Replacement masts

[oak]

What is the latest developments for masts.
David has his carbon fibre and I have read of potential aluminium ones.
I have just replaced my South African mast with an Honor marine and I am finding it a bit too heavy to keep putting it up and down.
What is the cost of a fibre mas?
A question for Dennis.
When you raise your mast, do you pivot the bobstay down with the water stay rope with the mast attached, or do you support the bobstay and raise the mast with the genoa halliard
Oak

[Dennis]

Hello Jack

I agree the HM mast is a heavy beast (for us of limited stature and strength ).

It is probably me but I do not quite understand your question. This may be due to the terminology. When you say bobstay, do you mean the line from the cutwater (stem of hull at waterline) to the end of the bowsprit?

My method is to raise the bowsprit so that the "bobstay" is vertical. I tension the bobstay and the bowsprit shrouds in this position. I then use my double outhaul blocks ( attached to the yankee halyard) to raise the mast. Initially I raise the mast on my shoulder, taking up the slack on the outhaul blocks. For safety I wrap the outhaul line around the winch drum as I am raising the mast. It is still hard work, but at least I can do it single handed.

If I were sailing in an area which required regular mast raising/lowering I would certainly go down the carbon fibre route.

[oak]

Dennis,,the understanding of your method came to me whilst I was eating my cornflakes.ignore my question.
I didn't want to appear to ignorant and I was looking everywhere for this outhaul.
That is a tackle between your yankee and the bowsprit end which gives you some purchase when raising the Mast.correct?I will try that.
I couldn't quite figure that as there would not be room to fit it with the genoa,at least not permanently.but then I see you fancy the yankee.
when I came to put my mast in I found all sorts of snatch blacks for a racing drop but can't for the life of me how I used them.no doubt it will all come back.....
Had a glorious sail yesterday,flat calm to beam end in 2 minutes.You know all about the wind on lakes.
Jack

[oak]

Dennis,
still don't quite get it.
are these out haul blocks a permanent fixture.had a look at your pics.
Just went to have a look at my mast.I have a yankee bent on at the moment but no room for out haul.so just how does one rig it.
Kiss principle please
Jack

[Dennis]

Hello Jack

Yes they are a permanent fixture. I use them to tension the luff of the yankee or genoa. I have the halyard tied off at a cleat on the side of the tabernacle. Doing it this way freed up one of the clutches for use with my lazy jack/topping lift system.

There is loads of room when using the yankee, it is tighter with the genoa, but not a problem as long as I have the genoa almost as high as it will go.

I can only assume that the luff of your yankee is longer than mine!

02.jpg

[oak]

Dennis,
Shows how long I have been out of sailing can't even get the correct nomenclature.
Yes my yankee luff must be longer than Mary Anns.
still not quite get it.You must take a lead either from the out haul or the halyard back to the cock pit?so how do you save a clutch.
Is there any advantage with the out haul over the use of the winch? I can see the advantage for mast lowering as one can support the mast and haul away.
perhaps when you are taking more pics I could see the whole of the mast.
Jack

[Timbre 19]

Hello
I want to reduce the Torque when putting mast up and down, but do not want to throw the Mast away (almost new).
Imagine if you did the white peak of carbon instead? The joint is going to get stronger than the wood. Say 1 kg weight and 1 m long.
According to my calculations reduce the mast weight paltry 2 kg but torque is about 25%. Not so little.
Rigging and ropes course also be added but it does so on a Mast of carbon / aluminum too.
Wish opinions, I might have miscalculated.
Jörgen

[Timbre 19]

Hello again. Measured and weighed my Mast today:

1. Mast of Wood weighs = 18 kg. (Theoretically 19 kg when I made it (used 55 Clamps!).
Could be the density of Oregon pine that was lower in reality than 0.6 Kg / m3).

2. With Top, Varnish, Paint, Lantern, Cable, Fittings (but not rope and rigging) = 22 Kg

3. Total weight with all equipment to be standing = 30 Kg (All you must swing up).

Interestingly, from 18 Kg to 30 Kg in equipment.
Don´t know what a Carbon Tube weighs. Aluminium diam. 100x3 weighs 14 Kg (5.8m).
Expensive way? Dont´know, but beautiful varnish will be without.

Would Stay of Dyneema, lighter Blocks or the like to be something?
And a painted masthead of carbon or epoxy with integrated Hound? (See my post above).
The Top is the heaviest swing, the highest Torque. Together might do as much good as another mast material.
(I mean not the total weight but the the total torque, namely all you must swing up).

Wish comments. I think this is an important CC19 substance. / Jörgen

[Greybeard]

All very good points, Jorgen. It is surprising what a difference the rigging makes once it's added to the mast. It's generally not helped by the fact that the rigging necessarily hangs directly below the mast band as you lift the mast so will be exerting it's maximum leverage until the mast is nearer the vertical. I wonder what difference it would make if the running rigging was secured tightly along the mast, spreading the weight out.
The main problem I find when raising the mast alone, using just brute force is that no matter how you arrange the shrouds/rigging, something will always, without fail, snag on something when the mast is at the most inconvenient height and the snag is usually too far away for you to reach I try to keep a boat hook handy but holding the mast at 45 degrees whilst prodding with the boat hook is never easy.
Steve

[Timbre 19]

Thanks for the reply Steve.
Can not drop the subject swinging mast, and a lighter mast material is just a part of it all.
Is it possible to solve in an unconventional way that allows aging, weaker captain and an original mast? Some forbidden way but worth the try.

You purchase a 12V 2000lb (907Kg) winch for around 50 GBP. Make drum more compact, arranges a quick connection to the mast, and a loop on the mast foot.
Wire or ribbon. After use you send the winch through the Deck Hatch. And ignores the replicas from the environment!

Think you can handle a large number of mast swinging on a charge. Just at the beginning the power consumption is large.
And you can be nice to the Winch by helping with one hand, control in the other. Swinging down gets also easier I think,
and the Bowsprit can rest if you want.

Comments are requested / Jörgen