Broke My Mizzen - Ideas???

Dougal

Dougal

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After a severe uncontroled jibe a couple of years ago, followed by a botched repair, the Mizzen mast has given way completely. BIG time!!!! It's had it:(

It's a 30 year old boat. No insurance!!! :-(

I know next to nothing about replacing kit like that. Do 2nd hand masts generally come with spreaders or booms etc???

Boat is based in France, so really need to find one here. I know they exist, its just a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Being a sailor on a VERY tight budget and fixed income, this a major, major blow for me.

If anyone has ANY idea what I might expect to pay, I'd be most grateful. Even just a 'ball park' figure.

The mast was just shy of 8mtrs and the section was only about 10cm across. I don't expect I'll get anything to match the 'gold anodised' main mast, but I don't supose it matters too much.

Ho hum.... at least it happened at the END of the season;-) Still pretty *&^%$£"£$ depressed about it though.
 
Without a photo it's impossible to judge but masts mend surely. With standing rigging, spreaders, boom to think about I'd be hoping still to mend it, maybe by getting hold of a length of the same section from a rigger somewhere?
 
I'm not sure where you are in Brittany but whenever I'm there I always pop into this place
Accasti mer
Kernours 56700 Kervignac

Tel 02 97 812696

It's basically on the road from Hennebont to Port Louis

They have a big selection of second hand masts in the yard at the rear access is from a door in the main shop

We'll worth a look !
 
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You don't specify boat or mast - but assuming that it has an aluminium mast a replacement with spreaders will probably cost about €800, another €120 for new rigging.
You are probably best advised to purchase in France from ZDiffusion, 10 Avenue Louis Lumière, 17185 Perigny, France
+33 5 46 44 20 88 laRochelle.
The MD is Loic Gilbert, assuming you speak French as the receptionist gets flustered in English.
Your biggest problems are likely to be producing an accurate drawing and getting it shipped to Bretagne.
Going through a rigger will obviate the need to be technical and double the price, in France. UK prices will be considerably more than those in France with the possible exceptions of ZSpars UK and Sailspars, who purchase their sections from ZDiffusion.
 
garvellachs said:
Without a photo it's impossible to judge but masts mend surely. With standing rigging, spreaders, boom to think about I'd be hoping still to mend it, maybe by getting hold of a length of the same section from a rigger somewhere?
Click to expand...


I think the telling comment is that it's already a botched repair that is broken - in fact joining sections requires purpose-made internal joints. Usually the break is at a spreader base and that can be challenging. Of course the OP could have all timber spars, in which case we're all misleading him.
 
So... you started the season with a ketch... and ended the season with a sloop ?

Reminds me of Mr Baraclough... when he came into work as a cyclist, but went home as a pedestrian...
 
OP does not describe the damage to the mast in detail however my guess is as said that it is broken in the middle near the spreader bases. Now usually this kind of break bends the metal a bit at the break but a bit of judicious shortening can often give clean ends for a splice. The splice is done using a section of mast typically about 700 mm l0ong that will fit inside the broken mast. It does not have to fit closely but is cut into a horseshoe shape in cross section so that it can be sprung together to fit inside a close fit if not all round. Usually the gap is at the aft end. The two pieces are spliced togher using pop rivets Monel will be stronger but a dissimilar metal so i would go for ali but lots of them.
Make sure that the sections of original mast are butting against one another as this is where the load will be ie straight down.
Now I am assuming that the mast is set up with cap shrouds backstay and tiatic while the middle is supported with fore and aft inner side stays. Thse plus the spreaders should provide location for the middle of the mast so that all loads are just downwards. If the mast is not set up with positive middle and top location then it will be relying on inherent stiffness of the mast which will be far less with the splice.
A break can be treated similarly say up to a metre either side of middle. (but no kmore unless you can add stays at the break point.)
Of course in shortening the mast you may have to shorten stays and move gooseneck lower or cut doewn the mizzen sail. But I really think a new/ second hand mast will be far more trouble to set up.
Some years back I broke my main mast on the little boat mast about the same length. Insurance eventually came up with a new mast but I did sail (race) it for half a season with a splice like this and a permanent first reef in the main no problems.
good luck olewill
 
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Thanks for feedback so far. Been traveling back to UK, so only just seen replies. Got home today! NOT looking for repair info as mast is now scraped. Damage was mostly at spreader base (severe crush and tear damage), but also at two other places. Hence the lack of repair options. It was 'written off' by two French yards:(

Sorry about lack of info. Thought my boat was specified in my sig. (will rectify that). It's an old (1979) Beneteau Evasion 32 motor sailor. Both masts are single piece ali. Main mast is good with all new standing rigging. Evasions were fitted with a multitude of masts and spars during their production run.

My real query is whether I'm likely to find a complete mast/spreader/boom setup, or whether I'll need to source and match them individually?

I REALLY appreciate the specific info supplied thus far.... Gives me starting point at least.
 
I got a free mast from a yacht club once. Call a few boatyards - they may have some masts in their rack that date from boats that have since demised.
 
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