Ways to Add 6ft to the BOTTOM of a mast?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Do you know the origin of the mast section? Posting a detailed drawing of the profile might come up with someone recognising it or even having a piece.

Absolutely!

It’s a Francespar section. 11.5“ x 7.5” very much just an oval with a flat spot for the sail track.

Wall thickness 3/16”

Approximate moments 80 x 45

Currently 59ft. Need to add a bit less than 6ft to the base for it to fit my boat.

FranceSpar was, at one time, one of Europe's largest Spar Builders, and their Spars and other Hardware are common on European sailboats built before 1990. It was rolled up into Sparcraft or one of the other current manufacturers.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Absolutely!

It’s a Francespar section. 11.5“ x 7.5” very much just an oval with a flat spot for the sail track.

Wall thickness 3/16”

Approximate moments 80 x 45

Currently 59ft. Need to add a bit less than 6ft to the base for it to fit my boat.

try https://www.eurospars.com/products/sparcraft-parts/

[zstine]

it's been a while since I read the beginning of this thread, but contrary to the title, I believe you discovered you only need to raise the step 3 or 4 feet to get boom clearance needed... I would consider some type of pedestal to raise the step. That said, yes I do believe a metal shop could match your mast section by bending sheet but I would just ask your local shop as the curves are tight and they may need to bend around a mandrel which you'd have to pay to make....

[Martkimwat]

You would never be able to match the complex shape of the original mast and even if you could it would not be as strong because the webbing design of the track area provides additional stiffens and stability to the section and you certainly could not reproduce that. Unless you can find someone with the correct section, I fear you will be looking at a mast replacement. You would be best to talk to a naval architect who specialises in rig design to see what they have to say rather than getting opinions on CF for something that is so complex, and potentially dangerous if done incorrectly. Unless there are any fully qualified naval architects on CF?

[smj]

Did you try Dons Salvage in Clearwater?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by smj

Did you try Dons Salvage in Clearwater?

I messaged them, and got no response. I figured they didn’t have anything. Just like sailormon said they didn’t.

But I just called right now from this reminder, and they said I have a bunch of stuff. Just come by and look. It’s a lost 8 hour day driving there and back. Probably have to break it into two days. A LOT of lost time for a maybe, but there is some scrap teak up that way I can pick up thanks to a forum member who is tossing an old spice rack.

Maybe I should take a look

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by zstine

it's been a while since I read the beginning of this thread, but contrary to the title, I believe you discovered you only need to raise the step 3 or 4 feet to get boom clearance needed... I would consider some type of pedestal to raise the step. That said, yes I do believe a metal shop could match your mast section by bending sheet but I would just ask your local shop as the curves are tight and they may need to bend around a mandrel which you'd have to pay to make....

True, but I real don’t want the boat to look like *!#%. A pedestal, if not shaped like the mast itself as I just described a few posts back, would be truly hideous since that’s where you look when you look at the boat.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Martkimwat

You would never be able to match the complex shape of the original mast and even if you could it would not be as strong because the webbing design of the track area provides additional stiffens and stability to the section and you certainly could not reproduce that. Unless you can find someone with the correct section, I fear you will be looking at a mast replacement. You would be best to talk to a naval architect who specialises in rig design to see what they have to say rather than getting opinions on CF for something that is so complex, and potentially dangerous if done incorrectly. Unless there are any fully qualified naval architects on CF?

I’m not sure any of that matters. I could have them put together a pedestal that looks just like the mast with interior vertical bulkheads, as I had described a few posts ago.

But if you’d like to hire me a naval architect, I’m happy to do so.

I already hired mine to check this mast out for this boat. This IS the replacement (new) mast for this boat.

It just needs an extension , which you may have noticed is the topic of the thread.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I messaged them, and got no response. I figured they didn’t have anything. Just like sailormon said they didn’t.



But I just called right now from this reminder, and they said I have a bunch of stuff. Just come by and look. It’s a lost 8 hour day driving there and back. Probably have to break it into two days. A LOT of lost time for a maybe, but there is some scrap teak up that way I can pick up thanks to a forum member who is tossing an old spice rack.



Maybe I should take a look

Dons Salvage spans I believe 4 acres and is full of old boating crap, least it was last time I was there. If anyone were to have your mast section I would put my bets on them, and if they don’t it’s still worth the trip for the experience.

[DougR]

Chotu,
Really a most interesting thread with some fun responses, as you noted.

Suggest you google “Yachtroute66” and take a look at this very high tech yacht with a rig designed by B&R. The mast step is mounted on a tripod arrangement that looks like just the thing you need....

DougR

[robertmfranklin]

My suggestion is to spend more time looking for an exact piece of matching extrusion.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by robertmfranklin

My suggestion is to spend more time looking for an exact piece of matching extrusion.

As a person building a boat, my strategy is to do everything at once. Parallel processing. It’s the only way to get anywhere. I’m still looking high and low, exploring all the other options, figuring out steering and longeron vs bow tube as well as rounding up some teak for a motor mount. All at once.

But make no mistake. I’m trying. Hard.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by DougR

Chotu,
Really a most interesting thread with some fun responses, as you noted.

Suggest you google “Yachtroute66” and take a look at this very high tech yacht with a rig designed by B&R. The mast step is mounted on a tripod arrangement that looks like just the thing you need....

DougR

Eric Goetz built that? I know him a bit. Was looking at building my boat in one of his buildings and using the autoclave. He does wind turbines now.

But no... the ugly factor is something I can’t go through with. It has to look like a regular mast no matter what the solution.

Otherwise I’d have just slapped together something the same way radio towers are built. I am always tempting by the complex, yet very basic design of them.

[Breaking Waves]

I needed a sleeve made to match my spar (to reinforce the area around the gooseneck and down). A Canadian shop (on Vancouver island) bent it up as a perfect match to my spar interior surface. It was really really close. So it can be done.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Breaking Waves

I needed a sleeve made to match my spar (to reinforce the area around the gooseneck and down). A Canadian shop (on Vancouver island) bent it up as a perfect match to my spar interior surface. It was really really close. So it can be done.

Ok. Thanks for this. I won’t let this idea die off and will contact some fabricators also.