Mast spreaders

brettgoldstone · Feb 10, 2009

There are definitely rods crossing the mast at that point.
Brett

________________________________
From: vegatern vegatern@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 8:00:15 PM
Subject: [AlbinVega] Mast spreadersA previous owner injected my mast with expandable foam. I have
been successful in clearing the foam from the base up to the spreaders
but am not making progress beyond that point. It is possible that I
have packed wires and foam into a mass at that point, which I should
be able to work past in time. It is also possible, or probable, that
there is a compression post in way of the spreaders, in which case I
am reluctant to be too aggressive. Could someone who has had a
clearer view, tell me what is inside the mast at the spreaders? Thanks.
Craig

j.hunter9999 · Feb 11, 2009

Second the info on the spreaders. Is there a reason you're attempting
to pull out all the expandable foam? If you are trying to run
something through the mast, there may be other alternatives.

Either way, good luck. I have foam in my mast as well. I was going
to pull it out to run electrical for the anchor light and pull the
halyards through the mast. But I though better of the idea and worked
with the foam in place. For clarification, the foam in my mast is not
blown or expandable.

Jack
V2620

brettgoldstone · Feb 11, 2009

There are solvents (e.g. acetone) that dissolve foam. Messy though. You are right about the trapped water being a problem of weight and corrosion.
Brett

________________________________
From: vegatern vegatern@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:14:12 PM
Subject: [AlbinVega] Re: Mast spreadersHi Jack,
I discovered some time ago that the foam was trapping rain water,
which I can't imagine is good for the mast, and Although dry foam
probably would not add significant weight, soggy foam certainly must,
and not where it would benefit the boat's performance.
Since I can not reach the foam above the spreaders from the base of
the mast I am considering drilling a 2 inch hole in the mast cap and
extracting it from there, capping the hole with a plate when I'm done.
I wouldn't think a round hole in the cap would weaken the mast, but
am open to suggestions.
Craig Tern 1519

bbach1949 · Feb 12, 2009

There are two compression connections between the spreader bases on the old Proctor masts. You should be able to dissolve the foam with acetone and flush it out. When I bought my Vega many years ago, I found that a previous owner had tried to stop the masthead wires from slapping by stuffing t-shirts and pieces of foam into the mast. It took me a while to get that stuff out. I riveted a small pvc conduit to the inside of the mast instead.? Bill Bach? V1071

j.hunter9999 · Feb 13, 2009

Craig,
Which mast do you have? I have the aluminum-colored mast...not the
gold-ish mast. At the mast head, there are four rollers (blocks), two
aft and two forward. running through the top of the mast, fore to
aft, are two 1/4" (approximate) supports which were probably welded
into place to add strength at the mast head. I ended up cutting two
1/2" X 1.5" slots at the mast head to (1) run the anchor light wires,
and (2) to help fish the halyards through the mast.

In short, I don't think you'll be able to cut a sufficient opening int
he mast head to fish out the foam. What if the foam had drain holes?
Cut a couple smaller holes in the mast head. Raise the mast head up
(or lower the base), heat one or more ball bearings, and drop them
down the mast. They should burn (melt) through the foam and provide
drain holes to the base. Be careful, some foams can give off toxic
fumes when heated...use a respirator.

Good luck and best of luck.

Jack