Has anyone repaired a mast thats in multiple sections? I bought my boat from someone who had his mast spliced using pieces of oak as inserts. It is in 3 pieces. 2 sections about 11 ft each and 1 piece about 6 inches long. I think it was demasted at one point and the bent section was cut off and a 6 inch piece was grafted to the tip of the mast to regain the length. I am trying to find someone in SoCal to sleeve and weld the mast back together. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or do you know anyone in the SoCal area who can do this work for a reasonable price? My other option is to buy a new mast cus used ones in good condition is hard to find. Dwyer Spars has a new mast for the ODay 22 but it costs about $700 shipped to a business address. Let me know if you guys have any recommendation for my problem. thanks
Repairing a broken mast
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mike c
try.....I did
my 22 had a broken mast. I too called Dwyer and the spar alone was pricy. I called Rudy at D&R marine and he had a 22 mast (just the extrusion...I reused the old mast fittings and built the mast myself) I got it for $300.
my 22 had a broken mast. I too called Dwyer and the spar alone was pricy. I called Rudy at D&R marine and he had a 22 mast (just the extrusion...I reused the old mast fittings and built the mast myself) I got it for $300.
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Jeff S
broken mast
My first boat a 1968 daysailor had a mast that came with it that had been repaired , they used a sleeve and pop riveted it together. I sailed it that way for several years with no problems,maybe even as long as 10 years. It took a lot of use we sailed at least 3 days a week during the season. But 2 splices sounds hairy, call rudy at d&r he is a great guy to talk to and will probably be able to help
My first boat a 1968 daysailor had a mast that came with it that had been repaired , they used a sleeve and pop riveted it together. I sailed it that way for several years with no problems,maybe even as long as 10 years. It took a lot of use we sailed at least 3 days a week during the season. But 2 splices sounds hairy, call rudy at d&r he is a great guy to talk to and will probably be able to help
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Peter
sounds risky
I agree that having the mast spliced in two places is risky. One up high should be alright. The lower one is cause for concern only for the leverage of the rest of the mast above it which has great potential to rip the splice apart. The weight of the wood in the higher splice puts even more stress on it.
I agree that having the mast spliced in two places is risky. One up high should be alright. The lower one is cause for concern only for the leverage of the rest of the mast above it which has great potential to rip the splice apart. The weight of the wood in the higher splice puts even more stress on it.
Thanks for the replies
I appreaciate your help and comments on this issue. Mkie C, I did talk to rudy but the quote he gave me for just the extrusion was basically the same as Dwyer Spars. Do you remember how long ago you ordered the mast from Rudy? was the price of 300 include shipping to your location or did you pick up locally?
I appreaciate your help and comments on this issue. Mkie C, I did talk to rudy but the quote he gave me for just the extrusion was basically the same as Dwyer Spars. Do you remember how long ago you ordered the mast from Rudy? was the price of 300 include shipping to your location or did you pick up locally?
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David R
In theory
any good machine shop can weld aluminum, but you might try a shop that specializes in small airplane airframe repairs. They might be able to restore your mast to spec for around a hundred bucks. DR
any good machine shop can weld aluminum, but you might try a shop that specializes in small airplane airframe repairs. They might be able to restore your mast to spec for around a hundred bucks. DR
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Dave K.
Better to splice
I'm going to suggest you don't weld it. Most spars are made from 6000 series aluminum (usually 6061-T6) which can be welded but MUST be heat-treated afterwards to restore strength to the weld-affected area (the areas adjacent to the weld become very soft). Being long and skinny, a mast is an ackward shape to get heat treated at your local furnace and, in my experience, heat treating of a long skinny aluminum part is likely to introduce some distortion, leaving you with a mast that is bowed. Ideally, a new extrusion is the best solution, but an internal splice made from the same alloy (so you don't get galvanic corrosion between the pieces) and held in place primarily with structural adhesive and pinned with a few pop rivets should work. The loads on a mast are primarily in compression with the rigging holding it "in column". So your splice needs keep the broken ends aligned and have at least the same side-to-side rigidity as the original extrusion. Good luck with your repair!
I'm going to suggest you don't weld it. Most spars are made from 6000 series aluminum (usually 6061-T6) which can be welded but MUST be heat-treated afterwards to restore strength to the weld-affected area (the areas adjacent to the weld become very soft). Being long and skinny, a mast is an ackward shape to get heat treated at your local furnace and, in my experience, heat treating of a long skinny aluminum part is likely to introduce some distortion, leaving you with a mast that is bowed. Ideally, a new extrusion is the best solution, but an internal splice made from the same alloy (so you don't get galvanic corrosion between the pieces) and held in place primarily with structural adhesive and pinned with a few pop rivets should work. The loads on a mast are primarily in compression with the rigging holding it "in column". So your splice needs keep the broken ends aligned and have at least the same side-to-side rigidity as the original extrusion. Good luck with your repair!
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Dave K.
Mast Repair
While it seems to me that there would be more resources in Southern California than here, you could try the rig shop at Svendsen's in Alameda. The phone number is 510.521.8454
While it seems to me that there would be more resources in Southern California than here, you could try the rig shop at Svendsen's in Alameda. The phone number is 510.521.8454
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