Hi Norm, Welcome to our group. About raising the mast, once you have seen it done it is a piece of cake. There is advice on set-up from Jerry M. on the msog.org website: http://msog.org/models/m15/m15_setuprig.cfm I added a line for a jib downhaul. You may have one now. It runs back from the bow fitting through several fairleads and is secured with a clam cleat on the side of the cabin. When I lower the jib and remove it, I leave the downhaul attached to the jib halyard fitting. (There is a small loop in the end of the downhaul.) The other end of the halyard is of course cleated off on the mast. With the mast in the highway travel position, I uncleat the downhaul and make sure it has some slack. I have a mast cradle that has a roller. I untie the front end of the mast from the trailer support, then roll the mast back and bolt the mast base in. (I am thinking of going with a slotted tabernacle to eliminate the bolt, as has been discussed in recent days.) Now I stand in the cockpit. I have the jib downhaul line in one hand. I take the slack out of the downhaul. I lift the mast with the other hand. If I need to stop at any point on the way up, I simply take out the slack and cleat the downhaul. The mast stays in place. I can then reposition to raise the mast the rest of the way, or untangle anything that is snagged. When the mast is up, I cleat the downhaul. Again, the mast stays in place. I have the forestay coiled up and fastened to the mast with a bungee cord. I remove the bungee and walk to the bow to fasten the forestay. It takes a lot longer to write about it than to do it. When you remove the sails and lower the mast, you just have to do things in a way so that you will be organized for the next time you go sailing. For example, I leave the main on the boom. Good luck. You have a great place to sail. steve Steve R. M-15 #119 Lexington, KY --- Norm Bundek "nbundek" <nbundek@earthlink.net> wrote: Subject: M_Boats: New Monty 15 owner introduction I just bought a 1981 Montgomery 15' hull number 172. <...> I only need to figure out a way to raise the mast by myself and set up the sails for single sailing. Any suggestions? <...> If there are any Montgomery's in the Ventura area, please contact me to sail around the area. Norm Bundek nbundek@earthlink.net