Telephone Pole Mast and Galvanized Wire Rigging - Why Not ?

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.
Just because somebody else has, doesn't mean you should.
If it was such a stellar idea, chances are that more than 1 person would have.

So this is your only reasoning on why not to?
No techinical reasoning, just that the "herd" didn't go that way.

The galvenized rigging question is one that is addressed in detail elsewhere.

I already have a solid wooden mast so I guess maybe more than one person has had said stellar idea.

I guess I could respond in kind, just because no one else has done it doesn't mean you shouldn't.

I was looking for thoughtful insight, not herd mentality reasoning.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.
Just because somebody else has, doesn't mean you should.
If it was such a stellar idea, chances are that more than 1 person would have.

This.

[pressuredrop]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

This.

makes no sense?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

This.

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

makes no sense?

Really? Think about it.

[pressuredrop]

its too cheap and it doesnt look sexy, only reason it isnt done...

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

its too cheap and it doesnt look sexy, only reason it isnt done...

Two identical boats- one with a telephone pole as a spar, the other with a modern aluminum (or heaven forbid, carbon fiber) mast. Both at sea, running before a gale. Who's going to get back to port first?

I'd say that performance plays some small part in this argument, no?

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Two identical boats- one with a telephone pole as a spar, the other with a modern aluminum (or heaven forbid, carbon fiber) mast. Both at sea, running before a gale. Who's going to get back to port first?

I'd say that performance plays some small part in this argument, no?

Not really, no!
I'm not a racer and my boats been described as....... uuummm well slow. I've always thought that trying to outrun a gale was a battle you're going to lose eventually.

[Steve Pope]

Before SS it was all galvanised. No sudden breakage with galvanised rigging, lots of warning, yes, more maintenance, but I know of a rig more than 30 years old that is still good, been maintained properly though. Soaked in Boiled linseed oil, once dry it gets a film that can cope with most normal abrasion, Can be re-brushed with more oil every year and maybe removed and re-soaked every 5 years or so. Done, wire by wire the rig doesn't have to come down. If you have the beam a heavy solid mast won't cause you too much trouble but an alloy (2nd hand) or a laminated wooden one would be better for a marconi rig, if you have a gaff rig then as the mast is considerably shorter the weight would be less of a problem. Size for size galv is at least as strong or stronger than SS with none of the down side.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

I've always thought that trying to outrun a gale was a battle you're going to lose eventually.

Certainly more of a likelihood with a telephone pole sticking the hell up out of the middle of your boat.

[atoll]

a few of the boats using telegraph poles near me

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Steve Pope

Before SS it was all galvanised. No sudden breakage with galvanised rigging, lots of warning, yes, more maintenance, but I know of a rig more than 30 years old that is still good, been maintained properly though. Soaked in Boiled linseed oil, once dry it gets a film that can cope with most normal abrasion, Can be re-brushed with more oil every year and maybe removed and re-soaked every 5 years or so. Done, wire by wire the rig doesn't have to come down. If you have the beam a heavy solid mast won't cause you too much trouble but an alloy (2nd hand) or a laminated wooden one would be better for a marconi rig, if you have a gaff rig then as the mast is considerably shorter the weight would be less of a problem. Size for size galv is at least as strong or stronger than SS with none of the down side.

The linseed oil maintenance sounds worthwhile for the results, thank you. I'll have to look into the whole maintenance thing on galvenized in more detail.

I'm liking the laminated idea more and more.

You're correct, size for size galvenized is a lot stronger. Make sure that you look really hard at the specs of any manufacturer of steel. Standards are different the world over.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Certainly more of a likelihood with a telephone pole sticking the hell up out of the middle of your boat.

LOL you're probably right. Darn them sticks anyway.

At a 7 knot hull speed and a front moving at 20 knots its only a matter of time before I'm clinging to my telephone pole and taking up praying anyway.

[zeehag]

my friend with his schooner travelled sd to nicaragua and back and to new orleans and back to sd then to mazatlan--no whe has different sticks-- but telephone poles ar e excellent masts on heavy boats. doesnt even look like a telephone pole either, go figger...LOL....i thought the elevator riging ws awesome--was waaay overrigged-- sturdy and solid. his schooner isnt slow --never was. mast material only matters in your silly oxymoronic boat-- the one you try to race..lol the one ye would not dare to cross a large body of water in.....

[blgklr]

It is well known that galvanized wire is better than stainless but requires more looking after. But when it comes to telephone poles I have to say no. Weight aloft is your enemy, Bernard may not have been knocked down so often if he would have had a lighter rig.Probably a steel pipe would be better than a telephone pole which is not cheap anyway. Lots of square riggers had steel yards and masts and plain steel wire that had to be parcelled and served.

[Juniper]

Read the boat that wouldn't float. What can be done and what should be done and what has been are different, Use what is aproperate for the boat, don't use a telephone pole on a 20 footer, but a wooden mast works well for them, they work well for gaff rigs, don't try it on a boat with a 100+ foot mast. And don't use old poles, most of them are shot.