Some complete idiot . . .

[webcraft]

. . . has stuffed a load of polystyrene packing chips up our mast.

I thought it was just a solid block at gooseneck height, but on poking this out I find it is full of these poxy chips at least as high as the steaming light.

The obviously don't go all the way up as the reason we are investigating is the incredibly irritating banging of the cables inside the mast when rolling gently at anchor. The problem point is above the steaming light, about two thirds of the way up. The intention is to try using pipe insulation pushed up around the cables from the bottom, but first we have to get the chips out. A Henry Hoover and a stick has got us about as far as the steaming light, but we have ecountered a bit of an impacted mass and gone beyond current stick range.

Hanging the mast from the yard crane is probably the answer, but it will have to wait a month or three as we are at the back and the crane can't get in.

SO why this post - just to say that if anyone else is thinking of filing their mast with polystyrene chips, DON'T - they won't fix the problem and they will cause a load of grief for someone some day.

grrrrrr . . .

- Nick

 

[Aja]

Nick

Why dont you take the mast head off and fill with chips from the top?

Problem solved.

Donald

 

[starboard]

Would have been far better using "Harry Ramsden's" varieties!!!

Paul.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

FWIW I have used pipe lagging now for 2 seasons and have been particularly happy with the results. The only downside is that having tie wrapped the foam in place the only way into the loom is to pull the whole lot through which means stepping the mast.

Something I wish I had thought out better as I need to bring my windcups down to fit a new pin (yes they are nasa, yes I should have bought something else). This time I will be fitting a socket and plug at the masthead for this purpose!

Still, I will most certainly stick with the insulation as I can't think of a better way to do it other than separate the wires and have a tube for each....

 

[kds]

I hope that they are closed-cell and not the normal open - or the absorbtion of water over time won't help your righting moment !
Ken

 

[guernseyman]

I found some polythene sheeting stuffed up my main mast as far as the spreaders. A drain rod with the helical end fitting was, gently, used to extract it while the mast was unstepped and laid along the boat. The pipe insulation I sent up the cables was effective to stop the slapping that the polythene didn't. I did all the work after dark so that my night-adapted eyes could see up the mast with the aid of a torch.

 

[webcraft]

erm . . .

I don't want my mast full of styrofoam, Donald . . . I'm trying to get them out.

Anyway, the top of the mast is welded on so there's no access.

One day one of the jobs I tackle during this refit will go smoothly . . . . /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

- Nick

 

[Aja]

Don't worry. I've just spent 4 hours wet and drying half the antifouling. At least its getting smoother. Arms like a gorilla.

Don't know what the guys in Kilmelford boat yard used to apply said antifouling but suspect it was a trowel.

Great day for it tho'

Donald

 

[stevebirch2002]

Hi Nick. When I was delivering a Vega from Holland I came to a bridge and seeing the Vega had a tabernacle system decided to lower the mast rather than wait for another 12 hours for the bridge to lift, you guessed it - The mast was full of the very small polystyrene balls that flew out and coated the canal! On another point when I tried to rewire my Vegas mast couldnt get the old wires out, phoned first owner who told me when he bought her new his wife complained about the mast noise so told the boatyard to fix it - they did by pouring a couple of cans of evostick down the top of the mast! Worked for 25 years but certainly couldnt get the wires out!....

 

[fisherman]

If there's nothing too delicate in there, you could try some solvent, but do a test first to see what the stuff turns into.

 

[Guest]

Petrol disolves a lot of poly's ..... but of course then you have a soup that you have to get rid off ... it also solidifies quite quickly as petrol evaps off ... you would also need a large amount ....

But I wouldn't do it - only mentioning that it is possible.

 

[Telstar26]

Had a similar problem with some brown foam halfway up my mast. Used a set of drain rods with that corkscrew tool on the end to destroy the foam and get the cables out.

 

[changeman]

<u>One day one of the jobs I tackle during this refit will go smoothly . . .</u>

Everyone loves an optimist???

 

[duncan]

yep - nothing like trying to beat the odds........... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[oldharry]

I once heard of a mast filled with polystyrene chips that after an electrical fault caught fire.....

..... must have been quite a sight!

 

[webcraft]

Yes, a polystyrene fire in a 30ft high chimney would probably be interesting . . .

SWMBO has just worked out that we might be able to get a hose in the top where the sheaves are, so we might try washing them out with water.

- Nick

 

[tome]

Been thinking

[ QUOTE ]
stuffed a load of polystyrene packing chips up our mast

[/ QUOTE ]

But where else would you stow your polystyrene chips? I thought about using them to pack out lockers, but realised that in no time the bilges would be choked.

On balance, I think I'd stow mine in the mast also and might fit a chute top and bottom so I can replenish and draw as required

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: Been thinking

if you've got access at the bottom a drain jetter with a 1/4" pipe and small head with rear facing jets would bring them out no probs.

 

[webcraft]

Re: Been thinking

Sounds good . . . but where on earth would I lay my hands on such an arcane object?

(Thinks . . . about to get LakeSailored??)

- Nick

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: Been thinking

You can buy drain jetting kits to go with pressure washers, but I doubt they would have enough flow to create the required venturi effect.
You'd have to talk to a drain cleaner or boiler pipe desacaler (although they work at enormous velocties and may blow the sides out of you mast). No a drain cleaner with a pump that produces about 3000 psi at about 6 gallons a minute (imperial, I'm sorry) would do the trick.