Porpoise2
New Member
Even though the water's still cold for sailing here, I prepared the boat for the first time this season and found I couldn't see any cork block on the bottom of the mast. Sure enough, the bottom cork had disintegrated and fallen deeply inside.
So I went to Walmart's swim section and bought two octagonal swim noodles—not to fill the spars with flotation (as I'd mentioned here before)—but to fill the mast.
I cut 1/8th out of the of the noodle lengthwise, put a blue plastic clamp (shown) tightly around the noodle, and wound masking tape tightly every four inches—overlapping the ends. I secured a line to one end of the noodle with more tape, and pulled the wrapped noodle through the mast—inside of which I'd sprayed silicone spray. It was still a tight pull, but after the masking tape gets wet and loosens, the flotation should be a snug fit and not fall out. Comments?
(This "Sunfish" replaces my high-hassle-factor Tornado catamaran in the background.)
So I went to Walmart's swim section and bought two octagonal swim noodles—not to fill the spars with flotation (as I'd mentioned here before)—but to fill the mast.
I cut 1/8th out of the of the noodle lengthwise, put a blue plastic clamp (shown) tightly around the noodle, and wound masking tape tightly every four inches—overlapping the ends. I secured a line to one end of the noodle with more tape, and pulled the wrapped noodle through the mast—inside of which I'd sprayed silicone spray. It was still a tight pull, but after the masking tape gets wet and loosens, the flotation should be a snug fit and not fall out. Comments?
(This "Sunfish" replaces my high-hassle-factor Tornado catamaran in the background.)