GP14 Sailing Forums Forum Composite Mast … …

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    • #9975
      Oliver Shaw
      Moderator

      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_7″>We have a moderately new member in my sailing club,  with a Mk2 composite boat.   </span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_9″>Having looked a couple of weeks ago,  with some concern,  at his mast while it was down for road towing,  when I happened to bump into him today as he was about to launch we got into conversation,  and I raised my concerns about the mast.</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_12″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_15″>The problem is that it appeared to be a badly repaired wooden mast,  complete with a number of butt joints,  albeit staggered,  which appeared to give the spar the bending strength of a spar of only about half its width.</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_19″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_22″>However it transpires that these joints are not structural;   what provides the strength is the aluminium pole up the inside  …  …</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_26″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_29″>The story is that he particularly wanted a wooden mast,  in keeping with the age of the boat,  but they are almost impossible to obtain secondhand,  and he tells me that a new one will now cost about £1,000.     That is about 300 more than the last price that I saw,  if memory serves correctly,  but in fairness I think that it may have been back in 2008/9 that I priced them;   at any rate it was several years ago,  so the increase over those years is not unreasonable.</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_33″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_36″>So,  he made his own mast;   starting with that aluminium pole,  and then cladding it in timber.</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_40″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_43″>An interesting approach,  although I am sure it is not in class.   But for non-racing that doesn’t actually matter.</span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_47″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_50″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_53″> </span></p>
      <p id=”yui_3_15_0_1_1475611692306_1814″ style=”margin: 0.1em 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; font-size: 13px;”><span id=”yui_3_15_0_4_1475611692306_56″>Oliver</span></p>

    • #9976
      Oliver Shaw
      Moderator

      Ugh!!

       

      Sorry about that formatting glitch.    What I intended to write was this:

       

      We have a moderately new member in my sailing club,  with a Mk 2 composite boat.

       

      Having looked a couple of weeks ago,  with come concern,  at his mast while it was down for road towing,  when I happened to bump into him today as he was about to launch we got into conversation,  and I raised my concerns about the mast.

       

      The problem is that it appeared to be a badly repaired wooden mast,  complete with a number of butt joints,  albeit staggered,  which appeared to give the spar the bending strength of a spar of only about half its width.

       

      However it transpires that those joints are not structural;  what provides the strength is the aluminium pole up the inside …   …

       

      The story is that he particularly wanted a wooden mast,  in keeping with the age of the boat,  but they are almost impossible to obtain secondhand,  and he tells me that a new one will cost about £1,000.    That is about £300 more than the last price that I saw,  but in fairness I think it may have been back in about 2008/9 that I priced them;   at any rate it was several years ago,  so the increase over those years is not unreasonable.

       

      So he made his own mast,  starting with that aluminium pole,  and he then clad it in timber.

       

      An interesting approach,  although I am sure it is not in class.    But for non-racing that doesn’t actually matter.

       

       

       

      Oliver

       

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