Yes, given the mast crutch is at the factory original height, the mast should settle in just fine with the hatch closed. Crutch height is the key. I've got my crutch rigged so I have two levels; one high for raising/lowering the mast, and one low for trailering (I prefer a lower profile towing package). t

  Tom Smith and Jane Van Winkle M15--345  Chukar M17--064  Unnamed

Hi David,

On our M15 (#407) the mast will contact the forward part of the sliding hatch, if the sliding hatch is full open. We raise and lower our mast with the bolt in place. The solution for us is to close the sliding hatch. We do have a factory mast carrier; the base end of the mast is supported by a U-shaped crutch that is part of our trailer. And the top of the mast is supported in a removable stainless steel crutch that fits into the rudder gudgeons.

As I recall, when looking at the boat with the mast secured in the crutches, the mast is higher by several inches at the transom than at the bow. Our bow mast support is just a few inches above our bow pulpit.

Hope this helps, Randy Graves M15 #407

D'oh! Close the hatch, dummy! I went out to my temporary driveway mooring and tried to raise the mast with the hatch closed, and sure enough, works like a charm. As Bugs Bunny would say: What a maroon! So much for "There are no stupid questions." Thanks for all your replies. I'll try to work things through a bit better before I bother y'all in the future. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= David W. Wood -=- dwood@woodatwork.com 1981 M15 -=- Hull #163