Mast

newat52

New Member
I recently purchased a 1994 boat.
It appears that the mast is missing the top cover/plate?(please excuse my lack of knowledge of terms)
A local supplier directed to me to a manufacturer that was "most likely" to have made the mast, but there was no match.
I am looking for details on how I can get a replacement part for this.
Thanks for any details that can be provided.
 
Mst plug

Here is a picture of my Mod 1 mast head and as far as I can tell no cover is needed on this one. As you can se, I was collecting lake bottom mud for an important scientific project ;).
 

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Mast question

Dear JFG,

Thank you for the reply.
I was wondering if you can share any information on your thoughts of filling the mast with some foam flotation to aid in the event of capsizing.
Kind Regards
newat52
 
Mod 2 mast head

My 1989 Mod 2 had the top open, but also the top pulley is right at the top so I could not cap mine. Mine has a foam core just below the top pulley.

I too have my own lake mud collection for analysis purposes.

-Robert
1989 Mod2 Capri 14.2
1984 Catalina 22
 
Mast question

Dear Allatoona,

Thanks for the reply.
On my mast there is room for a cap and it appears that there might have been a cap at one time. Concerning the foam core you mentioned, is this something you added?

Thanks Again,
Kind Regards
newat52
 
Foam mast

I'm the 3rd owner, I didn't add the foam myself. I'm not sure if this was a factory thing or not.

Try out the Search feature on the forum, try different keywords you can find a large amount topics discussed in the past. I'm still pretty new to my Capri, but have a pretty good amount of sailing experience. I capsized mine twice in one day and managed not to turtle... this was my 2nd time on the boat and I did go out on a "High Wind Advisory" day....so I was asking for a difficult day. The most difficult time was capsizing in the shallows in heavy winds, the mast dug in, the jib sheets went under the hull and pinched under the centerboard, and I had to right the boat about 3-4 times to get all the lines cleared up and the centerboard out the mud.

I had one other capsize in deep water, it was a whole lot easier... except getting back into the boat... I used someone else's suggestion and had already created my own rope ladder to get back into the boat in deep water. Each capsize was caused from a quick wind shift that caused the jib to get backwinded while it was still cleated... I was previously on the high side, ended up on the lowside and over I went.

Since then I've adjust the lengths of the jibsheets, and have worked out most of the bugs. That's just part of learning the boat and improving your skills. Before I ever sailed the boat, I took it to the shallows without the sails and practiced capsizing and getting back in. Then, I took my 8 yr old son out and practiced again.

Mast details.... I've read about others using expanding foam and filling the mast themselves. Use some sort of a long straw or tube to allow yourself to get the foam several feet down the mast.

I don't know of your skill, but if you are just getting started, an easy temporary suggestion to prevent from turtling is to hang a large plastic bottle at the top of the mast. That should help with enough floatation, it won't look pretty, but it's cheap and functional.

Get out on the water, have some fun, make some mistakes and work out the bugs. If you haven't already, download the handbook and have a read through.

-Robert
 
I would NOT fill the mast with foam for the following reasons.
First, If you were able to get a perfect seal on both ends of the mast there is not enough volume of trapped inside the mast to make the mast float. If the mast can not float it will not help keep the boat from turteling.
Second, if the mast is full of foam it is going to be heavier that it was without foam. This will cause the boat to want to turtle more. The foam will absorb water making the mast even heavier and now if the mast is left on the boat in the winter the water might freeze and crack the mast.
I would just leave the mast as it is and if you are worried about turteling invest in some sort of mast float like the "Baby Bob" from Hobe.

Just my 2 cents

Roger
 
Mast Floatation

My mast has a foam plug at least at the top. It's muddy so it obviously does not always work!
I have not investigated yet how far down the mast the foam extends.
The foam, I hope, is closed cell to prevent absorbtion.
Of course the foam will not "float" the mast but even 10 lin. ft. foam in place of H2o would provide some useful bouyancy (about 16 lbs.).
However if the foam is only a small plug at the top it will prevent water that does penetrate the mast from draining as you begin to right the boat (not useful).
I'm thinking it's better to either get rid of the foam or foam the entire mast.
Has anybody actually injected the mast with foam? How to go about it? top to bottom, vice/versa, one shot or in small sections ?
RRE
 
My foam was pretty well shot I have boat number 108. I dug it all out, probably 10-12 inches of it. I replaced it with some of the spray foam insulation, you can buy at your local harware/home repair store. I used a straw to get it down in the mast. Put the whole can in.

I then took one of the screws out where the shrouds are attached and put another can in there. I left it horizontal for over a month before using the boat, did it in the spring before session.

The top plug set up, the plug at the shroud didn't. My mast is stepped all summer, once the it got hot out, each time I went out to sail I cleaned up foam at the bottom of the mast.

If you put foam in the mid section of the mast, let it dry before putting foam in the top section.

Did it do any good? I don't know. I only put the boat over once this year and it didn't turtle and the mast floated. I think that having the boat go turtle has more to do with how the boat goes over in relationship to the wind then the flotation in the mast.

Kent
 
Mast Carrier

Here is a picture of my Mod 1 mast head and as far as I can tell no cover is needed on this one. As you can se, I was collecting lake bottom mud for an important scientific project ;).

JFG,

Can you send some pics and details of your transom mast carrier? Looks simple and efficient.

Thanks.

Bill Herrick
 
Mast support

Here is a drawing of my mast support and it is made of 3/4'' plywood. I took the idea from an earlier post on this forum. I hope this suits your need.
 

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