Wow that free boat is quite a score, should clean up nicely! If the bend was slight, I'd say just sail as-is. But it does look significant. Maybe try posting a wanted ad here? Problem with a mast is always the length, not something you can just throw in the mail and ship to another city.
I got lucky last time I needed a mast for a dingy - went to one of the only used sailboat dealers in my area. They had a big pile of orphan masts on sawhorses out back. I found one that was the exact same shape width-wise (made by Dwyer Mast Co.). But it was badly bent at the bottom. Once I cut the bent part off with a hack saw, it was still long enough to replace the OEM mast. Of course I had to carefully measure and rivet all the hardware onto the replacement. Has worked ever since, though!
Again, getting something so long home was a chore, and I was in a 4-door sedan! I tied it to the roof, put a red rag on the back, and held it through the sunroof with one hand all the way home .
The boat is a great find. Congratulations!
As long as the mast isn't kinked or buckled anywhere, you can probably lay it across a couple of saw-horses and bend it back to working order. Be careful to distribute the force over the entire bend. If it looks like you've created a weak spot you can go into replacing it, but it won't cost you anything to try to straighten it.
Most of the bend is out, so I'm please with the result. Now, I need to address the shredded jib. I obtained a jib from a Hobie 16. My plan is to cut it down and reset it into a working jib for the 14.2. As long as the leech and luff are short enough shouldn't that work?
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.