Mast Refit

[aitchem]

Hi,
Managed to get my mast on the patio.
I am ready now for a full inspection and refit, it's a new mast, but 15 years old and never been used/finished off/fitted.
Can someone point me to links/ good books on getting it ready/ things I can do for future upgrading etc.
All the sheets etc are green and soggy with mould and need replacing.
The tricolour is corroded inside, so I will be going for a Lopo LED.
The coax cable is grotty....etc etc.
The standing rigging has been tensioned, but never used, so I am in a dilemma whether to replace that.

thx
Howard

 

[CreakyDecks]

I bought new halyards then just out of interest I tried washing the old ones. As they were green and rock hard I didn't have high hopes, but they came out like new!

 

[Mishoo]

What did you wash your halyards in? Mine are green.

 

[William_H]

Standing rigging

I am inclined to suggest replace the standing rigging. Or at least only give it another few years.
This may seem absurd as it has never been used. However my experience with little training boats was that despite being on the boat for perhaps 30 hrs per year and being stored in a shed the wires still began to let go after 15 years. Now I think smaller wires like these are more susceptible than larger wires (1X19 in each case) I think your wires must still be regarded as 15 years old.

Setting up the mast will require basic metal working skills. I have done it quite a few times.
You need accurate dimensions of all distances for fittings. Is the mast the correct length? Or are you going to use it as is? Are the shrouds the correct length for your boat. If they are to be shortened with new fittings on the bottom then that may increase the life of the wire. failure is usually at the bottom fitting.
Do you have to fit spreaders? If so do you know the position as this will usually dictate length of inner sidestays. if it is a masthead rig also dictates length of inner forestay if you need one.

You will need to open up the track somewhere above the gooseneck. I found this easiest done with stout multigrips and you fatigue the Ali after cutting across to define limits of slot. Others have been able to bend open the track enough without cutting metal.

Do you have a mainsail? This will dictate the position of the gooseneck. Unless you are going for one of those slide up and down goosenecks use on smaller boats.

Do you have a tabernacle of some sort on the boat and will be mast base fit into it. Unless the mast is really big I would suggest from the start you set up for self lowering and raising.

Give us some more ideas of what sort of boat and if the mast is designed for the boat. olewill

 

[merlin3688]

If we know the type of yacht then I am sure we can help you further, as has been said a check on the correct mast for the boat first and also that all the fittings are put in the right place. If the standing rigging has not been used I think you do not need to replace however a rig check by a rigging company would be best, any brown stains around the top of the swage terminals could indicate a broken or damaged wire. Hope this helps.

 

[aitchem]

Thanks,
Looks like I will have to work out my own workflow/preferences with regard to layout.
I will be single-handed most of the time.
The foresails are hanked on, I was thinking of having 2 forestays, so I can have 2 sails at the pullpit ready to go.
My other thought was to put a winch on the Mast, making reeefing the main easier.
I have been in the situation of having to tension the mainsheet with my foot while trying to get the gringle on.
The others can go to the cockpit, I think.
Not sure what to do with the Spinnaker stuff yet, never used one.

I will be washing the existing sheets, but they will be domoted to secondary roles.

Howard

 

[ianat182]

Before you remove any af the old wiring or halyards make sur you attach mouse lines to them - and that you withdraw them and fit the eyes/captive shackles etc on the correct original way they were fitted. Fishing line can be sewn into the ropes rather than knotting to them to enable them to be threaded past pulleys.


ianat182

 

[Tranona]

Probably worth buying running rigging in bulk and making up yourself. You can splice it but you can also use the halyard knot (details on the Selden site).

If you are single handed most of the time then consider taking halyards and single line reefing back to the cockpit. Schematics for doing this can be found on the Barton site. Would be unusual to keep hanked on sails unless you are really keen on racing and don't mind dashing backwards and forwards to change sails - but a furling genoa is now almost universal. You can still rig an inner forestay to take a storm jib if required. Key to successful single handed sailing is ease of operation, particularly sail handling.

 

[merlin3688]

If fitting an inner forestay to a masthead rig make sure you keep the wire near the top of the mast, say about a foot down, if lower then that then jumpers (forward facing spreaders) or running backstays may need to be fitted. Single line reefing can be fitted to an existing boom, as mentioned Barton do a system but also Seasure do a back to back block that can be fitted inside the boom, look at Selden or Sailsap web sites and you will find drawings showing how this all works. A winch pad on the back of the mast works for slab reefing although if sailing single handed you do not want to go up to the mast to reef especialy in windy weather.

 

[npf1]

A book called The Riggers Apprentice by Brian Toss is an excellent reference on this topic. About £30 on Amazon.

 

[William_H]

Rigging

I don't think 2 forestays is a good idea as inevitably one will take the strain and the other with the jib will go slack. I disagree about furling headsail as when single handed you should anticipate wind increase and go for smaller jib anyway. But I know most UK sailors disagree.
Reefing is far better done from the cockpit. Use halyard winches. Use rope at the tack rather than a hook.
I prefer 2 line reefing rather than single line but if you go single line and it doesn't work it is not much trouble to go 2 line reefing.
I guess it is already determined if the boat has mast head rig with big genoa or fractional rig with small jib big mainsail. good l;uck olewill

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Have you any stainless steel fixtures on the mast?
If so examine well. If they are load bearing it may be advisable to replace or seriously examine for hairline cracks.
If stainless steel fixtures have bubbles of corrosion around the surface joins to the alloy mast, then you may have a weakness there, where the fitting should be removed to plate up before refitting the part.

My mast on my present boat needed much work done on it where stainless fittings were not segregated from the alloy by tape or paste and the two dissimilar metals then react and the 'weaker' alloy gets eaten away.

An inner forestay for putting on a storm sail could be advisable if you intend extended cruising etc, for you never know when you'll get caught out on a long sail.
Take advice from a local and experienced rigger if the books don't answer you questions satisfactorily.
An inner forestay must also have a deck pad under the deck to strengthen the boat if put there, otherwise it could be attached to the aft end of the steelwork around the forestay if theres room. Photos will help.
A device for putting the inner stay on and off quickly advisable e.g a high field lever, will help.

 

[merlin3688]

Duralac is best and used by most mast suppliers. Called Duralac Jointing Compound.

Anti corrosive jointing compound. Inhibits electrolytic corrosion between dissimilar metals. Ideal for masts and aluminium structures.

 

[Seajet]

The reason William H is advocating changing the standing rigging is that stainless steel doesn't just 'work harden' through use, it 'age hardens' too...

It would pay the OP to spend some time on similar sized boats to form some ideas on layouts etc, if not done already.

I prefer separate headsails, though the Frigate 27 ( Sadler design actually 26' ) is about as big as I'd go without having to opt for a roller - which I dislike due to reliability & sail set; largely depends on whether the OP already has headsails, but there'll still need to be provision for a separate storm jib.

 

[aitchem]

Thanks folks,
I will be changing the standing rigging.
The sails are brand new and inherited, being a purist, I don't like roller foresails anyway, the shape doesn't look right.
However, it could be a future option to go roller should I get lazy.

Not having found a decent philosopy on running rigging layout, I will start with a "conventional" layout and through continuous development and observation, will arrive at an ideal somewhere along the line.

thx
Howard

 

[Poignard]

Have you any stainless steel fixtures on the mast?
If so examine well. If they are load bearing it may be advisable to replace or seriously examine for hairline cracks.

Sound advice! The tang at my masthead to which the forestay attaches was cracked half way across.

 

[Seajet]

Aitchem,

in the unlikely event it may be of use, I've found this layout works, my lines led aft go as follows, starting from port outer going to starboard;

Main halliard
Spinnaker / spare headsail halliard
Topping lift
Clew Outhaul

Reef 1
Reef 2
Pole uphaul
Jib halliard

All reefs & control lines, mast sheaves ( double with line inbetween ) & deck organisers are ball bearing, which I recommend, really helps.

I could really do with at least 1 more line each side, as reef 3 ( never used it yet ) has to be rigged if things are looking dodgy, and pole downhaul is to the foredeck via a purchase to a foredeck cleat - though that works well in practice for cruising with poled out genoa or casual racing kite.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Twizzle rig...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_k8Pt3bJ9s
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MFuJlGTok8&feature=related

Can also be used on a run with two foresails using the second forestaynif you don't wish to have two sails stitched together or don't have a second groove on the forestay.