Splitting a one-piece dinghy mast into two

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followtheleader

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Hello all.

Wondered if anyone had experience of splitting a dinghy mast into two pieces?

I have a 14 foot Leader sailing dinghy (similar to a Wanderer), which I want to trail behind a hi-top campervan. Due to the height of the camper (2.6m) and the length of the mast, I don't much fancy trailing the mast in the usual way (ie resting on a mast support and extending up and over the tailgate).

One option is to attach J-brackets to the side of the camper and have the mast up there, away from the boat. But I sense that might feel a bit like jousting.

Another - I was thinking - might be to find a way of turning the one-piece mast into two pieces. I appreciate this might compromise the properties of the mast, but I'm only using the dinghy for pottering around inland lakes. I'm not racing it at all.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Grateful for any advice.

Thanks. Al
 
I have a two piece mast that came with an adventuress dinghy (Proctor designed mini Wanderer) many years ago. The mast was obviously a replacement and is a couple of foot longer than the original, more wanderer length. The mast has an insert in the bottom length that goes about 8" into the top part. It seems to be perfectly strong, certainly for the pottering we were doing though maybe not suitable for racing. I believe that there are some performance orientated dingys with split masts.
 
I put my dinghy masts on top of my van, remember the overhang can all be over the trailer so that you’re not ‘jousting’ out the front.
 
Is yours a wooden Leader mast or a later aluminium one?.. Aluminium I don't think you should cut that at all, it would seriously weaken the mast.
Wooden it would be possible to convert the mast to a gunter rig..
 
I have no idea if the measurements would fit but the Laser 2 came with a 2 piece mast. There are many dead laser 2s around and you might find a mast or even a whole boat for not many pounds.
However, I would agree with PeterV that sticking it on the roof will be easy and safe.
 
If you do decide to make it a two-piece mast, I'd definitely recommend picking up a 'new' (old) mast for the job.

Then if it doesn't work, (i.e. the boat doesn't sail properly with a divided mast) you can still go back to the mast you know works, once home.
 
Here's something I have been trying to get rid of for ages. I don't know if it fits but if it is of any use it is near Chichester.

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This may be of interest to someone building or rebuilding dinghy/small cruiser. It is a two piece wooden mast and a boom. Mast is 18'2" (5.5m ) and boom is 9'6". The only ironwork is the gooseneck. I may have a cotton mainsail that fits but would need to measure when the lawn is dry. Condition is old and suitable for restoration (no rot or cracks that I have found)
 
Assuming OP has an ali mast then a sleeve to make the join would be needed. I would add extra stays at the join to stabilise the middle where the join is. So intermediate side stays swinging aft from abeam the mast probably to standard chain plates plus an intermediate or inner fore stay or perhaps a diamond type jumper strut near the join. (pulling the join forward against intermediate side stays.)
it will be essential; to keep the whole joined mast straight and in column. ol'will
 
oldbloke said:
I have no idea if the measurements would fit but the Laser 2 came with a 2 piece mast. There are many dead laser 2s around and you might find a mast or even a whole boat for not many pounds.
However, I would agree with PeterV that sticking it on the roof will be easy and safe.
Click to expand...
A Laser 2 mast? That's a thought. I used to race Laser 2s with my father back in the 90s. We had a devil of a job keeping the thing upright in a strong breeze (compared with the Leader which seems almost impossible to tip). I might see if I can compare the lengths etc. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
The Q said:
Is yours a wooden Leader mast or a later aluminium one?.. Aluminium I don't think you should cut that at all, it would seriously weaken the mast.
Wooden it would be possible to convert the mast to a gunter rig..
Click to expand...
Yeah, the integrity of the mast is definitely a concern. And I have the later aluminium type.
 
It to me is a no go, how long is your camper van, compared to the mast?
I would a look at getting a wooden leader mast and adapting that. There are probably a few kicking around for peanuts as people upgraded to Alli
 
Ha, , just went outside to walk the dog, and realised something....
Tomorrow I need to tow my boat to the sailing club..
Problem,
The boat is now on a 3ft keel, hull and cockpit depth, 2ft 6inches, trailer bed above ground 14inches
That's a total of 80 inches..
Landrover height 77inches

At the end of this road is a hump backed bridge large diameter concrete pipe with a single track road over it.
There's another of those a mile or so further on.
And about 5 miles further on there's a full blown hump backed bridge.
Boat is 16 ft long
Landrover is 15ft 7 inches long....
Alli mast is 23ft long.
So either way I have around 7 ft of overhang. Today I urgently need to find a way of propping up the mast at one end by maybe 3 ft.
 
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2 trips, one for the boat and one for the mast! No way I would cut an ali mast, thats bonkers and very dificult to engineer correctly without substantial sheathing, ask any structural engineer.
 
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Well, my problem solved itself,
A Landrover has the forward downward slope above the driver's cab.
Tied down mast firmly on foam to that.
Front end actually the foot of the mast , sticks out in front of the bonnet by about 2ft, tied side to side to the bull bar not much downwards pressure. Top of mast is now 3ft above the boat on its trailer. At the Rear of the Landrover the mast is tied side to side with just enough downwards pressure to stop it bouncing.
 
seumask said:
2 trips, one for the boat and one for the mast! No way I would cut an ali mast, thats bonkers and very dificult to engineer correctly without substantial sheathing, ask any structural engineer.
Click to expand...
Any yacht mast over 40ft will be sleeved, because that's the biggest extrusion available.
The loads on a dinghy mast are much smaller. Lasers use an unstayed 2-piece mast.
I don't think it's as big a problem as it might appear.
 
If its for pottering about - why not just go for a shorter mast setup ... that would mean less playing about with reefs / sails etc. -

I've always liked Gaff / Gunter rigs for the lack of mast lengths etc.
 
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