Yes several active groups on facebook , always regular skates on in brisbane .

@@Dailyroach ah that's a shame. i don't have facebook.

@@sultanabran1 goodwill bridge wed night about 7:30 usually.

You would need some method of securing the bottom of the A frame to the boat in a location thats not obstructed and can allow enough room for it to fully raise the mast . If you sent me some photos i might be able to draw something up for you to try out and see if it works :)

There is a pin through it so it can not rotate basically its a big hinge . i dont have the boat anymore so i dont have any pics sorry .

@@grahamsmith8122 Cheer's

You could , but you don't really notice them at all anyway .

agreed :)

Every boat is different and will need slight adjustment to suit. But you should be able to watch the video carefully and copy the design.

@@Dailyroach My boat dose not have an solar ray over the stern. Will i still need to make an support for the back of the mast to lift it above the horosontal plane ?. how long would the lifter have to be aprox ?. Gerard.

@@svlittlegem24 You will most likely need something to support the mast as you start the lift yes .

It is custom fit to each boat , you can use whatever you like as long as it's strong enough to take the weight of the mast . It is helpful to have large roller on the end with correct profile to roll smoothly against the mast.

What did you want to know ?

How did it go? Can you post video? I’m in the process of building this.

Still haven’t had time to try it!

Basically just wanted to get the profile correct so that the mast doesn't rotate , it sort of sits in the channel between the two wheels and they y spaced in such a way that the profile of the mast kind of locks into the groove so to speak . This also means the weight is not on the mast track but rather on either side of it so the mast track doesn't bend .

@@Dailyroach thanks! Makes sense!

@@TheKenFrazer no worry's ken happy to help 😊

@@Dailyroach one more question? Where do you find those little brackets that you have attached to the wooden base? Do you know what they would be called?

@@TheKenFrazer they're simply 90degree galvanized steel angle from Bunnings you could also use alloy or stainless just make sure it's of sufficient strength because those two hinge points take all the weight .

It is designed to fit on the floor under the cockpit 😉

You're welcome 😊

I ended up giving up on it and scrapped it for parts . There's gotta be a reason why it failed but I couldn't figure it out .

Mike H Having something lock into the track proved to problematic both for design and getting jammed up . Having a permanent mounting on the deck is certainly an option however in my case it would have required drilling holes in the boat . Something I really wanted to avoid .

Dailyroach what is your tool's length ratio to mast height ? My mast height is 28'. thinking of adapting section of an extension ladder as the tool frame. Could you share photos of how the companionway base is secured. Is the block 3 to 1 or4 to 1. Thanks. This will save me from climbing the mast when I need to service the masthead single handed

Mike H standard mainsheet fiddler block from ronstan it's 3 to 1 ratio I believe the length of the tool would be about a third the length of the mast I just experimented till it "felt" right . The timber block in the companionway is not fastened down it simply slots in and weight holds it down the idea being quick to set up and dissasemble .

@Mike H - This is the set up that I have on a 30ft Viking in Western Australia. I use two spinnaker poles attached to rings out by the toe rail and they connect to a fitting that slides up and down the mast channel.

​@@downwind_davidi would love to see photos

howard tuttle Hi thanks for your interest , In answer to your question i am sorry I don't have a parts list or plans all parts were sourced from a local hardware store and I made it up to fit the boat . The first prototype I just made from some house frame timber and a couple of boat trailer keel rollers to test it and get the dimensions right for my boat .

You are awesome! I'm going to do the same!

The Mast is about 27 foot long and The tool was built as long as would fit below the cockpit floor so I can stow it .

Al Butkus it's a peice of 100x100mm hardwood post with notches cut out of each end to slot into the companionway . 4 x galvanised steel 90° angles are through bolted to form the "hinges" and 2x 10mm bolts are used as pins that slide through the galvanised angle and holes drilled slightly over size (to allow for easy insertion/dissembling) the whole thing comes apart in secconds and is stored below the cockpit allowing for dropping the mast for repairs or travel under bridges (in calm conditions )

Just to I'm clear. You are saying that the base is not actually secured to the companionway. All that holds it in place is the notched Harwood post?

Al Butkus correct the weight of the mast holds it down . So there's no need to drill any holes in the boat . It's completely removable.

Could you email me a few close ups, especially the assembly setting in the companionway. My email is "[email protected]. Great tool. Thanks.

the one i built has a base thats an upside down "u" shaped section of wood as wide as the lower companionway opening. the "u" slips over the bottom of the companionway fiber glass. then is held there with rope to the centerboard winch, which is just below it.

Elizabeth Hall , I worked it out by trial an error with some cheap timber from Bunnings . Once the wooden prototype was performing well I moved on to the alloy version . I'll get back to you with some dimensions.

icucomadoc if you send me your email address I can send you some close up photos .

nartbathan at gmail dot com

Thankyou for your advice I agree that this should be a better component and heaps cheaper .

I would look up the data sheet of a 20N60C. I'm going to buy a few of these 15A 600V FET which is the larger 247 package. I've mounted FET upside down, run wires and drilled new holes in some cases. Most of my GTI are 120V which makes it easier to find a higher current with lower voltage. How do I find a FET? I just get on an ebay seller and search MOSFET 10PCS. Find a number in my package/price range and google that number for a spec that matches. Time consuming but educational. Should be able to find some for $10 a lot. Possibly fakes but that is less common in cheap parts. Not that hard to make a FET and who makes all of them anyway. This application is not that critical. You might find my latest video interesting on grid tie inverters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqOXe6aBqq2Shtk

Brandon Thompson thanks for the compliment

It's not bolted to the boat the timber block simply slides into the companionway . The whole unit quickly detaches and is stowed in the unused space next to the quaterbearth under the cockpit floor.