Visit our Popular Forums

smurphny · 05-06-2011, 08:21

Was thinking about foaming at least some sections of my mast to make it float if it should ever go over the side. Has anyone had experience doing this? Best kind of foam? Negatives. I have no internal halyards so it would be straight forward other than putting in a couple of conduits for wiring.

**sandy daugherty** · 05-06-2011, 08:34

I suspect your mast is heavier than the water it displaces. Just be glad your keel is heavier still.

captainKJ · 05-06-2011, 08:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by smurphny

Was thinking about foaming at least some sections of my mast to make it float if it should ever go over the side. Has anyone had experience doing this? Best kind of foam? Negatives. I have no internal halyards so it would be straight forward other than putting in a couple of conduits for wiring.

what kind of sailboat do you have that you are worried about the mast falling in the water. The mast should stay mounted to the deck unless it is a trailer sailboat,,in that case it is removable,,,if it came off while sailing the shrouds will keep it from sinking by keeping it attached to the boat

Mark Johnson · 05-06-2011, 08:48

I did it on my first boat by standing it on end, against a tall building. Then I poured the two liquids down the thing. It worked fine, but this stuff sticks like super glue.

Wrap the ENTIRE outside of the mast with polyethylene sheet, and mask it to the top. This way, when it gushes out the top, you have no clean up. (How do you think I know)???

Also, be sure that the ends, and all openings, are 100% sealed with caulk and/or epoxy. Pour in place foam is billed as "closed cell", but here, outside of a refrigerator, or in the "in-between" spaces in a boat hull, this stuff will eventually get more and more waterlogged. It needs to be 100% sealed from water and damp air as well!

Foam in he mast will make it buoyant, (obviously), heavier, stiffer, and quieter, but requires careful sealing. On mine, I put in 4' of crumpled up aluminum foil, about 3/4 of the way up, for additional RADAR reflection.

Mark

John A · 05-06-2011, 09:37

I had foam the entire length of my mast when I purchased the boat. Rain water saturated the foam from the top down making for an inverted pendulum which made it very easy to sail with the toerail in the water. Prior to cruising I had the foam removed to install PVC tubes for the wiring. It became extremely hard to get the boat to sail with the toerail in the water.

zeehag · 05-06-2011, 09:54

foam actually weighs a lot. do you really wish to change the mechanismof action of your boat???? why not tie a line onto the mast so is retrievable if it falls ???? IS IT DECK STEPPED?? IF SO, IF IT falls, will remove a chunk of deck also.... smooth sailing....

smurphny · 05-06-2011, 12:33

Thanks guys. Think I'll probably scrap the idea. I have never seen any kind of foam, including polyisocyanurate that does not eventually retain some water. I used this closed cell foam in the whisker pole I built but the concern there is just to avoid losing it overboard should the clumsy capt.

drop it in. Would not want to take the chance of putting weight up high on the mast. Pardey's Storm Tactics mentions this to avoid having the rig sink should a demasting occur. Makes it easier to retrieve because the mast is quite heavy and is said to be less of a problem floating than sunk and dragging/punching holes down low. In a roll/demasting, saving the rig would come in handy to jury rig some kind of sail later, although just cutting it loose is probably the safer alternative. Maybe I will just slide in some 8' x 2" x 4" pieces of foam from the base. Will have to calculate floatation needed to just keep it afloat. Just thinking out loud now.

Unicorn Dreams · 05-06-2011, 12:37

Foaming your mast works ok on a hobie cat, not much more that that, after all, it's insulation not flotation..

smurphny · 05-06-2011, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

Foaming your mast works ok on a hobie cat, not much more that that, after all, it's insulation not flotation..

Tuff-r pieces, roughly cut to the interior diameter and jammed in, worked wonderfully well in the whisker pole: 2 1/2" x 1/4" alum. The damned thing floats higher than a piece of wood and the weight difference is negligible. This kind of foam is also used for foam-cored canoes and such. The mast, however would be a lot of foam to float the weight of the mast/wire/turnbuckles/swages, etc., guessing 200+pounds.

capnorv · 05-06-2011, 12:52

Maybe you should bend a few self inflating PFD's on the mast and hope you never encounter a heavy rain or sea condition.

captain58sailin · 05-06-2011, 12:57

We foamed the out haul poles which were aluminum, just to add rigidity. I would be careful about adding that extra weight aloft, also as previously posted, no matter what the package says, it seems like foam will eventually absorb water.

smurphny · 05-06-2011, 13:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

We foamed the out haul poles which were aluminum, just to add rigidity. I would be careful about adding that extra weight aloft, also as previously posted, no matter what the package says, it seems like foam will eventually absorb water.

Yes, agreed. Don't think I'd want even the weight of water in the process of draining down to be trapped up high. My mast has a large center mounted sheave that is not sealed below so there will always be water ingress from rain.