Home Forums Forum Composite Mast … …

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    • #9975
      Oliver Shaw
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      <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>

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