New mast cost

Hacker

Hacker

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I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version.
 
I'd suggest far far more than justifiable. Unless you were to sell the in-mast furling or swap it with a Moody 40 owner who has slab and wants in-mast.

Perhaps you could fit a slab furling sail to a track riveted over the in-mast furling aperture. Use a loose footed main like the racing boys and you hardly need to modify the boom either.

Whatever you do, I'd ensure it was reversible because as time creeps on I'm sure you'd find in-mast furling more and more appealing, plus it would increase the likely resale value.
 
Instead of guess work & irrelevant replies , would it not be more accurate just to ring up a mast supplier & ask for a budget quote?
A sail maker will quickly give you a price for a range of sails
Guess £ 3-4 K for rigging, or ask a local rigger for a budget
Then you add yard costs for haulout etc & you have a fair idea
 
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Don't forget to allow for the fair few mast base blocks, deck organisers, and clutches you'll need to handle the additional lines that slab reefing involves as well as the cost of fitting them, which may involve headlining removal to fit backing plates etc.

I very much doubt such a conversion makes any economic sense whatsoever versus putting the conversion cost into your purchasing budget and increasing to range of boats you can consider with that substantially increased budget.
 
Hacker said:
I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version.
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It's a big job! I'd suggest you prepare yourself for a quote in the region of £15K.
 
Hacker said:
I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you should just find an example with slab reefing.
 
£15k to £20k. Reusing the antennas is hardly going to make a difference ;)

Try the in-mast furling (if it's a good one, not some prehistoric on-mast furling), or find another boat.
 
Agree the 315-20k estimate.
For roughly a quarter of that you could have the existing system checked over and possibly minor replacements and a new high tech sail! Presumably the rig has been on the boat for the last 20 years plus, so why would it not be satisfactory?

Suspect you will find the majority built will have in mast so finding one without an for sale may be a bit of a struggle.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Helpful at many levels! I'll either need to decide that inmast is ok (been on a boat that had a major jam in heavy weather) or hold out for one that has slab reefing.
 
Hacker said:
I'm considering a Moody 40 which has in-mast furling. I'd prefer to have a slab reefed version. Can anyone suggest a ball-park cost to replace the rig. I'm assuming it should include mast, boom, rigging and mainsail. I'm assuming that I will be able to reuse antennas, etc (if they are serviceable). I just want to have an idea of what the additional cost would be if I'm unable to find a slab-reefed version.
Click to expand...

I sailed quite a few miles on a Catalina 42 with in-mast reefing, but it also had a full length sail track fitted just to one side of the in-mast aperture. Club level and "cruising division" ocean racing. We avoided carrying a trysail as per ocean racing rules as the in-mast could at any time be used deep-reefed.

For racing a conventional battened mainsail went up the side track, leaving the in-mast mainsail rolled up in the mast. For cruising or in heavy weather the battened on-track sail got stowed and the in-mast mainsail got used. It was actually not a bad setup. There ought to have been a port-starboard difference in aerodynamics between tacks with the track sail, but the small amount the luff was off-centre did not seem to matter much on a mast that size.
 
Daydream believer said:
A big disadvantage of in mast is the weight up the mast.
I have seen a Sadler 29 where the owner was able to remove it & he claimed a big improvement on several aspects.
Is this possible with some larger masts?
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I wopuld have thought that proportionately though, it would be worse on a smaller, light displacement boat. The furling spar itself will be pretty much the same dimensions so no real differencxe and most of the weight is lower down where the sail is larger so the taller mast will only have a minimal effect. The overall weight will be more of course but set against a much bigger displacement weight and amount of ballast I would expect the larger boat to swallow it with less noticeable side effects.
 
What about getting supersize slugs that work with the existing slot to convert the mast to slab?

Bit of fabrication here and there could sort you. Might even be able to attach a new overlay to the existing slot to take standard slugs.
 
jac said:
I wopuld have thought that proportionately though, it would be worse on a smaller, light displacement boat. The furling spar itself will be pretty much the same dimensions so no real differencxe and most of the weight is lower down where the sail is larger so the taller mast will only have a minimal effect. The overall weight will be more of course but set against a much bigger displacement weight and amount of ballast I would expect the larger boat to swallow it with less noticeable side effects.
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The furling section would be much larger as it takes a much larger sail. Furthermore the furling section has to be parallel so the extra size at the bottom is carried all the way up the mast. The furling rod is much longer & has to be thicker to accept the torque over a greater length.
I would also point out that at all times the sail is fully up the mast so in reefed state the sail stays in the mast.
With slab reef part of the sail comes much lower down the sail. I know from experience how many crew it used to take to carry our mainsail ashore on a large boat so the weight is not insignificant

I was looking at some masts in Oysters yard & I would ( from memory) suggest that the in mast reefing adds 40% extra to the weight of the mast.
Those with in mast might like to confirm/deny if this is accurate or not & I would bow to their greater knowledge. However, There is a weight penalty whatever one says
 
Daydream believer said:
The furling section would be much larger as it takes a much larger sail. Furthermore the furling section has to be parallel so the extra size at the bottom is carried all the way up the mast. The furling rod is much longer & has to be thicker to accept the torque over a greater length.
I would also point out that at all times the sail is fully up the mast so in reefed state the sail stays in the mast.
With slab reef part of the sail comes much lower down the sail. I know from experience how many crew it used to take to carry our mainsail ashore on a large boat so the weight is not insignificant

I was looking at some masts in Oysters yard & I would ( from memory) suggest that the in mast reefing adds 40% extra to the weight of the mast.
Those with in mast might like to confirm/deny if this is accurate or not & I would bow to their greater knowledge. However, There is a weight penalty whatever one says
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm sure there is a weight penalty - just as there is with a furling Genoa. There seems to be general acceptance of the latter. :rolleyes:
 
Daydream believer said:
........I was looking at some masts in Oysters yard & I would ( from memory) suggest that the in mast reefing adds 40% extra to the weight of the mast.
Those with in mast might like to confirm/deny if this is accurate or not & I would bow to their greater knowledge. However, There is a weight penalty whatever one says
Click to expand...


Plus the mast cannot be bent to tune the sail, which wrecks much of the point of a fractional rig.
Plus the flat cut sail is underpowered in light weather
Plus you lose sail area
Plus you lose stability - otherwise known as the ability to carry sail.
Plus the more it blows the more serious the problem gets
Plus it looks a bit rough...

.....and into the bargain you stand a chance of it not coming down when you want it to.

Apart from that, well ok.
 
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