Mast questions

ChadLarson

ChadLarson

New Member
So I bought a bunch of "sunfish" parts recently from a guy who didnt know what he had. I got a sail, spars, rudder, tiller, daggerboard and... two other poles for a killer price. I figured one of them must be the mast so I took it and ran, but now... I dont know what I have...

First I noticed that one of them didnt have end caps but just had a block attached to one end and the other had caps including the top cap with the hole through it for the halyard but it also had a few other attachments that I dont think are supposed to be there. One is about 9'6" and the other is 12' and from what I hear the mast is supposed to be about 10' give or take 1/4"

So... would the 9'6" one be usable/preferred if I removed that attachment at the bottom or should I go with the 12' one and cut it and add the top cap with the hole for the halyard?....

a hull is on the way.

Thanks guys.
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Because the Sunfish mast was designed to float, I'd cut the 12-footer—but first, make sure there's no bend in it. A bend is very difficult to straighten, new masts are expensive—plus, the mast is designed to swivel in place.

I'd remove most of the surplus metal from the former bottom, which surely has taken some corrosion, bend, and stress. The block (pulley) may be serviceable; however, the Wilcox & Crittendon stainless block failed on my Porpoise II clonefish while out sailing. :eek: So, I'd cut that end too, assuring that when finished, you have a standard Sunfish mast length.

I'd go with the Sunfish halyard cap and the smooth bottom cap. You'll need to drill small holes for the two tiny "fixing" pins—each end —and add sealer to double-up on "watertightness". :cool:
 
It looks like the shorter tube was a boom for another sailboat. It has a vang attachment, eye straps for mainsheet blocks and a cleat for the outhaul. You might be able to list this on Craigslist for $30-$40 if you have a lot of sailing near you. If it is 2.25 OD it could become a Minifish mast but there really are too many holes from the attached hardware.

Check the OD and wall thickness for the longer piece to see if it matched the Sunfish specs of 2.25" OD x 0.085" wall.
 
Yes, follow Sailcraft's advice and be sure the long mast fits in the Sunfish mast tube and the gooseneck fits before you saw it shorter .
 
I just stumbled on the Wilcox-Crittenden block that failed. To the right, you can see a hole where a swivel should be located.

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This mast-top failure dropped the entire rig! :eek:

'Managed to fix this situation with a zip-tie, while "at sea". :cool:
 
I carry about 6 different lengths of 550 parachord in my pocket. Stuff is the
Duct-Tape of the sea.
 
My 550 paracord, sailing hat, flip-flops, duct tape, and cell phone cover, are all in "camo". When I need them, I can never find them! :confused:
 
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