Hi Giles, When I got my M15, I had a S/S tube with a leather padded "U" at the top in the cabin. The mast support was an old piece of weathered 2 x 4 that was fastened to the gudgeons. When I tried to raise the mast the first time, I found that the mast angle was too small: i.e., with the mast bottom in the deck bracket, I couldn't put the bolt through the hole because I had to raise the aft end of the mast higher to get the bottom end lower into the mast fitting while clearing the front edge of the companionway hatch. I solved my problem by building a new aft mast support. At the top of the support I epoxyied a tube which held the S/S mast support tube, thereby raising the aft end of the mast to the rigging position. The new support ( elegant in shape and clear varnished - as befits an M15) fits into the gudgeons and carries the mast while boat is stored or on the road. Then, when rigging, I lift up the aft end of the mast and slide the tube in place, raising the mast by about 30 to 36 inches, at the stern. The forward end of the mast then fits nicely into the cheeks and I can put in the bolt. The mast is now well clear of the forward edge of the companionway hatch. My system works very nicely, and I have no recommendations for any modifications or improvement. Connie M15 #400 LEPPO ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.