Quote:
Originally Posted by amayotte
So the idea of putting a tube in the mast to counter compression forces is more for a peace of mind?
The reason I ask about this is because mine does not have a compression tube and I am a little worried that I will crush the mast in hard wind.
In fact my system is fairly flimsy. It is a floppy system which I want to replace with some rigid spreaders.
Does anyone know of how to determine what type of mast I have in order to properly order new spreaders and brackets.
Thanks,
Adam
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Hi Adam, There are as many ways to attach spreader to mast as there are mast manufacturers. Some are better than others.
Some have bases that are welded on the outside, some have wraparound brackets, some have a slightly bent solid aluminum bar stock inserted through slots in the side of the mast that the spreaders slip over and are pinned in place with clevis pins.
The manufacturer of your spar probably thought about what they were building. That doesn't mean that they did a great job and it doesn't mean that what was maybe a good setup 10 years ago isn't in need of rebuilding.
I use compression tubes a lot. If I add a boom bail, I'll use a compression tube. Same thing if I am bolting on a set of tangs, but if a spar has in-mast
furling, then a compression tube won't work.
It would really help if you could post some photos of the
fairly floppy system so we could see what kind of system it is.