Hi Robbin - I was unsure about lowering my mast and I had posted a request for input from the group last year. Jerry responded and I have copied and quoted his response below. I was pretty nervous about doing this but just like Jerry indicated it was "easy as pie". I did replace the main sheet with a inexpensive utility tie-down rope. I purchased this from Home Depot just for this job. I have the original SS cables with clips that are used to attach to the triangular plates on the shrouds and then connects to the end of the boom. This forms the triangulation that stops the side to side sway. I do not have a roller furler. The 4:1 block and tackle of the main sheet works great. The whole operation was very controlled. No side to side sway. The ability to control the rate of the masts dissent is easy to control with the 4:1 block & tackle. I think the biggest problem we had was with the bolt that holds the mast to the base plate. once the mast was resting on the pulpit one of us had to "wiggle" the mast while the other backed the bolt out. This process took a few minutes. I have not raised the mast yet, but I anticipate similar circumstances on the way back up. Best of luck. Hope this helps. Please let me know if I can help with anything else Here is Jerry's response to my inquiry last year..... "We supplied the 23 with a device to raise/lower the mast, consisting of a pair of little stainless triangles in line in the shrouds, a few inches above the turnbuckles, and a pair of wires about 8' long that attach between the triangles and the boom. Lower the mast forward, onto the bow pulpit, by putting the boom in place, attaching the jib halyard to the end of the boom, triangulating the boom with the two wires, releasing the backstay, and controlling the mast/boom with the mainsheet as it lowers forward. Easy as pie". jerry Todd Bradley M-23 #86 -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Robbin Roddewig Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 8:40 AM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: M-23 mast raising advice. Hi M_boaters I have a reason for lowering the mast I just put up. Okay, okay, I let the halyard for the roller fuller half way up the mast hanging in a rather stupid move of taking a short cut on tying a knot. I blame myself... I have reconstituted the mast raising system that came with the boat. And am looking at having the spar shop help me lower the mast on Wednesday to retrieve the halyard. I would like any advice that can be passed along by those that have used the system on the M-23 or others. My understanding is the custom steel wire with clips ties into the plates on the upper shrouds and somehow tie into the end of the boom. The main sheet block and tackle is used to lower the mast after disconnecting the back stay. I have a roller furler on the front and plan to have a helper disconnect this from the bow and use the jib halyard as the fore stay. Possibly use a snatch block to be able to control the jib halyard as the mast goes up to keep it under control as it gets vertical. The furler seems like is would need to be moved out of the way as the mast comes down to the bow pulpit. I have a wood box that will fit over the pulpit to rest the mast on. And elevate the mast a bit. I believe that the main sheet will need to be replaced with about 60' of line? The 4:1 block and tackle of the main sheet works okay? The main hatch moved forward? Any other hints? Thanks Robbin