Tom,My current Rhodes has IMF, but the 1st one I owned was a 1981 with the conventional rig.  On that boat I stepped the mast from the bow.  Stan's logic was that you were just about at the same height as the tabernacle, thus requiring a lot less effort than stepping it from the cockpit/stern.  The front lowers and upper stays were connected when stepping the mast.  No gin pole was needed.  On the other hand, the IMF gets stepped from the stern using a gin pole and the mast support system.
Don Simons, Old Forge, NY

On Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 07:32:16 PM EST, Tom Hyatt <thyatt at mica.edu> wrote:  
 
 Sorry. To clarify, I do not have a furling mast. 
On Sat, Nov 22, 2025 at 6:53 PM Donald Simons via Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:

 Hi Tom, Can you clarify if you have Inner Mast Furling, as this makes a big difference.
Don Simons, Old Forge, NY
    On Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 03:35:30 PM EST, Kenwood _ <kenwood364 at gmail.com> wrote:  

 I use a gin pole made from a bit of old sailboat mast, a few pulleys and a
crank. If you want to be safe, use stays either side! When im righting my
mast with friends we use the middle set of decktop stays to steady the
mast, but ive also seen people use dedicated tracks and such as well to
prevent the mast going either side.

On Sat, Nov 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM Tom Hyatt via Rhodes22-list <
rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:

> Hello Rhodes Owners:
>
> I had the misfortune to intersect my mast with a series of tree limbs while
> I was moving my boat to its winter quarters. No real damage occurred except
> for my Windex and mast light being severed from their homes. So I am forced
> to bring my mast down before next season to make the repairs.
>
> I have lowered and raised my mast before with a gin pole system I
> rigged up. My wife insists (and she is right) that I should get a proper
> Rhodes apparatus to make this easier and safer.
>
> So I am reaching out to you to see if you might have one for sale or know
> where I might be able to purchase one. (Or is there an improved system that
> you know about that you could share with me.)
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Tom Hyatt
> S/V Eliza Jane, 1978
> Baltimore, Maryland.
>