slight curve in mast port to starboard above spreader on 16.5 Capri
- Thread starter whisper
- Start date
megigharbor
Member
There are some You tube videos about this. One suggestion is to mark where the bend is and place the mast on two supports with the bend in the center and simply push down with a bouncing motion to remove the bend. Check your progress frequently so as to not go too far. Good luck.
I'm assuming that you're seeing this with the shrouds slack.... and that you aren't successful by simply tightening the port uppers further.
In that case, doing something along the lines of the suggestion above can be effective. Since the bend is slight, you should be able to fix it for certain. But you'll probably be surprised at how much force is required. A friend bent his mast (I believe the same kind of boat) in the launch area, backing it into tree branches above. It took several of us, but ultimately, we wedged the mast into the crotch of a tree while 3 of us pushed the butt in order to straighten the mast. I know it sounds pretty extreme, but that's what it took, and it was effective.
Good luck!
In that case, doing something along the lines of the suggestion above can be effective. Since the bend is slight, you should be able to fix it for certain. But you'll probably be surprised at how much force is required. A friend bent his mast (I believe the same kind of boat) in the launch area, backing it into tree branches above. It took several of us, but ultimately, we wedged the mast into the crotch of a tree while 3 of us pushed the butt in order to straighten the mast. I know it sounds pretty extreme, but that's what it took, and it was effective.
Good luck!
Thank you for this info. I will search for theses video's. Hoping for a more methodical, controlled repair.
You raise a good point. When I obtained the boat all shrouds were very loose and the owner was very sure they should not be tightened further. I disagreed. He also mentioned a turtling event so I am not sure how the bend was accomplished. This spring I will step the mast and adjust the shrouds to favor a gradual straightening of this bend. To locate the maximum deformation I am thinking of wrapping and twist tying a small gage bare copper wire around the deformity zone. Sliding the wire up and down the mast may locate the worst area and show an egg shape deformity. My thought is any buckeling or narrowing of the mast section would be like squeezing the narrow sides of an elipse or an egg. This "denting" should result in a corresponding "bulge" that if squeezed together may remove the dent and return the cross section back to near normal. Your Thoughts?
Thanks,
Bill
FreeRide
Member
If the cross-section is bulging or buckling, I think you probably need a new mast. Also, I don't think you'll get enough counter-bend using the shrouds to actually straighten it.
I have straightened masts by laying them across saw horses with the foot braced and the area of the bend over a saw horse. I slowly flex the mast against the bend then eye-ball the length of it over and over, moving the saw horse along the area of the bend. Pad the saw horse or place a several inch long piece of wood between the mast and the saw horse to prevent buckling the mast at that point.
Please follow my advice at your own risk. ;-)
Cheers, Karl
I have straightened masts by laying them across saw horses with the foot braced and the area of the bend over a saw horse. I slowly flex the mast against the bend then eye-ball the length of it over and over, moving the saw horse along the area of the bend. Pad the saw horse or place a several inch long piece of wood between the mast and the saw horse to prevent buckling the mast at that point.
Please follow my advice at your own risk. ;-)
Cheers, Karl
Talking about a "slight curve" here, I would think that maybe the top section, the part above the spreaders, veers off to starboard such that the mast tip is 2 inches to starboard of where it should be. Or something like that. If that's the case, you might be able to just tighten the port upper shroud and be done with it. It's not a really big deal, unless you're hoping to win the Capri 16.5 world championships soon. If that's the case, you might just need to spring for a new mast. Otherwise, I think you should just fix it as best as possible in the minimum amount of time and go sailing.
If it's got an obvious buckle or dent, then it seems there's really, really no downside to just trying to straighten it however you can.
I'm afraid that I don't really understand what you're proposing doing, but it sounds complicated. I understand where you're coming from. I've been there. I'm an engineer, and I can tell you firsthand that at times I've spent time on things that maybe I shouldn't have, that cut into the sailing fun. I had a J/24 I raced for about 15 years, and more than once I missed regattas in the early spring because I was still working on the boat. A couple of times it was fairing the bottom or keel. It was very satisfying for me as an engineer / craftsman kind of guy, but in retrospect it would have been much better to spend the time practicing spinnaker sets or some such with the crew. Nowadays I'm racing a Laser. The boat has to be good, but I would choose to go practice over working on the boat any day. A little time off, and some age, and I'm thinking differently.
My friend's mast didn't look too good. It took a lot of force, but we fixed it to the point that you wouldn't know anything had happened in about 15 minutes. You only go around once. I suggest sailing instead of fixing stuff with your time.
Best of luck! Go sailing! It's a great life skill. Have fun!
If it's got an obvious buckle or dent, then it seems there's really, really no downside to just trying to straighten it however you can.
I'm afraid that I don't really understand what you're proposing doing, but it sounds complicated. I understand where you're coming from. I've been there. I'm an engineer, and I can tell you firsthand that at times I've spent time on things that maybe I shouldn't have, that cut into the sailing fun. I had a J/24 I raced for about 15 years, and more than once I missed regattas in the early spring because I was still working on the boat. A couple of times it was fairing the bottom or keel. It was very satisfying for me as an engineer / craftsman kind of guy, but in retrospect it would have been much better to spend the time practicing spinnaker sets or some such with the crew. Nowadays I'm racing a Laser. The boat has to be good, but I would choose to go practice over working on the boat any day. A little time off, and some age, and I'm thinking differently.
My friend's mast didn't look too good. It took a lot of force, but we fixed it to the point that you wouldn't know anything had happened in about 15 minutes. You only go around once. I suggest sailing instead of fixing stuff with your time.
Best of luck! Go sailing! It's a great life skill. Have fun!
Thanks for the great advice. I am with you 100%. Sounds like we are in the same boat. The engineer/craftsman mind gets conflicted when it comes to pure enjoyment vs. the gratification of problem solving. I got the 16.5 with furler in the fall of 2020 and have not sailed it yet. It really needs nothing but I am fixed on installing hand holds of sorts to overcome my inability at 82 to quickly adjust my weight to avoid capsize. Was a cruiser with an o'day 22 on a mooring but went for this smaller boat to stay sailing. Not a easy task to find best place and attachment method while considering how the gunnel is built. ( similar to the 14.5). Definitely hitting the water this spring regardless of mast and hand hold issues. Any advice to maintain capsize control or hand hold type and placement would be appreciated.
To simplify the previous discussion on a bent mast, imagine a bent piece of round pipe with a snug fitting wire sliding ring on the outside diameter. I believe the wire sliding ring would theoretically begin to jamb at the bend or kink where the perfectly round section becomes distorted. Hope this helps.
Have a healthy and happy new year,
Bill
Thanks Karl,
Great idea to limit reverse bend. I will be using in Spring.
No deformation seen by eye. That is why I thought of sliding a snug fitting ring over the area to find any microscopic deformation.
Cheers,
Bill
megigharbor
Member
If you're concerned about capsizing, I would make sure to have mast head flotation installed-I'm adding it to my 14.2 before I try out my new to me boat. I understand that both the 16.5 and 14.2 will turtle fairly quickly without a float.
Thanks,
I will keep in touch. Do you have any " oil canning " of the hull where it sits on trailer bunks. I have some but wonder how much is too much.
Very minor amount. When my buddy's Capri recently turtled it was full of water after they righted it. Now, once back to the dock, there was a debate over whether to crank it up on the trailer with 500 lbs of water in it or bail most of it out beforehand. I had voted for the latter. Only having the bunks and a roller to absorb the extra 500 lb is not good. That fiberglass is quite flexy and I thought it might crack.
But on the other hand once it was out on the trailer just pop the drain and all the water runs out, no work! So they did that and luckily the boat suffered no damage.
Now I ran this by my boat guru (a professional fiberglass guy), and he agreed with my cautious point of view.
Let me know if you want the info for the Baby Bob. With 5 seasons under my belt I never capsized, but came real close a few times. Always liked the security it provided, as a single hander it would be tragic to turtle.
Cheers!
But on the other hand once it was out on the trailer just pop the drain and all the water runs out, no work! So they did that and luckily the boat suffered no damage.
Now I ran this by my boat guru (a professional fiberglass guy), and he agreed with my cautious point of view.
Let me know if you want the info for the Baby Bob. With 5 seasons under my belt I never capsized, but came real close a few times. Always liked the security it provided, as a single hander it would be tragic to turtle.
Cheers!
I agree. I would have bailed the boat first. Yes, the hull is very flexible and I was wondering if a few rope slings from bunk to bunk forming a cradle for storage might be in order. Also, I was told by Catalina worker in Florida not to support on keel line or get in the boat unsupported while lying on land.
I had called them to get info on adjusting bunks but got no specifics. Please send Baby Bob / bracket info at you convenience.