On Trim we do it on the trailer with three people. It's really easy.

Leave a jib halyard hooked to the jib tack ring and leave the aft lowers hooked up. That's all that's needed to keep the mast vertical.

Since the mast pivots aft, the aft lowers don't need to be taken off (they loosen as the mast comes down).

I just put a fender on the front of the cabin top as a 'just in case'.

Two people walk the mast back keeping it even side to side while one eases the halyard, which is good until the mast makes about a 35-40 degree angle to the deck. By then the halyard's at it's end.

At this point I can hold the mast by myself, but not while walking it down, so one of the others straddles the cockpit seats at about the traveler, and the third person stands on the back deck.

When it gets down to the guy on the back deck it's really easy to just hold it while the others get the hinge pin out. The angle it's held at doesn't let the mast touch the cabintop (but it's close).

Watch the butt of the mast as you pull the pin (it wants to come up).

I do this on the trailer because the boat's steady. I've dropped the rig with a gin pole with the boat in the water, but there's a LOT of rolling which just chews up the hinge.

:: All,
::
:: I wanted to get some intelligent suggestions, best
:: practices regarding taking down the mast on the
:: Express27 for transporting the boat and mast. Also, some
:: intelligence around best practices for reinstalling the
:: mask would be a plus as well.
::
:: Has anyone in the fleet ever gotten this down to a
:: science, or do I just drink a lot and wing it?
::
:: Note: I will be working on ‘Salty Hotel’ during the
:: mid-winters, as it needs lots of updating to the
:: non-skid, hardware layout, and interior.
::
:: Looking forward to next season,
::
::
:: Mark Wippich
::
:: 'Salty Hotel'