Quick Question...

David

David

New Member
Could I take a full rig mast and chop some length off it with a hack-saw, grind it down, and use that as a radial bottom section, instead of buying a new one? Or are radial masts made of different cirrcumfrences, or tapered to prevent us from doing so, therefore putting more money into manufacturer's pockets?

Another reason for wanting to do this is because the mast is ~30 years old, and made of higher quality aluminum than what is currently being used. And yes, it's still extremely strong.
 
The Radial lower section is more flexible than the standard lower and as a result the sail will not set quite right on a “cut down” standard section. You might consider investing in a Radial lower for your racing.
 
the vang tang and goosneck are the same difference from the base, but i;ve found that the laser bottom section seems a LOT wider then the radial, but maybe not, couse they both still hav to fit the top section. i think its possible to, like, if you hav a new section than you should go for it, noone wil noe, but keep in mind that its good to have a spare incase it bends
 
The radial and standard lower section are the same outside diameter. The radial lower is a thinner wall section, with an inner sleeve that does not run the full length of the tube. The net effect as Macwas16 points out is that the radial section is more flexible. The Radial sail is designed with more luff curve, so if you put it on a cut down full rig lower, the sail will be a bit fuller and more powerful. It works, but it's not legal for class racing.
 
OK... So I guess I'll buy a new one for racing only, and chop down my full rig for training. Just for verification; you can cut down a top section and use that for a boom, correct?

My boom snapped a few weeks ago... I was screwing around trying to see how tight could get my outhaul on a very old sail :(


O well...I needed a new boom anyways, It's been re-riveted soo many times
 
Yes, the top section and the boom section are the same - note that new booms come with an additional sleeve (which you can purchase separatly) in the area of the boom vang attachment (the class rules explain the location)
 
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