Z Spar mast corrosion and fixes?

[John Silver Rival 31]

Hello

I am looking at buying a small racing yacht that has a Z spar mast and boom around 10 years old, keel stepped, three spreader, fractional rig. Mast and boom supposedly dry stored for some years, but not washed down, halyards left in situ encrusted in salt, seems over time this caused electrolytic damage, see attached photos. One large hole next to halyard slot and pin holes elsewhere.

My question is - can this be repaired effectively by welding/sleeving/patching, or in view that it’s a racing yacht is it better and safer to replace with a new mast?

Thanks.

 

[greeny]

I'm sure that repairs could be effected to the corroded areas by plating/welding. How many areas are there? Is the damage confined to areas around the in mast fittings or is it dotted around all over? (this will give you a clue where to look). Corrosion could also be coming through from the internal of the mast or hidden by fittings and so all the damage may not yet be visible.
I would be thinking racing yacht, fractional rig, mast bending, high loads.
Unless it was only a few isolated areas that could be repaired, for me it would be a new mast.

 

[srm]

As Greeny said above.
However, also consider where you will be sailing? Should the mast fail could this lead to a loss of the boat or of life?
If you will only be sailing with club rescue boats in attendance then the risks are a lot less than sailing coastal or offshore.
Bottom line is that it's the Skipper/Owner's legal responsibility to keep the boat seaworthy and safe.

 

[Birdseye]

Avoid like the plague. Whilst masts do have a finite life its a lot longer than 10 years so something is seriously wrong here. Whats more you can only see the corrosion on the polished outside of the mast - how much thinning is there on the inside surfaces?

This issue is likely to be picked up by a surveyor and reported back - no insurance company will cover you on the mast as it currently is, and its difficult to see how it could be repaired at sensible cost.

Check replacement cost with Z spars and offer on the boat less that amount.

 

[savageseadog]

It's possible to check the thickness of the mast material with an ultrasonic meter.
I wouldn't rule out a repair, there is a fair bit of skill involved with welding aluminium, especially masts. It would be important to use the right filler for.

 

[Daydream believer]

What is the type of boat?
A 3 spreader keel stepped mast would not be that small. I would expect it to be on a boat of over 30 ft. with a sail area of 65 M2 plus. unless it is some sort of open decked job. In any event that mast is going to be highly stressed & subjected to a lot of flexing from the backstays & running backstays. I would discard it. Welding a few holes might miss some hidden internal corrosion.

 

[Blueboatman]

Factor a phone call to Zspars into the boat purchase

 

[John Silver Rival 31]

Thanks for all your replies. The consensus is clear; the risk of unquantified internal corrosion is just too high. I have also been in touch with Z Spars, who informed me they had already had their local agents inspect the mast at the request of the current owner, it was condemned and the clear advice from them to him was to replace it as repairs could not be relied upon.

Next step for me is to negotiate a fairly serious discount on the asking price, if that’s not well received then I will simply walk away….. a great shame if only the mast had been washed down and all halyards removed and moused it would be a very different position. Once again thanks for your help and advice.