Bagatelle Gin Pole Design Saga

Bagatelle is a Nimble Artic. Her mast weighs about 150 lbs. I can lift maybe 50 lbs above my head. So I find it difficult to raise her mast on my own.

I decided to design a gin pole to help lift the mast.

I watched a couple of videos on Youtube

Raise or Lower a Mast with a Gin Pole (Yachtorial) Andrew Price
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM-FjH_DlqY
1971 O'Day Mariner mast Raise with DIY Gin Pole (Brad Builds Tables)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsReBbNHFsw

My first concern was how to attach the gin pole. My first try at attachment was to cut the mast end of the gin pole to fit the mast. Then add hooks to the side to provide a connection for a ratchet strap to hold the pole to the mast.

I tried to use this to raise the pole, I found that the gin pole would rotate about the mast so to use it, I needed an extra hand or two to steady both the Gin pole and the mast when going up.

Another Arctic Owner in Wisconsin thought of selling his boat and posted this drawing of his gin pole

In his design, he drilled holes in the upper forward portion of the tabernacle for 7/8 Grade 8 stainless steel bolts. I decided to try his design.

In my second attempt, I built the pole with brackets to go over the pivot pin. I didn't want to drill the holes yet. I used the heaviest angle iron I could get at Lowes for the brackets. I bought a couple of triple blocks at West Marine, they were smaller than I'd like, but were all they had in the Austin store.

I bought a ½ inch two foot long steel rod at Westbrook metals to hook the bracket on. This was to replace the pivot pin, while lifting. I had hoped that once the mast was up and I put in the bottom pin, I could pull the rod out and replace it with the pivot pin.

So after I got it all together, with my daughter cranking on the port side winch, and I holding the mast steady, we were able to raise the mast at the house with little problem. The mast wouldn't go all the way up, since the bottom would not slip past/over the Teflon plate on the bottom of the tabernacle.

This problem occurs when you try to raise the mast with the stays attached. When I kept the stays unattached until the mast was raised, it easily cleared the teflon plate on the mast step.

When I tried to take Bagatelle to the lake, and raise the mast there. I tried to raise the mast in a cross wind, the pivot rod and angle iron bent, so we weren't able to get the mast up. I went motoring about the lake instead. Then I discovered how hard it is to land Bagatelle with a crosswind at a ramp with out a dock along side. I haven't been able to do this yet. To land successfully the wind must be blowing down the ramp or the ramp must be sheltered from the wind or there must be a pier along side the ramp.


1/4” Triple Block	Port view of Rod and Bracket	Bow view of Gin Pole

First Time the mast was up in Texas

Springy Thingy

I mentioned my problems on the trailer sailor forum Trailer Sailor Nimble Forum mast raising. Paul Miller who owns a Nimble 20, but once owned an Arctic,suggested I use a Springy thingy.

He made a video of its use: Springy Thingy Mast Raising Nimble 20

I bought the bungy, and constructed the springy thingy to these specifications. When Thomas Butler and I tried raising the mast this way. It wouldn't rise, even with Thomas a strong man doing the lifting.

Paul suggested we double the bungee. We were supposed to stretch the bungee until the limiter line was taught. Paul suggested I tie the bungee to the bow pulpit. We did all this.

Springy Thingy for raising masts on doghouse mounted masts Nimble 20 or similar boats

The bow pulpit wasn't strong enough. It became bent.

Procedure:
1. Connected the springy thing to the bow pulpit
2. Ran the springy thingy line over a cushion on top of the tabernacle, (note that it would tend to fall off the tabernacle when under tension)
. raised the springy thing to near the top of the mast
. stretched the springy thingy with the wench.
. My mountain climbing friend who claims he can lift 150 lbs above his head, tried lifting using the limiter line.
. I checked the weight and noted the mast was still pretty heavy.
We doubled the bungee so now it was four strands 5 feet long, kept the limiter line at 15 feet.
, winched it tight until we heard a BANG! (The limiter line was still slack)

Photos of before and after:


Before Damage	After Damage	After repair, note the forward section is higher than original

The cost to repair the bow pulpit was $750.00 at a local welder, Jacob Moore Fabrication.

After the pulpit was bent, I asked Thomas to to drill and tap the holes in the tabernacle using this template:


Template	Result

I went down to harbor freight and bought a Badlands 2000 winch. I mounted it on the Gin pole. I added heavier brackets and a cleat

Badland 2000 with Bracket before bracket was cut to make room for cleats on tabernacle.

I cut down the brackets so they would clear the tabernacle cleats when the gin pole is verticle.

Notice the slot in the rear for ease of attachment to the pivot points. This design is easy to install, but doesn't provide a means to keep the mast and gin pole from swaying while rising or falling. There fore another hand is necessary to steady the mast while raising it.

Later I found that the open pivot point on the bracket was a bad idea as it allows the pole to rotate off the pivot. I made a new bracket with complete closed holes for the pivot.

The power lines for the winch are only six foot long, so I needed to use jumper cables to reach the batteries in the pilot house. I was able to get the mast up with this set up.


Mast up, using mechanical Gin Pole	Winch jammed, the line wrapped around the axle and twisted so it couldn't be freed	The winch over all view

Problems encountered with Mechanical Gin Pole

Power lines too short
Winch Jammed when trying to lower the Mast
Mast and Gin pole swayed while raising, needed help to steady the mast

To solve the powerline problem I made longer power lines from a jumper cable. that could reach from the winch to the batteries on board.

To help with the winch jamming problem I swapped the Badland 2000 for a Badland 2500 which comes with a mounting plat and a fairlead. This arrangement still requires attention while lowering to avoid jamming. Note that since I bought the winch at harbor freight I was able to return it for a full refund.

To help with swaying I always pont the bow into the wind and stand beside the mast while raising or lowering. In this way I can raise and lower the mast alone.

The first winch set up consisted of the winch mouted on a short piece of two by six with the brackets bolted to the side with studs and wing nuts. I found this design was flawed since the bolts holding the winch to the block would pull out, requiring that I replace the block after the second use. So I decided to redesgn with some aluminum block I found on sale at the local metal shop.

CAD Drawing of the winch block which sits on top of my two by four gin pole.

	Top of Gin pole
	Close up of winch assembly when deployed and the mast up
	Another view of the winch assembly
	The bottom of the winch assembly where the two by four is clamped on