This is my third season with my Hunter 240. Although I followed the same mast raising instructions that I do every year,I snapped my US Spars mast in two (just above the mast support struts. The length of one of the struts may have been misadjusted longer that the other. There was nothing binding that I could tell. All of the lines were free and clear. It can't be welded. Any suggestions on how to keep my costs down on replacing it, can I salvage,spars ? Even when I buy a new mast,I could still have problems mounting it. When I asked one of the representatives at Hunter,how I can put a new mast on the boat and not do the same thing again, he suggested that I could disconnect the struts and raise the mast,and when the mast is vertical,realign the struts to the new mast. This seems like it would put a lot if stress on the pin at the base of the mast an I would then ruin the second mast...any comments ??? If the struts are not in place,ho couldI keep it from twisting while I was raining it ? Don't the holes in the mast for the support struts weaken the mast. The first year that I had, the Gin pole tore the mast,any I had to have it repaired. I unfortunately have no one to assist me in lowering and raising the mast...that's what sold me on the boat...the Hunter one-man mast raising and lowering solution that was demonstrated at the Annapolis Boat show.
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Frank Ladd
Wow
I can't beleive this could happen. Please tell me more. How old was your boat? Had you raised and lowered the mast before? I'm really sorry to here this happened to you, but I don't think you have any option but to look for a new mast. I wonder if insurance will cover it.
I can't beleive this could happen. Please tell me more. How old was your boat? Had you raised and lowered the mast before? I'm really sorry to here this happened to you, but I don't think you have any option but to look for a new mast. I wonder if insurance will cover it.
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Don Kovacs
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Rob
push it up
sorry to hear about your mast. I helped a fried last year with a 240 to put on a windex that we forgot to do before launch. We didn't have the mast raising pole, so we pulled out the pin on the forestay and lowered & subsequently raised the mast all by hand. Its not very heavy at all, and I'm sure the hinge at the base of the mast will be fine. Try not to do it in a cross-wind so the thing doesn't blow sideways. Once its up, realign your struts and mount them that way. Are you sure none of the stays were caught on anything as you were pulling it up?
sorry to hear about your mast. I helped a fried last year with a 240 to put on a windex that we forgot to do before launch. We didn't have the mast raising pole, so we pulled out the pin on the forestay and lowered & subsequently raised the mast all by hand. Its not very heavy at all, and I'm sure the hinge at the base of the mast will be fine. Try not to do it in a cross-wind so the thing doesn't blow sideways. Once its up, realign your struts and mount them that way. Are you sure none of the stays were caught on anything as you were pulling it up?
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Wayne
240 mast
must have been a hell of a shock, hope you can get it all together soon. I would expect forget the weld, not sure of salvage of spars, see what you get with a new mast. Take photos of the break and if you can find, some people can/maybe able to tell if it was fatigue failure etc. The whole idea of the one person mast raising also sold me on the boat and am always happy to have it (love the system), so disconnecting the struts should not be a standard procedure. When the gin pole tore the mast did a rope slip? Do you have the gin pile at 90 degrees to the mast when raising. Was the main uphaul loose when raising? Did you know your shroud tentions? During raising and sailing were the struts generally loose. My struts are not equal in lenght but the mast is perpendicular to the deck and during raising they have little to no degree of pressure on the struts, same when sailing. The only time you would have any "bad" presure on the tabernacle pin (sp)is if the mast goes off center (eg, raising on the water and getting hit by wake, strong cross wind getting you. We lost a mast that way along time ago (not a hunter) as a speed boat when past at a 10000 mph with the mast half up on the water, ripped the tabernacle out. The stress on the mast is taken up in many places and would not see unless excessive when, strain on the struss support whole for it to be that week, but yours sure was! good luck and I will look even closure when raising, sailing and lowering the big stick.
must have been a hell of a shock, hope you can get it all together soon. I would expect forget the weld, not sure of salvage of spars, see what you get with a new mast. Take photos of the break and if you can find, some people can/maybe able to tell if it was fatigue failure etc. The whole idea of the one person mast raising also sold me on the boat and am always happy to have it (love the system), so disconnecting the struts should not be a standard procedure. When the gin pole tore the mast did a rope slip? Do you have the gin pile at 90 degrees to the mast when raising. Was the main uphaul loose when raising? Did you know your shroud tentions? During raising and sailing were the struts generally loose. My struts are not equal in lenght but the mast is perpendicular to the deck and during raising they have little to no degree of pressure on the struts, same when sailing. The only time you would have any "bad" presure on the tabernacle pin (sp)is if the mast goes off center (eg, raising on the water and getting hit by wake, strong cross wind getting you. We lost a mast that way along time ago (not a hunter) as a speed boat when past at a 10000 mph with the mast half up on the water, ripped the tabernacle out. The stress on the mast is taken up in many places and would not see unless excessive when, strain on the struss support whole for it to be that week, but yours sure was! good luck and I will look even closure when raising, sailing and lowering the big stick.
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Chris
new mast
We purchased a new mast for our H26 this past spring. There is a repair sleeve to correct some minimal mast damage, but the smaller the mast, the more difficult it is to get the sleeve on properly. I think the sleeve is more of a patch job than a long lasting repair. Contact Jillian at www.usspars.com. They can deliver direct. The mast comes fully assembled, but will need to be rigged. Shipping for the H26 mast was $200 and the mast itself was around $1200. We had the dealer rig the mast(2 hours of labor).
We purchased a new mast for our H26 this past spring. There is a repair sleeve to correct some minimal mast damage, but the smaller the mast, the more difficult it is to get the sleeve on properly. I think the sleeve is more of a patch job than a long lasting repair. Contact Jillian at www.usspars.com. They can deliver direct. The mast comes fully assembled, but will need to be rigged. Shipping for the H26 mast was $200 and the mast itself was around $1200. We had the dealer rig the mast(2 hours of labor).
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Don Kovacs
Thanksforthe input
I guess that I was lucky that the mast didn't stressout while Iwas out on the water. I'll probably look for a stronger mast than the US Spars version Like I said earlier,I'mnot sure that their mast was designed to have a hole (for the struts)and still accomodate the stress. What I can't understand is how I was strong enough (I'm 55) to snap this mast,when I would think a good blow would have doneit to me earlier,when I was sailing.
I guess that I was lucky that the mast didn't stressout while Iwas out on the water. I'll probably look for a stronger mast than the US Spars version Like I said earlier,I'mnot sure that their mast was designed to have a hole (for the struts)and still accomodate the stress. What I can't understand is how I was strong enough (I'm 55) to snap this mast,when I would think a good blow would have doneit to me earlier,when I was sailing.
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Harvey Small
Been there, done that
I lost the mast on our Hunter 26 five or six years ago -- most likely cause was the failure of a shackle on a side stay. We were out playing on the boat, made a final tack around a channel buoy, then "PING" -- "SPLASH!" and we now had a sectional mast and a very wet sail! That was it for our sailing season. At that time the mast supplier had been sold to a French company. Hint: Never try to get anything done with a French concern during August. In French, the month is Aout, pronounced "Out" and that's where they all are -- Out! On vacation, mostly, but definitely not at work. We finally ended up with a new, heavier mast from a different supplier which works well. Since we have the CDI furler for the jib, raising it involves major work, but it is doable. I would think twice about getting a heavier mast -- snapping masts do not seem to be a consistent problem with Hunters. I would, however, look into having some type of bushings placed at the pivot points, and reinforcements placed around the location of the gin pole. One last thought -- I was instructed to set up the gin pole so it was cocked slightly upward, towards the top of the mast. That way, it will be closer to 90 degrees once all the tension is placed on it from the block and tackle. If you start out at 90 degrees, it will be pulled downwards and no longer be true.
I lost the mast on our Hunter 26 five or six years ago -- most likely cause was the failure of a shackle on a side stay. We were out playing on the boat, made a final tack around a channel buoy, then "PING" -- "SPLASH!" and we now had a sectional mast and a very wet sail! That was it for our sailing season. At that time the mast supplier had been sold to a French company. Hint: Never try to get anything done with a French concern during August. In French, the month is Aout, pronounced "Out" and that's where they all are -- Out! On vacation, mostly, but definitely not at work. We finally ended up with a new, heavier mast from a different supplier which works well. Since we have the CDI furler for the jib, raising it involves major work, but it is doable. I would think twice about getting a heavier mast -- snapping masts do not seem to be a consistent problem with Hunters. I would, however, look into having some type of bushings placed at the pivot points, and reinforcements placed around the location of the gin pole. One last thought -- I was instructed to set up the gin pole so it was cocked slightly upward, towards the top of the mast. That way, it will be closer to 90 degrees once all the tension is placed on it from the block and tackle. If you start out at 90 degrees, it will be pulled downwards and no longer be true.
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Don Kovacs
Harvey and everyone
The struts were loose...about 1/8 play. I did notice that there are nuts on thread below the struts. They were at the bottom of the thread...shouldn't those nuts be up against the bottom of the strut (at the top of the thread) to insure that the struts maintain they factory setting ??? The rep at Hunter Marine said that the factory sets the struts...not the dealership.
The struts were loose...about 1/8 play. I did notice that there are nuts on thread below the struts. They were at the bottom of the thread...shouldn't those nuts be up against the bottom of the strut (at the top of the thread) to insure that the struts maintain they factory setting ??? The rep at Hunter Marine said that the factory sets the struts...not the dealership.
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Ed
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alan
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Don Kovacs
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Mike
replacement mast
I went through this last year on my 23.5. Contact Julian at US Spars. He did a great job for me. You have the link from previous posts. I did this from Thailand and can't say enough good about his service. Don't have the e-m,ail address (its on my laptop) but but US Spars.com attenten Julian should work. Phnone is 386-462-3760. Good Luck Mike
I went through this last year on my 23.5. Contact Julian at US Spars. He did a great job for me. You have the link from previous posts. I did this from Thailand and can't say enough good about his service. Don't have the e-m,ail address (its on my laptop) but but US Spars.com attenten Julian should work. Phnone is 386-462-3760. Good Luck Mike
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Runwolf
Pop the rivet on mine
I raised it without the strut this year, and pop some rivet at the base of the mast and also, crack the bottom a little. I would not raise it again without the strut, caus any boat movement or wind cause the mast to swing left or right when it is about 1/2 way up. Thanks for the new mast link, I will most likely get a new one next year... dave
I raised it without the strut this year, and pop some rivet at the base of the mast and also, crack the bottom a little. I would not raise it again without the strut, caus any boat movement or wind cause the mast to swing left or right when it is about 1/2 way up. Thanks for the new mast link, I will most likely get a new one next year... dave
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