Abstract: The mast of a sailboat is provided with a base casting rigidly secured to the bottom of the mast. A hinge member in the form of a socket is pivotally mounted to the rear of the mast base casting. The socket is adapted to fit over a rounded bearing pad of low friction material mounted to the top of a mast step which is secured to the hull or to a cross bar in the case of a catamaran. The hinge member and mast step are provided with transverse bores. When the mast is in a lowered position, the hinge member is swung forwardly from the mast base and over the bearing pad until the transverse bores are aligned. A pin is placed in the aligned bores to temporarily couple the hinge member to the mast step so that the mast can be raised and secured while the hinge member and mast step are coupled together. After the mast is secured, the pin is removed from the bores to permit the mast to rotate and to rake freely under operating conditions.