Selden vs Zspars Mast

[paris]

I am on the verge of ordering a new mast for my 28ft yacht, its a fractional rigged unit. before I commit to it I would like to know peoples thought on the two mast companies? Selden has the quality reputation but is more expensive.

any comments on performance and cost etc i would appreciate. Im trying to make sure it get the best package for my pound.

 

[Bodach na mara]

About 30 years ago I broke the mast of my 28 foot Commando and got a kit from Z-Spars to replace it. I ordered it through a local rigging company, who were making the new stainless rigging, which turned out to be a good idea. On the whole it was a fairly simple and pleasant job putting the kit together and the rigger was great at giving advice when the (few) problems were met. Riveting was mostly done with a good quality pop riveting tool but there were a few larger rivets that needed a lazy-tongs tool for greater power and I got a loan of it free from the rigger.

 

[ithet]

Z Spars do not supply a slide through mast gate similar to the types Selden do. This can be a nuisance as it means sail slides cannot drop down to gooseneck level. It is not easily possible to make one either as there is only a small moulding around the mast track unlike the large internal web on the Selden masts. I find this a big problem on my 34 footer with cars for fully battened main.

 

[Daydream believer]

Have you considered weight of each mast & if a heavier mast has more aluminium in it & if that extra weight aloft will affect stability at all. Where are the mast tapered & if backstay is applied how will the mast react. ie what is the suggested pre bend & maxm bend that the manufacturer suggests. This bend becomes part of the sail design. If a sail can be flattened upwind it sometimes means a reef can be delayed in a gust.
How close is the spinnaker halyard outlet to the jib halyard. The 2 can get a bit tangled. Is the pole uphaul in the same place in each mast? How are the halyard exits organised. Are they at the heel on one & at the mast sides on another requiring mast foot blocks. Is there a tang for a fixed boom strut at some time?
Are there eyes on the mast by the gooseneck to keep reef lines aligned?

 

[tross]

Having had two boats with Z-Spars, I would go with Selden

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I've had boats with both Z-spars and Selden.
Selden mast are much better quality, and the rigger I use says everthing fits as it should do, and find them quite robust. the down side of Selden, is that they are a nightmare to deal with, they won't talk to the end user directly, you have to go through an approved rigger, and that can be a nightmare in it's own right. Selden spares are also very expensive. I found the best bet is to deal with AllSpars in Plymouth.

Z-spars a down a significant notch on Selden in quality, and I've had problems with the mast track at the goose neck, the metal retaining plate for the plastic slides was held in place by 2 set screws and taped into the aluminum extrusion. Over time the thread cut into then Aluminum, stripped, corrosion (SS set screws in aluminum) and the fact that the aluminum is very thin. when that happens all the slides fall out when lower the main. I found this very difficult to repair.
The second problem was the SS inserts where the "T" bar terminals hook into the mast. these cracked with metal fatigue.
On the plus side, Z-spars where supper helpful, you could talk to the man dispatching the spares and, they were reasonably priced.
On balance, if the cost isn't prohibited, I'd go with Selden, I think they produce more robust product.
I hope this helps.

 

[Arcady]

A few years ago I replaced a 45 year old Sparcraft mast and boom with Z Spars equivalents. Price was very reasonable and it did the job perfectly well. I’d probably make the same decision again.

 

[paris]

Thanks everyone, I better prime the old wallet for a hammering

 

[dankilb]

Don’t discount Sparcraft - Eurospars, the UK dealer, offer excellent customer service based on our recent experience (massive rig refit on a 41’). Z-spars didn’t really want to know, even when we were shopping for a new boom a quote couldn’t be extracted. Selden are obviously big guns, and therefore understandably insist all business/correspondence goes through one of their dealers/riggers.

Eurospars were the only distributor that’d actually deal with and help us out direct.

 

[Cspirit]

I have read the above with interest as I’m planning a new mast on my new-to-me LM27 motor sailor. Clearly, I do not need the same level of sophistication as the OP as my mast is very simple and, after all, the craft is a motor sailor. However, coming from my last boat, a Westerly Corsair, to this retirement boat, I do appreciate quality so I am very interested to learn of people’s experiences. More please!