Pull the Mast final prep for Island Packet Yachts Refit

...there she is empty and with no mast...

This has been a monumental task, requiring 8 days with two of us working all day off loading our 35 foot Island Packet Yacht. We thought we had a fairly empty boat, and when people visited our boat, they always asked "Where is all your stuff?" and we would say, we really don't have that much stuff. .... WRONG on THAT....we have tons of stuff loaded on this boat, or at least we HAD tons of stuff. It is all now in a 5' x 4' climate controlled storage space. Now we know exactly what we have and how much of it there is.

5' x 4' storage, filled

I challenge anyone who lives aboard their cruising sailboat to try to empty it. You will be amazed at how much you have stored. We are now at 24 boxes plus items in bags, plus a mini van full. But then again, this is our home, we have lived here for the past two years. Imagine if you could store your home in a 5' x 4' closet...if you could, then you really don't have that much stuff.

Steve, the yard manager rigs the crane lifting point

After 5 days of work, we were ready to have the mast pulled. We wanted to pull the mast as it has been 11 years since she was last removed and inspected. The Snead Island Boat Work employees had the mast off in 45 minutes and taken to their storage yard. While there, we will rewire the lights and install new standing rigging and replace the sheaves. We plan to rebuild the boat in November after her factory refit.

Craig, Debbie, Radeen and Hayden visit at Pier 22, Bradenton

The most fun aspect is that we are near our great friends, Debbie and Craig, so we were able to have dinner with them for one more visit before we follow the boat on the truck to the factory.

Here are some random photos of the mast removal and our preparation.

We rentedI a mini van and it is filling up with stuff to go home, like our clothes, etc.

First step, we removed the mast collar at the deck and accessed the pin

Below the base of the mast, I disconnected all the wiring runs in their junction boxes

All the electrical wires were pulled from the side of the mast below the floor

A crane mounted on a truck lifted our 50 foot mast up and out, while Terry guided the bottom

Once lifted clear of the boat, the crane swings the mast to the ground cart

The yard workers help to guide the mast onto the cart as the crane operator lowerd it

There it is, our sailboat mast on the cart, ready to be wheeled to storage

Next job....wash all bedding and towels and store in sealed bags for November

Dinner...nothing left but a sip of Stoli

Island Spirit on the bulkhead at Snead Island Boat Works....ready for the truck with no mast

Impressive Florida clouds billowing late in the afternoon 

Next adventure.....load our 17,500+ lb boat onto a tractor trailer and drive it 34 miles north to Largo, FL, and then off load her into a building at the Island Packet Yachts facilities. The factory refit program will make her like new. More on that later!