Mast Stepping Tool Design Contest
A Collaboration of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, the International Lightning Class Association, and Classic Lightning Enthusiasts everywhere
1/7/23 - And the Winners Are:
The Classic Lightning Group is having a contest! All are invited to participate!
One of the recurrent questions we get is for help putting up and taking down the mast. As a few of us are "beginning" to show signs of age this is becoming a larger challenge. So lets have a design contest!
The mission is to come up with a design for tool(s) to help us step and take down our masts. We intend to build one or more of the designs as part of our Spring Classic Lightning Workshop, in the workshops of the museum the weekend of April 12-14 2024.
Real engineers, pretend engineers, or Rube Goldberg wannabe's. This is for fun (there will be a prize for the winner). And we are trying to solve a real life challenge for many of us. So scratch your heads and come up with an idea or two.
Design Criteria
- Safety, can be used to safely step a Lightning mast of up to 50 lbs
- Simplicity and cost of construction
- Simplicity of use
- Speed and ease of setup and takedown
- Ability to succesfully step mast with just one person
- Portability, can be used on any (most?) Lightning Sailboat
- Portability, can be transported in care or attached to boat or trailer
All Submissions due by Dec 15 2023
Please send to Bob Astrove or
Classic Lightning Group Site
And feel free to vist the Lightning Class Association Website
or the Finger Lakes Boating Museum Website
or the Classic Lightning Chat Group Site or
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Submissions Received to Date