Collapsible mast assembly

Claim 1

In a sailboat having a mast and a boom, the improvement comprising: a mast support for supporting the lower end of said mast, said mast support including substantially rigid and immovable side and rear walls and a partial lower front wall but otherwise being substantially open at the front thereof, said walls being spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow said mast to be freely moved in a vertical direction into and out of said support, said rear wall being lower than said side walls and terminating in an upper edge which can support said mast for pivotal and slideable motion; a base plate secured to the bottom of said walls for mounting said mast support on the deck of the boat; means associated with said base plate and located within said mast support and cooperating with said mast to prevent lateral movement of the bottom of said mast relative to said base plate; means connecting the forward upper ends of said mast support side walls together; means carried on the outer surface of said mast support rear wall for securing the forward end of the boom thereto; whereby a mast supported in a vertical position by said mast support is lowered by first lifting the same slightly until the bottom no longer cooperates with said base plate and then tilting the mast backward where it rests and pivots on the upper edge of the rear wall as the bottom of the mast pivots upwardly above said partial lower front wall and through the opening at the front of the mast support.