Wood or Aluminium for a new mast?

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machone

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The time is fast approaching when I have to make a decision on a new mast. Previously she has always had a wood hollow square section mast. I thought of going for a new aluminium mast but after getting a couple of quotes from firms who didn't understand what I was after I am tempted to stick to wood. My main reason for wanting to switch to Al was the weight saving and ease of maintenance, plus being able to route halyards in the mast. It is a deck mounted mast of 9m with one set of crosstrees, 4 inner shrouds, 2 outer and 2 backstays. It will be raised and lowered by us several times in a season. I am more concerned with strength and durability than with performance - by a long way.

Which will be best?
 
Carbon fibre?
It's established technology now, and the weight saving would make lowering it much easier.
It might be interesting to find out what it costs.
 
If you are taking it down several times during the season there is no best.

Wood is probably the strongest, if well maintained. It is also the heaviest and most labour intensive.

But I'd go for aluminium.
 
Wood is actually more resistant to bending. So better for mast that is lowered a lot. At least in Holland they prefer wood, I hear.
Moreover alu section can be easily damaged when a skin collapses, is dented, pushed into (however I should call it?) so a thick wall should be used for lowering spar. As for weight - depend on construction, wooden section can be smaller diameter than alu for same strength.

I had small boat for inland that had alu mast designed for frequent lowering - wall twice more thick than could be "enough" for it, but this was designed to prevent damage. Not lighter than wooden ones... Alu spars as are used typically on sea boats tend to be lighter than wood but weaker, more easily dent. So the weight of spar cannot be so easily compared, only after design is calculated. Now got sea boat with alu masts in tabernackles, meant for lowering. Boy, are they thick and heavy... nice to have possibility but I have no intention to take them down actually :o

With glued wooden mast quality of construction is most important. In Holland surely you can find it. I would go for wood, same as original, to keep the original proven design. But then maintenance.
 
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I was set on a wood gaff rig when looking at Crabbers but having looked at an older Cornish Yawl with 4 year old Collars replacement masts that had needed the rotten base of the mast and mizzen to be chopped out with new wood put in I wasn't so keen. I wouldn't of thought this is the norm with Collars masts by the way, a business wouldn't last long if they were all like that! Maybe down to preparation of the masts by owner from new!!

The boat broker runs a well known wood boat restoration business so he was able to tell me about the different woods, glues etc used by differing manufactures. As well as other areas one of the commonest problems is water ingress from the "cone" at the top which is difficult to detect. This cone (sorry don't know the correct term) is fixed/glued on seperatley and is known to comes away all together. Other gaff owners warned me about water ingress getting into the hollow masts from various places and the cost of replacement. I was happy to get ali masts in the end to avoid potential replacement costs but ultimately it wouldn't put me off getting wooden masts. I think if they are maintained properly they should last years. Smaller gaff rig boats say 22' and under are easy to maintain and are not a worry mostly as they are not hollow.

Aluminum isn't bullet proof of course, it's OK when new but will deteriorate over time largely through electrolysis of fasteners and fittings. My 15 year old ali mast was checked over by the manufacturer a couple of years ago with a few things needing attention.

i.e.
replacement pins from corroded spreader, masthead light posts, sheaves, mastbase pin etc
 
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Yup, water ingress is main issue. Top section should not be made hollow, no problem to fill it with wood inside for a feet or such. Drain holes must be provided - I remember a racing yacht here that lost mast as this hole got dirty so rainwater settled inside at base. Wood must be treated for rot! Somehow seldom done, but I cannot understand it.
And it's simpler to make a mast solid, with light wood (spruce) not so much difference in weight really as solid wood can be smaller section. For any boat other than a light racer this has much to recommend.
But this would be considered not "yachty".

P.S. The obvious - like that you could take nice straight tree trunk, use the heart of it which is strong, resistant, having all fiber perfectly lined for the job already (much better than in any glued, only some planing necessary) and so the "high quality spar builder" is left without work - perhaps better be kept quiet... ;)
 
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Depends on how much you like mast maintenance.

Wood and ally have different characteristics. I suspect, but dont know for sure, that a wood mast might well be a bit lighter than an ally one. Certainly the need for stays will be different - no way would you need the collection you mention for an ally mast.

Its usually easier to replace like with like since this does not require a re-design.
 
Thank you for your replies. It looks as though a new wooden mast is the way to go then. I had spoken to selden but they came up with a 'racing' rig which this boat is REALLY not suited for, unless racing with the same type(there aren't many about now)! Also very interesting to hear your thoughts Rossynant on damage to the mast when down. I'm sure there are some good wood spar makers around here but they hide!
 
I like the DIY option but wouldn't know where to start in getting hold of the right tree.....yes, the forest would be a good place to start...
 
There's plenty on the web about wooden masts and spars - and lots of experience of building hollow ones. Here's a link to some interesting pages on the subject < http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/06/howto/birdsmouth/index.htm >

Do bear in mind that a skilled wooden mast builder can, these days, use GRP/carbon/Kevlar tapes to provide extra strengthening and resistance to impact damage where wanted while modern epoxy resins, used to saturate the surface fibres of the wood, can protect against moisture ingress.
 
Start with a plastic plumbing pipe of an appropriated diameter and laminate all round with epoxy and carbon fibre. Paint it with grain showing so people think its timber!
 
Many years ago, I had a boat with a 28ft wooden mast; it was a pain in every way; it was later replaced with a aluminium mast, what a relief in terms of weight, maintenance, less stays, easier to lift and drop and also looked much nicer, in my opinion.
 
It's not that difficult to make a wooden mast.

My dad made mine, but I remade the boom by the same method.

The section is shown below. We were going to make it square, but Ewing McGruer showed us this way. Plane all four corners off, leave one like that for the track, and plane the others round.

It is not difficult to find timber. Good builders suppliers (I used Ridgeons in Saffron Walden) have softwood which is spruce. Choose bits with as few knots as possible. Drill out and plug the knot holes. Scarph bits together to get the right length (stagger joints on the four sides). I routed out channels to make the hole on the middle round, but you could leave it square. Glue and clamp two pairs of sides, and when they have set glue the two halves together. (I would put a plastic conduit in for wires etc. - not thought of back in the sixties.)

Looks great. Yours sure isn't going to fall down with all that rigging on a not very tall mast.

View attachment 29827
 
machone said:
I'm sure there are some good wood spar makers around here but they hide!
Click to expand...

Its a long way off but you could try Ian Richardson in Stromness Orkney. He is a very good traditional boat builder. As well as making masts for his own builds he made a replacement mast for a heavy displacement traditional gaff rig a couple of years ago. He is also quiet and does not look for publicity other than an occasional trip down to the wooden boat stand at SBS. Incidentally, he recently built a boat for a Dutch gentleman who will use it in Switzerland!
 
There is no doubt in my mind that an Ali mast will be superior to wood in all respects. You would only fit a wooden mast if you wanted authenticity.
Don't be afraid of the concept of racing mast. Racing is just sailing to most of us and when not racing we still want to go well.
Contrary to another poster your stay set up would be fine for ali mast. You do not however need 2 backstays. Just have one down to a bridle (forked) to the 2 backstay chain plates. 4 intermediate side stays is quite good and makes tacking the jib easier than one intermediate (baby) forestay however you then have to loosen 2 intermediate forward sidestays to lower the mast.
I would think an ali mast as easy or easier than wood. Certainly not susceptible to damage while lowering. The mast base or tabernacle is however but same for wood.
You will need in addition to the mast section itself. Spreaders pulley boxes for halyards stay attachments etc.
I second the suggestion you at least look at carbon fibre for mast. Less weight means better righting power and lighter for lowering.
I have fitted a carbon fibre boom (an old broken mast piece) It is about half the weight of the old boom. I love it.

OP hasn't said if it is a mast head rig or fractional. If a fractional then aft swept spreaders and no forward mounted intermediate stays might have attractions. Again racing rig is not a bad thing provided it doesn't have running backstays. good luck olewill
 
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