My Mast-Raising Additions
1. Electric Remote-Operated Winch
I switch out the manual trailer winch with a 2,500-lb electric winch. My trailer beam is pre-drilled and marked, allowing quick and easy winch swaps.
2. Crossbar for the Diamond Stays
The crossbar gives the diamond stays a stable resting point and prevents the mast from tilting left or right while on the roller.
3. Guide Posts
Guide posts keep the mast from wandering during the early stages of raising and act as a cradle when lowering. They allow me to pause safely and check alignment if the mast starts drifting due to uneven trailer setup or unexpected tension.
Winch Setup & Redundancy
- 42-ft carbon mast, approx. 790 lbs dead-lift weight
- 2,500-lb electric winch with a 2:1 purchase using a high-load block
- Powered by my car battery via a 20-ft jumper cable
- Wireless remote for normal operation, with a wired remote kept on deck as backup
- Manual raising/lowering line rigged through a cam cleat in case of winch failure
- Three halyards used simultaneously (screecher, jib, and spinnaker) for redundancy
I hope these simple additions make mast raising a little less stressful and a lot safer.
As with all my videos, this isn’t sponsored, and I’m not selling anything. I’m simply sharing my own experience in the hope that it helps someone else out there.
Today I’ll walk you through a few small additions I’ve made to raise my 42-foot mast. This is not a beginners guide or complete mast stepping tutorial.
If you’re new to this, I recommend watching this older—but still usefulk—intro video:
Beginner Video Mast Raising: https://youtu.be/eqsbJn475_g?si=drpMUSeYZLInJwjH.
Sailing Tips Mast Raising: https://youtu.be/Wk44THGkmxE?si=nBm6QSGfmOFInloU
I do not recommend raising the mast by yourself, but it can be done and I will be doing so in this video
You can raise the mast with the boat on the trailer or unfolded and already on the water. In fact, with one or two people helping, that’s probably the safest method.
Here are my Mast-Raising additions, I am using the factory stock Yoke, ginpole and raisingwires:
1. Electric remote-operated winch
This replaces the manual trailer winch. My trailer beam is pre-drilled and marked so I can swap the winches easily.
2. A crossbar for the diamond stays
This gives the diamondstays a place to rest and keeps the mast from tilting left or right while it’s on the roller.
3. Guide posts
These keep the mast from wandering during the early stage of raising, and they also act as a cradle guide during lowering.
Winch Setup
My 42-foot carbon mast has a dead-lift weight of approximately 790 pounds. To handle this load, I use a 2,500-pound electric winch with a 2:1 purchase through a high-load block.
The winch is powered by my car battery via a 20-foot jumper cable. I operate it using a wireless remote, but I also keep a wired remote on deck as a reliable backup.
The electric winch installs directly in place of the manual winch, with the mounting holes pre-marked on the trailer for quick and accurate setup
Before I start raising or lowering, I triple-check that no lines are tangled and nothing is snagged. Electric winches are powerful, and they can do serious damage quickly—this is why many people strongly advise against using them.
I also keep a manual raising line rigged through a cam cleat. If the electric winch fails, I can lower the mast safely by hand.
Using more than one halyard – for redundancy – I use all 3 – my screecher, jib and Spinnaker halyard.
In summary we now have everything doubled –
- E-Winch has a manual backup safety line allowing me to raise or lower
- I use 3 halyards in case one breaks
- I use a wired remote and a wireless remote for the winch
Crossbar for the Diamond Stays
This crossbar provides a stable resting point for the diamond stays and prevents the mast from tilting left or right while it is on the roller.
I will use my Team New Zealand 1:25 model to demonstrate this. When rolling the mast backward, the rollers alone do not provide enough lateral support, allowing the mast to tilt from side to side. By adding a crossbar, the diamond stays can rest securely on it, eliminating the risk of mast twist and preventing the roller from tilting.
Guide Posts
When first raising the mast, it is helpful to have the option to pause and check all components if everything looks good and whether the mast is drifting left or right. This can be caused by uneven trailer positioning or unintended tension somewhere. The guide posts allow the mast to rest against them safely, preventing it from swinging dangerously out of alignment.
When lowering the mast, the guide posts also act as a cradle, guiding the mast smoothly into position.
My setup is simple: two-inch PVC pipe mounted on each side, with a windsurfing mast inserted inside each pipe for added strength and flexibility.
Condor F31-1D C-Foil 