I can step my Nite mast by myself. First, I take the boat off of the bucks so it is sitting on the ice. I then put about 25 lbs of lead in a bag and hang the bag from the halyard catch on the mast. Make sure the bag hangs to the same side of the hull as is the tip of the mast. (If you can figure out a way to tie the bag to the mast at a lower spot that would be better as it will give you more leverage). Then walk the mast up as I normally would making sure that that I keep pressure on the forestay as I raise the mast. The weight of the lead will be just heavy enough to keep the ball of the mast in the step. I am 6 feet tall with long arms. If you are shorter than I you may need to use more lead. I also point my boat just a bit off the wind so that once the mast is up the wind will help keep the mast upright as I move to the lee side to attach the side stay. 

Mike Bloom #535

One is to use a short piece of line or shock cord with S hooks attached to both ends. With the mast laying down and the ball positioned over the mast cup, wrap the shock cord over the ball and attach both S hooks to the holes in the mast cup track. This holds the base of the mast fairly steady while you carefully lift the mast to the upright position. If all goes well and the shock cord is the right length the ball should find it's way to the cup as you raise the mast.

A second, quicker, but slightly more exciting way, is to simply wedge the ball against the bolt/nut that holds the mast cup in the track and the deck, outside of the track/cup assembly. You need to keep some pressure on the base/deck interface as you raise the mast so it doesn't slide away on you. Once it's up you lift the mast and place it in the cup. This takes a little practice to get the technique down but it does work.

Tom Sweitzer #272

I use pure muscle, attach the for stay and one side stay, pick up the mast and set it into the cup and walk it up into position, once it's up keep tension on the non-attahced stay and walk it into place and attach it. This problem could be solved it the maststep post was on the deck like most other iceboats.

Dustin Whitehorse

1) Adjust all stays to the loosest setting.
2) Place boat chocks directly on the ice after attaching the plank so it is as low as possible.
3) Attach forestay and one sidestay.
4) Lift mast up and set mast base against hull socket while keeping mast tight against forestay.
5) Slowly raise mast until past vertical.
This works for me. I am 5'9" tall. Taller people will have an easier time.

Tom Austin

I'm tall enough that I've done it myself - best with no wind. Not easy, but doable... But I saw someone do it while standing on his platform trailor. Best done with wind at your back - blowing toward boat - so it helps keep it up when making the final shroud connection.

Brett Larson #37

When I had a Nite, I would wrap a long and strong bungee cord around the base of the mast, run it underneath the hull, back up to the mast step, and attach its hook to one of the holes in the mast step. If you wrapped it around the right way, the force applied to the mast base would counter the mast's tendency to pop out of the step. So, assuming you are raising the mast with the help of the wind (wind at your back as you raise the mast), you would run the bungee cord from the upwind side of the hull, then underneath the hull, then attach it to the step on the downwind side. Once the mast is up, it's pretty easy to walk over to the downwind side-stay and connect it.

Charlie Guttenberg (former owner #131)

The best trick I have found is to get better leverage by standing on the trailer while stepping it. Can't say why it works, but it makes it easier. The technique I am using means I am lifting with by back hand, and using my front hand to hold the base of the mast into the cup.

Mark Prange #550