boom handle used to be attached.
Attach the mast raising gin pole
The gin pole uses two side stays and one stay attached to the mast to help support it.
Attach the mast raising gin pole
If the mast support is out of reach you may step on the pole CLOSE to the mast, it will support your weight there to reach up.
Attach the mast raising gin pole
Close the hooks, tension the purchase equally and use white tape to secure each hook!! Don’t want them coming loose.
Attach the mast raising gin pole
Use white tape at your set point each time to confirm tension.
Halyard raising lines
Use the jib and screecher halyards, two for redundancy and bowlines in all three lines as
shown.
Halyard raising lines
Tension the trailer winch and the halyards on the mast until the end of the trailer line is
18 inches from the end of the gin pole to ensure knots won’t interfere.
Halyard raising lines
Tension the halyards equally and close the clutches. Put the halyards on the horn cleats
too, again for redundant safety.
Lowering the mast
Pro Tip: Notice the alignment of the halyards and the gin pole. Are the halyards tracking
straight back? Is the pole straight forward? The halyards MUST land in the gin pole V.
If they are not, just back up a step and confirm why they are not aligned. Wind direction?
Lowering the mast
Each Corsair 880 has a bow roller. This one vibrated loose and is missing. Be sure to take
yours off and stow it whenever you are not using it to lower the mast. It’s not designed
as an anchor roller or anything else.
Lowering the mast
Communication is key with your partner. Decide based on experience who should help
guide the mast and watch for problems and who should manage the clutch-equipped
winch.
Moment of truth
When you are satisfied that all is ready, put a little winch tension on the halyards to
relieve tension on the forestay. Then remove the pin and put it in a safe place.
Lowering the mast
Manage the forestay to prevent damage to the aluminum extrusion. It can help to tie a
loose loop around the forestay and secure it to the gin pole. This eases it down to the
horizontal position without scratching the drum or other parts.
Lowering the mast
Guide the furler and drum rearward to avoid scratching the deck. Doesn’t hurt to wrap it in a towel with a bungie for this step.
Trick Question
If you made it this far, what did you forget? Is the mast rotation bar connected to the
deck yet? If you forgot this preparation step, put tension back on the halyards
and start again.
Deck fittings
Now that we have your full attention, there are three parts. the deck plate, a retaining
bolt and a quick-connect pin that holds the rotation bar to the deck plate.
Deck fittings
Slide the base plate into the deck fitting. Wiggle it to be sure nothing is binding.
Deck fittings
Next screw the retaining bolt into the base plate but NOT all the way tight. On some
mast rake settings it must hold the base plate securely but NOT cause the pin to bind on
the rotation bar.
Mast on the rear support
That step should go smoothly, and the person on the deck can gently guide the mast to
the port or starboard holding the diamond wires to align the mast in the rear support.
Secure the bow
You can leave that extra winch line loose if you choose, so you don’t need to wind and
unwind it next time. Just be sure to secure the bow of the boat before anyone moves on
the stern of the boat, and be sure the trailer is secured to a vehicle.
Moving the mast forward
On the 880 Sport the mast is long enough that it now has negative pressure when it is all
the way down and pivoted on the deck mount. Don’t pull the pin until you are SURE you
can handle the negative upward push of the mast base. A spotter is a really good idea.
Moving the mast forward
Pad the bow pulpit before you place the mast there. use carpeting or even a Yoga Block
to raise the mast higher at the front and lower at the back.
Moving the mast forward
As suggested, use one person’s body weight above the mast to hold it securely, and a
second person can pull the pin and be ready to assist. As soon as it’s rolled forward
about 2 feet the weight goes neutral, and it’s more manageable as you roll it forward
on the dual support rollers.
Moving the mast forward
Pro Tip: Last one…the spreaders are WIDE to handle the power of this sail plan. you
most hold the diamond wires firmly as you pull the mast forward. Rotate the mast about
30 degrees so the spreaders can pass through the beams: one low and one high. Be
watchful about hitting the winches with the diamond wires. Just roll it back and forth to
clear any issues.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the new Corsair 880 Sport or Standard or any trimaran… contact Richard Allen / The 180 Marine trimaran expert. richard@180marine.com
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